“I think my background has a lot to do with developing a passion for helping kids. I went through a lot when I was growing up. I left home when I was 18, and I never wanted to go back. Twice in my life, I wanted to commit suicide.

“I got involved in modeling. I was trying to escape who I was, so that kind of allowed me to be somebody different, to get into character and become a different person. I worked at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, and was on this show called ‘Out of the Blue’ and another one called ‘SeaQuest.’ The acting part was a lot of early mornings and late nights. It was very draining. So I started working as a Marlboro girl, going to different places and handing out promotional items. Then I was a Hawaiian Tropic girl, so it was all the runway stuff.

“After that, I got into trade shows. I learned about different products and got to talk with a lot of people. I really enjoyed that. That’s when I had moved up to Ohio, where it was such a different culture than Florida. I got to know people on a different kind of level.

“After being very sheltered growing up, I became much more open. That experience helped open up a whole new world for me. I feel like that’s kind of when I really started living.”

— Cissy Clearo

Cissy helps lead a program at Old River Baptist Church called The Landing, where she provides guidance for teenage boys and girls.

(Photo by Olivia Garza/Liv’s Looking Glass)

Related:

• She helps teens deal with bullying and much more

The post She has to escape past to start enjoying life appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“The youth pastor at Old River Baptist Church asked if I’d be interested in helping lead a group for troubled teens called The Landing. After I heard a little about it, I said, ‘Absolutely.’ It’s for males and females in grades 6 through 12, and we’re averaging about 15 students per session. We’re trying to help these kids understand that what they’re going through right now is just temporary. They shouldn’t look at their teen years as their whole life. That can be pretty challenging for kids who are going through things like being bullied, who feel the need to harm themselves, or are involved in addictive behaviors like vaping.

“Bullying is a huge factor in schools these days, especially at the high school level. People say that it’s been around for years, but not like this. I mean, I was bullied as a kid. I was thrown in the trash can in the boys bathroom. But that’s nothing compared to what’s going on today. Now there’s social bullying, where someone can use an app to bully another person anonymously. You can’t track it back to whoever did it. They’re hiding behind their phones. And some of these kids are very mean. The things I’m seeing and hearing about, it’s so sad.

“No matter what they’re going through, I try to be that one solid person who is there for them, who will listen to their issues, and advise them as best I can. To be honest, this whole experience has kind of helped me to be a better parent. I talk to my own kids more. I spend at least 30 minutes with them every night. I tuck them in — even my 16-year-old. I lay next to him, and I’m like, ‘How was your day? What’s going on?’ I think it’s more important than ever to just let them know that I’m there for them.”

— Cissy Clearo

(Photo by Olivia Garza/Liv’s Looking Glass)

Related:

• She has to escape past to start enjoying life

The post She helps teens deal with bullying and much more appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“They finally had enough of it. I spent the first week of my senior year of high school in a mental institution. I found out real quick that wasn’t a joke. I learned there are some crazy people in this world, and I didn’t want to be one of them.

“Right after that, I left home to go live at my boyfriend’s house. I thought my parents were being horrible, but they were really just trying to help. I’m so stubborn. I wanted to make the point that I didn’t need them. I thought I could do it all on my own. I also had anger issues. I know how to control it now, but back then I just kind of let it all out. I would think and say things that weren’t even true, like my mom hates me. In reality, she just wanted the best for me.

“I didn’t take all of my classes seriously, which hurt my GPA. I decided to quit the softball team, only to find out later that a couple of colleges were looking at me. I could have gotten a full-ride scholarship. That was a hard lesson because now I have to pay for college myself.

“I have a lot of regrets. I would have changed a lot of things. But my mom tells me, ‘Put it behind you. It happened, so just let it go. You’re starting fresh. You’re doing something about it now.’

“It’s been kind of hard, but it’s getting easier now that I’m actually in college and working toward something positive.”

— Alexis Greathouse

The post ‘Lot of regrets’ for tumultuous teenager years appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“A lot of people think I’m older than 16, but I don’t feel like it. I’ve been handed alcoholic beverages before, but I say, ‘Hey, I’m only 16, man. I don’t want you to get in trouble.’ I think it’s kind of cool and flattering in some sense. Maybe it’s my build or my facial hair that fools them.”

Do you consider yourself a mature person?
“I think so, although I can turn it off and on. For instance, I was just playing Pokémon Go. And I really like funny-looking backpacks, video games and stuff like that. I can be pretty immature sometimes. But when it comes to school and work, I can just (snaps his finger) turn on the switch and be mature. I think it has a lot to do with parenting. My dad told me, ‘If you have a job to do, do it. If you don’t do it right, they’re not going to trust you to do the job again.’ I haven’t forgotten that.”

— Brandon Galvan

The post Maturity kicks in when it comes to work, school appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“We have four kids, three sons and a daughter, ages 21 to 27. Our biggest challenges were just getting through the teenage years. That was hard. With one right after the other, there was always something to deal with. But they’ve all turned out fine. I guess we did something right.”

The post They managed to navigate kids’ teenage years appeared first on The Baytown Project.