Metro mentor has high goals
Speech major wants to help students increase self-esteem
by Jonathan Kuenne
The Metropolitan

Metro junior, Na-Kesha Taylor plans to be traveling around the country as a motivational speaker within the next five years, to help encourage middle and high school students to stay in school and increase their self esteem.

Na-Kesha who is currently pursuing a Speech Communications degree with an emphasis in public address and rhetoric says “I hope to start speaking right when I get out of school.  I have an internship set up with the Hall of Life speaking on health issues.”

Taylor explained that the internship would mainly consist of speaking to various audiences on health issues including smoking, exercising and eating right.
“But that’s not my ultimate goal,” Taylor added, “I want to speak to youth about self-esteem , about building their own self esteem and understanding the social aspects of life.  Also about setting and achieving  their goals, making a choice to change their life.”

Taylor feels that self-esteem is an important issue in the teen community.
Na-Kesha says she doesn’t plan to limit herself to the Denver market for speaking opportunities.  “I want to travel - all over the United States… to just to middle schools and high schools..” Taylor expressed during an interview in the Tivoli on Monday. I’d like to base myself out of Denver and go from there.”

Taylor’s inspiration comes from a video she saw in middle school.  “When I was in middle school I saw a video of Montel (Williams), and didn’t think it had much to do with me.” The speech, entitled ‘Mountain Get Out Of My Way’, was presented by Montel Williams at Denver’s South High School and became the spark that ignited the fire in Na-Kesha’s heart.

Na-Kesha decided then that she would dedicate herself to the overall improvement of our youth.

Photo by - Danny Holland Metro Student Na-Kesha Taylor has high hopes of becoming a motivational speaker for middle school and high school kids. Taylor also helped start, as she calls it, Project X. Project X is a program to help middle school kids find mentors.

In addition to speaking in schools across the nation, Taylor wants to design  a program that will be of help to all youth.  “I don’t think there is a program that helps middle-schoolers decide what they want to do and what they want to be. I want to use the NBA, the NFL, designers – mainly music, sports, and art to (help them) change or to figure out what they want for themselves.”  Na-Kesha says that she especially wants to work with at-risk kids and have them build a relationship with mentors in the public eye.
Na-Kesha first brain-stormed for her program, currently named project X, when she was a junior in high school.  “I started with the alphabet and listed a sponsor for each letter - that I could call to help with different aspects of the program,” Taylor said. “Major companies that have a lot of money that they can donate in addition to time and jobs,” she added.

In addition to large companies, Taylor hopes to eventually use celebrities to create an umbrella system.  She wants them to come to schools and be mentors to the youth.
Within five years Na-Kesha wants to have a program that is worth knowing about.
Taylor is already on her way to success in changing lives.  Recently, she was offered a grant to help deal with the housing issues in district three where there are too many people per house. Na-Kesha plans to fix up houses and rent them out as a way to improve the community.

Besides her busy school schedule, volunteering in the community and seeking out new opportunities, Na-Kesha is currently working at a day care, and training for her real estate license.

Keep your eyes peeled for Na-Keesha Taylor, future motivational speaker, program founder, director, and mentor.