OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Camryn, Tonea, Kymari… their names are different, but their stories similar. Poor attendance and performance at school. Anxiety. Loss of a loved one. Headed down a dangerous path that for some included thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
The teenaged girls who shared testimonies of a downward spiral to an audience of several hundred adults also had one major thing in common. They all found the Pace Center for Girls Marion (Pace Marion) and are convinced it turned their lives around.
“I was going through a lot of things emotionally and I couldn’t quite understand what I was going through,” said Tonea. “I didn’t really have anybody to be there for me or help me.”
Last week, Tonea stood on a stage at the Klein Center on the campus of the College of Central Florida (CF), revealing how she had basically given up after she lost her great grandparents in 2020.
“I didn’t care about my future. I didn’t care what happened to me,” admitted Tonea. “I just wanted to find something that would take away my pain and anything I was feeling.”
She was just one of the voices sharing her success story at a fundraising luncheon for Pace Marion.
“I couldn’t quite understand anything about what I was dealing with, but I found a lot of resources at Pace that really help you go into depth about what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling it and ways to cope with it,” said Tonea.
In a few months, she’ll graduate high school and plans to go to college to study social work or psychology.
“I was having a lot of suicidal tendencies,” said 16-year-old Kymari. “I was thinking about ending it all and feeling like it was a lot better than just continuing on.”
Things started to really get out of hand after her mom died. She’s been attending Pace Marion for almost two years now.
“I’m doing a lot better mentally,” said Kymari. “I feel like I found so many people who have actually helped me through so many things and actually support me.”
The struggle is real, and she still has bad days. But now, Kymari has a different outlook.
“There’s so many more opportunities in life and you grow, and things just become better. Don’t give up just because life is hard,” said Kymari.
Camryn Smith’s world crumbled after her dad died from cancer.
“I wouldn’t go to class. I wouldn’t do my work. I would hide under a blanket,” said Camryn.
Her mom, Jean, felt like a failure as a parent. “My heart broke because I didn’t know how to help,” said Jean.
Camryn wanted to give Pace a try, but her mom initially resisted.
“I was under the impression it was the bad girls’ school,” said Jean. “Luckily, Camryn talked me into checking it out.”
Camryn has not only graduated from Pace but has gone on to earn an associate degree from CF, has a job at the school and is working towards a bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida.
“The kid I never thought would be finishing high school is on her way to her bachelor’s and possibly master’s. I’m so proud,” said Jean also adding that Camryn graduated with honors from CF.
What is Pace Center for Girls Marion?
“What we do every day is provide academic and counseling services,” said Carole Savage, who has been the center’s executive director for more than 12 years. She describes Pace as an intervention and prevention program that takes a holistic approach to working with middle and high school-aged girls who have experienced trauma and because of that are not having success in a traditional school setting.
“These girls are some of our most vulnerable parts of the population in Marion County,” said Savage. “It’s a gamut of the kind of behaviors that we’re working with with the girls.”
Savage says it’s a common misconception that Pace is for teens in trouble. She admits some have had a brush with the law but not all. “When the girls tell their stories and people hear, they begin to understand,” said Savage.
The center is located just a few blocks north of the downtown square in Ocala at 328 NE 1st Ave.
Pace Marion opened in 2001 and is one of 21 centers in the state.
The teachers are state certified and class sizes are small, typically fewer than 10 students.
“It gives the teachers the chance to actually connect with and work with students,” said Kymari.
Camryn was struggling with math. “The teacher would sit one-on-one with me and helped me get through it.”
Camryn’s mom agrees the individualized instruction made a huge difference for her daughter.
“They are awesome. They are a godsend,” said Jean. But she feels the success of the program is much more than that. “They say it takes a village to raise kids. When my husband died, I lost my village. Pace gave me my village back.”
Pace Marion is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Qualified students attend for free. The program receives funding from the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Education through the local school district, and also relies on donations from the community. Pace Marion has an upcoming fundraiser called a “Tribute to the Women of Song.” It’s a collaboration of more than a dozen musicians in the community who will perform everything from country to rock to Motown. The event will be on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. the Marion Theatre. Tickets cost $35. You can purchase tickets here.