WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio — 1,000 Ties is an organization in Ohio that mentors young kids and uses tie-tying skills as a symbol not only of fashion, but growth.
At an event hosted by the organization at Warrensville Heights Elementary School on Saturday, 11-year-old Derrick Smith Jr. said he believes this program will help him become the man he wishes to be in the future.
Smith said he was bullied in school early on and that those memories have inspired him to reach his fullest potential.
“I love to read, I got bullied in kindergarten for being the only kid who could read in the class, he said.
According to 1,000 Ties, the organization’s mission is to engage the youth and prepare them for the real world.
It’s founder, Jowan Smith, said she’s trying to break the cycle of generational poverty.
She wants kids to have the means necessary to succeed in life, teaching them communication methods and how to have confidence in dealing with life’s obstacles.
