Introduction

My name is Essence Harrison (she, her, hers) and I am a 2016 graduate of Rhode Island College where I received a Bachelors degree in Youth Development. I have been working for the Boys and Girls Club of Providence for the past two years as an Assistant Site Coordinator for an after school program stationed at Roger Williams Middle School here in Providence. In March of 2020, I was accepted into the first cohort of the Rhode Island College Masters of Youth Development program.


When my work hat is off, I am spending time with my family. I have two sisters and one brother and have been blessed with two beautiful nieces and one handsome nephew who I love to pieces. I enjoy writing poetry and reading fiction novels.

Working for the Boys and Girls Club has made me realize two things. One, I enjoy working with middle school youth and two, my philosophy when it comes to working with youth is, give youth a choice and give youth a voice. I choose to work for my kids. If their is something about the after school program that they would like to change, I give them the space to do just that. Last year, we had a junior staff program in which 10 students ran their own program. But not before, going through a six week program on different forms of leadership, attention getters, and communication. I would like to become a college bound counselor in a middle/high school setting. I was blessed to have a counselor with the Educational Talent Search (ETS) of Rhode Island who exposed not only myself but some of my high schools peers to different colleges. He helped us with the complex college process. I want to be able to be the type of counselor he was to the upcoming college bound generation. 

My oldest niece graduating from high school. No pandemic could break her spirit. 

My handsome nephew on his first day of  his last year in elementary school. 

My little baby. His name is Scruffy. 

My baby girl on her first day of middle school.