Michele Dillon, a Fayetteville native, embodies the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Her unwavering dedication to serving youth demonstrated through her tenure of over ten years with the Cumberland County School, community advocacy, and mentoring at-risk youth through Cumberland County Community Care’s mentoring program, is a testament to the genuine significance of community in molding the next generation.
Her commitment and guidance have instilled hope and motivation for the youth, instructing them that they can conquer any obstacles and challenges they face in life. She shared that some of the youth she encountered faced life challenges such as bullying, raising siblings, family dysfunction, mental health issues, and other unheard-of issues.
When she encounters the children, now adults, she shares that it’s a beautiful feeling to see them reach success and remember the lessons she taught them when they were students. She shared that some of the students tell her “thank you” and wish they would have listened, stating that some of her former students couldn’t wait to grow up when they were in middle school and now see life’s reality from a different set of lenses.
Some even tell her quote, “Ms. Dillon, you were hard on us.” She responds that she was relentless because she saw their potential and didn’t want to see it waste.
Dillon didn’t care what color the students were; everybody was the same color to her. She disciplined them in hopes of steering the youth in the right direction. She also shared that she was firm as a teacher but showed them respect and met them at their level.
“I learn a lot from the students. They were my mentees and were unaware of it,” she stated.
She informs the writer that her students often tell her that their parents don’t listen to them as she does.
“They can’t go home and say, Hey, I had a good day in school,” without the parents doubting them and telling them, quote, “You know you were cutting up. I’m surprised those teachers didn’t call me,” she added.
Dillon shared that from then on, she would call her parents every week to reassure them that their child or children had a successful day in school with all of their teachers, allowing the parents to see the consistency in their behavior.
POWER IN UNITY
When asked about her love for serving youth, Dillon expressed that her dedication to being a positive role model stems from her mother, a school teacher at Fayetteville Technical Community College, and her close-knit community.
“My high school principal lived in my neighborhood. My guidance counselor lived on the corner of my street; across from her [guidance counselor] lived a teacher who taught at Southview. We used to sit in her [Southview teacher] neighborhood and talk about anything and everything. The magistrate lived in my neighborhood. The neighborhood was home to numerous educators, army officials, post office workers, veterans, and correctional officers,” she stated.
Dillon shared that the role models in her neighborhood would converse with parents about their children’s behavior, referring to each other by their first name and not ‘Mr. or Mrs.’. Together, the adults would provide tough love to prevent the youth from choosing the wrong path.
Her deep bond with the community inspires her dedication to supporting the youth. Dillon shares her cherished childhood memories of her Murchison Road community and its rich history with the writer. It serves as a reminder that the younger generation holds our future, and she aims to highlight the importance of a supportive and caring community.
UPLIFTING AND INVESTING IN THE FUTURE GENERATION UNITY
Dillon believes that the cohesiveness in today’s world has fallen off compared to when she grew up. She thinks some teachers are afraid to give students the proper discipline they need to help them in life, and some parents are interfering and not listening to school officials whenever the students misbehave. Dillon stated that the leaders in her upbringing treated the youth as if they were their children, and she believes this mindset will benefit the youth as they transition into adulthood.
Michele Dillon and her former Douglas Byrd Middle School students, all grown up; FACEBOOK
Dillon’s unwavering belief in the importance of community unity is rooted in her belief that the community is a crucial player in supporting and caring for one another, especially with the youth. She also believes parents and guardians play a pivotal role in guaranteeing future generations’ safety and well-being. She believes setting an example in rebuilding the community, starting with molding the youth, will contribute to saving the next generation. She emphasized that neighborhoods should unite to reestablish cohesiveness, acknowledging the influx of new residents and new housing developments in the aftermath of her moving to Murchison Road in 1972.
Dillon firmly believes in the power of respect and love in shaping children’s behavior. She emphasizes that children will remember you when you show them respect and that her students still carry the lessons she planted in them, which is a testament that she’s doing something right. She believes her work with the school system was God-ordained, making her work with the youth incredibly fulfilling.
