Kailee Billerbeck, 17, is a senior at Monroe High School. She runs her own teen-mentoring program and recently published a book that shares her life lessons with other girls. She writes for the Monroe Monitor newspaper. Kailee is also a second-degree black belt and a certified martial arts instructor.
Question: How did you come up with the idea for your mentoring program?
Answer: The summer after my freshman year, I went to a Young Life camp. We had to start thinking about how we want to be remembered. I’ve had a really good upbringing, and some of my friends haven’t. I realized my passion is making sure others have the opportunity to be brought up and are able to realize they have potential. My mom always says someone has to do it. That person is me.
Q: How did you acquire your wisdom?
A: I personally encountered obstacles through school. My mom would take me on drives and talk through conflicts and adversity. On those drives, I learned a lot of life lessons. I wanted to translate that to younger kids.
Q: Tell us about your group.
A: It’s called l.a.f.s., which stands for learning about friends, family, future and school. There’s about 15 girls involved. They’re in seventh through ninth grades now, but when we started they were in fifth to seventh grades. We meet once a week at my house. I share with them what I’m going through and that’s helped them relate to me.
Q: What do you do?
A: We do an activity that correlates with the lesson each week. For example, last year we had a huge, human board game. You would encounter things that would set you back a few places, such as a breakup or a bad grade. You’d also find spots that’d push you forward, like a compliment or a good grade. The purpose was to show that no matter what, everyone finished. You’re going to have hard things come up but you have to keep going. We all die at some point. Life’s about what you do in between.
Q: What other activities are part of the sessions?
A: I have a jar of questions. It has pieces of paper the girls put in anonymously with all different situations on them. The girls draw a situation, like maybe a friend said something about you and you don’t know what to do. And I try to help.
Q: What are some of the obstacles you’ve had to overcome?
A: I hurt my foot in martial arts. My foot had been hurting for months and I kept practicing. I ended up having to get a cast and surgery, which hindered my ability to help the girls. I had to take a break because it was too much to handle with three advanced placement courses. I learned you have to stay positive.
Q: You’ve recently published a book.
A: Yes. It’s called “Your Jar of Wisdom: Learning How to Fill Your Jar.” It’s available on Amazon. I wanted to write something that wasn’t going to be read once and put back on the shelf. My book has a table of contents with things you may feel, such as you don’t matter or you’re lonely. The second half is a how-to. It has sections about things like how to be a good friend or how to get good grades. That way, girls can go look at the section they need. First, I sympathize with them. Then I empower them to get through it.
Q: Where did you get the idea for the book?
A: It started junior year when I hurt my foot. I couldn’t do group. I wanted to find a way to leave something concrete and tangible with my girls. While I was hurt, I had time to write. I got my cast in December. It took until June to finish working with the editor. I learned with the content. Sometimes it’s easy to give advice but it’s harder to live it.
Q: How did you gain the insight for your book?
A: I learned it from my parents and through different situations I’ve encountered, such as girl drama. I also do martial arts. We have tenets we read before class. There are seven: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, honor and community. You have to implement them into your life.
Q: Where are you in that training?
A: I’m a second-degree black belt. I’m also a martial arts instructor in Mill Creek. I’ve learned weapons and mixed martial arts. I know how to use nunchucks, kamas and sais. They integrate them into your formal training and you learn all kinds of tricks.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: My dream school is Stanford. I’d also like to go to the University of San Diego, Chapman University or Occidental College. They’re in California. I’m also considering schools in Florida and New York.
I’m thinking about communications, sociology or psychology. I want to make a business out of something I’m passionate about. I hope to find something that allows me to help younger kids.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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