Students who want to help out around the community or imagine themselves in a leadership role could turn to Pursue Memphis to achieve their goals.
Pursue Memphis is a new organization at the University of Memphis. Their mission, according to their statement on the Registered Student Organization list, is to “introduce Memphis students to the needs of our city by pursuing community service and improvement”
Stephanie Tynes, a senior and president of the organization, shared her story on the development of Pursue Memphis.
“I started going to my church about a year ago. It is a multi-ethnic church called Pursuit. They have a heart for the people of the Getwell community, and I instantly fell in love with the way they were so intentional and loving,” Tynes said. “They are unlike any church I have been a part of and would go and just hang out with them.”
Tynes described some of the challenges her church was working to overcome.
“The more involved I got, the more I kept hearing about how South Park Elementary students were really struggling with reading,” Tynes said. “The same kids that I hung out with and loved in the community attended this school. This motivated me to want to step in and help.”
Tynes is also an Emerging Leader, and that scholarship required her to be involved in two campus Registered Student Organizations.
“At the time I was involved in the BCM [Baptist Collegiate Ministry] and Student Dietetic Association, so I did not have time to tutor at South Park Elementary.” Tynes said.
“That is where I longed to be, so I started thinking about ways to get there, and I wanted a way to get other students involved with tutoring as well because I knew that I could not make the impact that was needed alone.”
Tynes brought her idea to campus to attract like-minded students.
“I knew that other students probably had the same desires that I did to connect students to schools, non-profits, and needs that people on campus just did not know about,” Tynes said. “I also desired for students to develop a love for their community. I thought that there was no better way to do that than to help students passionately pursue community service, so I started my own RSO with the help of a lot of friends.”
Pursue Memphis is broken up into teams, with one leader who oversees a given task. Students can join any team of their choice.
Chatoria Dotson, a junior education major and vice president of the organization shared her experience on tutoring at South Park Elementary.
“Right now we have a team that tutors and mentors students at South Park Elementary,” Dotson said. “We go each week and tutor children from grades second to fourth, or it can be any grade level of our choice, in reading.”
Dotson described the joys of tutoring elementary students.
“The children are so excited each week to see their own tutor, who is different from an adult or teacher, come to see and spend time with them,” Dotson said. “As leaders of the organization, we hear about their day and help them wok through issues, but really, a listening ear matters most.”
Philanthropy Chair Keegan Mattox is leading a team to help out at Revolutions Bike Shop, a nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable bikes to Memphians.
“We have not yet started volunteering for them, but you can help build bikes that will be donated to children who cannot afford them,” Mattox said.
Pursue Memphis is currently in the process of starting work at the Mid-South Food Bank and Youth Villages. The Youth Villages care for young people with emotional problems. These problems are often caused by abuse, neglect and other traumas. The program has been in Memphis since 1986.
Breana Kirkwood, a freshman at the U of M, is the team leader of Youth Villages, a private non-profit organization dedicated to helping emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families live successfully.
“We started a new team that will be going to Youth Villages consistently starting in the fall,” Kirkwood said. “Another member and myself attended a training session last spring, to start volunteering at Youth Villages. We did not meet the children or families during the first training process. Instead, we met with Joseph Doss, the coordinator of the program to discuss the volunteer training basics.”
A new organization on campus, Pursue Memphis has been seeking to recruit new members by speaking at meetings for other RSOs, such as the African Student Association and the National Association of Black Journalists, in order to drum up awareness and get more interest for their service projects.
“The more networking we can do the more participation and impact we can have,” Tynes said.
Pursue Memphis began last spring in 2013 with only three members. Now the organization has a total of 25 students. According to the organizations RSO profile, the criteria for membership consists of anyone holding a 2.0 GPA and there is no registration process. Meetings are often held in the University Center or Rose Theatre.
Darian Perry, a junior and new member of the organization, said, “I’m glad that the university has an organization like Pursue Memphis on campus, because I want to be more involved, especially with community service. I also used to be a part of Girls Inc., and I’m interested in joining a team to start mentoring young ladies.”
Tynes has high hopes for her organization’s place at the University.
“There is not another organization on campus like Pursue Memphis, and I think that if we can get established that we can really make a difference,” Tynes said. “Also, visit and like our Facebook page, to connect with other U of M students on building a team and sharing the same passion of doing community service projects,” Tynes said.
Pursue Memphis has a lot on the docket. Tynes described some of the other projects they are planning to work on.
“We also have a lot of interest in Girls Inc. and St. Jude, so we hope to have people come along side of us, and lead others to go and serve in these places. The possibilities are endless,” Tynes said.
Students who have any questions about the organization can contact Stephanie Tynes at sjtynes@memphis.edu.
