Since founding the nonprofit in fall of 2019, Brionna Greer’s Breaking the Cycle mentorship program has continued to expand and evolve. Focused on helping the youth avoid incarceration by planning for the future, Greer and her team of volunteers are continuing to promote education- and career-related programs, with hopes of running Breaking the Cycle from a brick-and-mortar location in the near future.
Greer, 22, said her goal for the young men and women who participate in Breaking the Cycle is to “give them the resources and tools they need to be successful.”
“I want every kid that graduates from my program to have a plan and know anything is possible,” said Greer, a graduate of Owensboro High School. “Shoot for the stars. There’s nothing you can’t accomplish. No dream is too big.”
Greer said she hopes to tackle issues through Breaking the Cycle that school systems aren’t able to. During the summer months, she said, children tend to get distracted and lose focus of their goals.
Now a student at Kentucky State University, Greer said she often uses her own life lessons to teach youth the ins and outs of the collegiate experience. By learning the ropes at a young age, the boys and girls in the program have the chance to heed those lessons later in life.
“Something that’s changed with Breaking the Cycle is participation,” she said. “More people want to get involved because they see the outcome I’ve had with my secondary education experience.”
Greer has also placed a focus on mental health through her nonprofit’s programming, saying, “for the girls’ side, teaching them self love is huge.”
Breaking the Cycle now has five volunteers and anywhere from seven to 17 participants on any given day. During the upcoming summer session, Greer said they’ll focus on building the relationships between mentors and participants.
On May 20, Breaking the Cycle will hold an End of the Semester Bash for its participants at the Dugan Best Recreation Center. Greer said the event will serve as a reward for all those who completed the program and will serve as a career fair with a number of different professionals available to speak with.
Right now, Greer and her team are accepting donations ahead of the event in the form of female business attire.
With Breaking the Cycle to soon be approved as a 501(c)(3), Greer said the nonprofit’s next step is acquiring a brick-and-mortar location. The building will serve as a safe, positive environment for mentors and participants, and a place where students can study, do their homework and hang out with friends.
