By Jennifer Turner
To the children at the Provo Boys and Girls Club, employee Jason McNew is one of their favorites.
“We”re not coming if he”s not here in fall,” said a Boys and Girls club member. “He”s awesome! He treats us like adults.”
McNew, previous member and volunteer, was recently hired as a new employee.
“It”s kind of like my second home,” he said.
In seventh grade, McNew”s family moved from Texas to Utah. To keep him busy while she attended school, McNew”s mother signed him up at the Boys and Girls Club.
“I didn”t mind,” McNew said. “I knew I had to go somewhere.”
After eighth grade, McNew became a Junior Staff volunteer and asked if he could work there when he turned 16. When he was told that he had to be 18, he said he would apply again two years later. Sure enough, when McNew turned 18, he applied to work for the club and was hired.
“When I was little, I was rebellious,” McNew said. “The club kept me out of trouble, and now I want to give back to the kids what was given to me at that age – leadership and friendship.”
The club has a prevention intervention program for kids. It teaches kids what to stay away from, as well as positive things to do, such as how to handle peer pressure and avoid drugs.
Programs Director Dianne Davenport said McNew knows how important the activities are because he has been there. She said because he was once in the program, he understands what it is like and knows how he should act around the children.
“He works with the kids and shares with them,” she said. “He”s conscientious about the types of things they do.”
McNew”s goal is to teach high school, specifically English. He said when he was young, he didn”t like reading and writing, but when he was in high school, he took an advanced English class and started to enjoy reading and writing more.
“People have told me I”m a natural leader, and I like that,” he said. “I think teaching high school is a fun idea. A lot of teachers lecture, but I think the best way to learn is hands on.”
McNew said he plans on teaching with visual activities, such as having his students dress up like characters out of a book.
To accomplish his goal of becoming a teacher, McNew is attending Utah Valley State College on a full-ride music scholarship. He received the scholarship for his percussion skills.
“I want to be the kind of teacher my band director, Dr. David Fullmer, was,” McNew said. “He”s an excellent band director as well as an excellent teacher.”
McNew said Dr. Fullmer gave him many opportunities to be a leader and shaped his goal to become a teacher.
“In a situation [McNew is] usually the first one to take charge,” his friend Jenessa Simmons said. “He”s not bossy, but he gets things done.”
Simmons said McNew is friendly to everyone. She said in high school he smiles at everyone he passes, which most people in school don”t do.
Simmons also said McNew is definitely dedicated to the Boys and Girls Club. She said she thinks he”s been there every day this summer.
