Avon Scherff thinks young girls can do just about anything if they dream it and believe it, so she made that the slogan of her new foundation, I Am I Can.
I want to be an advocate for girls entering high school, from grade nine until they graduate; encourage them to have goals beyond high school, whether that’s military, educational based, starting their own business, cosmetology school, just something beyond high school, said Scherff. `Just really be there to listen, guide and mentor through their high school years.`
Scherff, who owns Scherff Insurance Agency, Inc., said she took the plunge to form a foundation through a combination of her son’s experiences and her own upbringing.
`Two of my sons’ friends lost both their mothers this year. There are girls from split families, those who have personal tragedy or financial hardship. I hear stories of dropping out before they graduate and working minimum wage jobs, unstable family situations, things we expereicne as adults that these kids are going through at young ages. We can be their voice,` said Scherff. `Three students in his high school committed suicide within the first six months. To get a child in that grade to commit suicide is just unbelievable. Who knows if they had the resources or someone to talk to.`
I Am I Can will be an outlet for girls to air out their troubles where they feel safe. Scherff said by the fall, she hopes to have about 10 girls and five volunteers who will be mentors or advocates. The foundation, which she is working to secure a non-profit title for, will be a source for college guidance, funds for applications or possibly college visits, and a place for special connections to be made.
Scherff digs deep to draw from her own personal experiences growing up to find a common ground where she can relate to those she seeks to help.
`I came from a lower middle class family. My mom was divorced with three kids and we were always financially struggling, even when she met my stepdad, financial struggle was always a part of life,` said Scherff. `Coming from that place and putting myself through college by working two jobs, I feel if I can do it, anyone can.`
Since Scherff navigated the college process alone, figuring out financial aid and attending the only school she ever visited, those are the types of opportunities she wants to provide for others. From her many years in the business world, she said she has resources she plans to utilize, like a college advisor friend and already a network of friends, business associates and neighbors who can’t wait to do their part.
Scherff said she will get a solid plan together over the summer and approach the middle school and high school in her school district, South Glens Falls, toward the beginning of the coming school year. While I Am I Can won’t have a home base, she will use her Clifton Park office and eve her own home to meet with girls when needed. While she is launching it in her school district, she said she’s confident it will branch off to serve other districts around the region.
`I have a friend in Latham who is interested. I’m thinking about maybe there could be directors in different school districts and they could head up their own group of volunteers there. I’m going to encourage that,` said Scherff. `The sky is the limit, in my eyes.`
Mentors, or advocates, will form intimate and personal relationships with their girls, said Scherff. That way, some who may be shy or hesitant to bare their souls in a group setting will feel freer to get out their problems. Once a month, the mentors will meet to play catch-up, swap stories and see what needs to be done or addressed.
Scherff said her approach to her business, `people to people, business built on relationships,` naturally translates into her latest endeavor.
`I’ve literally built on my relationships and networking and giving to other, mentoring other women, so I get a lot of satisfaction from that,` said Scherff. `What you give you always get back; maybe not today or tomorrow or in the way you think, but it all comes back. That’s the philosophy I’ve always embraced so I’m carrying it through to this.`
I Am I Can is online at www.iamicanachieve.org. Anyone interested in learning more, being a mentor or donating can call Scherff at 688-3010 ext. 102 or email [email protected].
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