This month marks the beginning of a new chapter in Namonte Jackson’s life. A 2016 graduate of Clarksdale High School, the day has finally come to study criminology at Coahoma Community College. And, while freshman jitters are to be expected, his focus and determination are unwavering.

“I’ve been dreaming about becoming a criminologist for a while,” Namonte said. “But what I’ve come to realize is that it isn’t just going to be handed to me. There’s a responsibility associated with making it happen – and I understand that now.”

Those words are exactly what the White House was hoping to hear coming out of the first year of its Summer Opportunity Project. Created to engage young people in real-life work experiences and mentorships, the White House called upon municipalities, businesses and stakeholders in 16 communities to open the door to opportunity.

Funded by the Walton Family Foundation as part of the White House initiative, Jackson was one of 25 students – ages 16 to 18 – who recently participated in the four-week Clarksdale Summer Opportunity Mentorship Program. While his on-the-job experience was as a director and promoter of a community play sponsored by Griot Arts, others were connected with organizations like Clarksdale Revitalization, the Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Worker Opportunities and the City of Clarksdale. Saf-T-Cart, a local manufacturing company, even stepped up to fund and conduct summer opportunities for five additional students. Similar programs ran simultaneously in communities from Gary, Ind. to Los Angeles.

Namonte had already participated in programming at Griot Arts – an organization that engages youth through the arts and community service – for three years. But Griot’s association with the White House initiative allowed the organization to turn the opportunity into more than just a program this summer. It became a paying job for Jackson and others – and with that came added responsibility.

“I was an extremely impatient person a few years ago,” Namonte said. “With Griot, I quickly figured out everyone else wasn’t on my time. This summer, they took it a step further. Instead of just acting in a community play, it was my job. They paid us to build the set designs, sell tickets, direct it – everything. Going through that experience made me a much more mature person.”

Whether assisting with community revitalization efforts, marketing products at the Downtown Farmers Market, shadowing the mayor or building set designs, Jackson and others earned more than just a paycheck. They received one-on-one mentoring and went through financial literacy workshops. They discovered the importance of communication skills, being on time and meeting expectations.

With a summer under our belts, participating organizations will be taking a look at the lessons learned in hopes of growing the program’s success. For large cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., some of the infrastructure was already in place to build on. For a smaller community like Clarksdale, it was an opportunity for hard-working organizations to begin making something like this a priority.

“We all learned a lot about responsibility and delivering on expectations,” Namonte said. “When the play ended and the cheers went up, the sense of accomplishment was amazing. Now I want that feeling again.”