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Innovative Initiatives: Mason Education Initiative

The Bougie Aunt | Published 12:00 p.m. E.T. August 17, 2020

10 minute read

*Innovative Initiatives is my project where I inform y’all of lesser-known enterprises that are positively contributing to an underrepresented field.*

THE TALE OF TWO CITIES

New York is a great example of a state where the American Dream is romanticized, but it tends not to actualize itself for many. For example, New York City is the largest city in the nation, but is also one of the cities with the largest income inequalities. People in the top 90th percentile make seven times more than people in the 10th percentile. And, this income gap can be reflected in the majority of New York cities. For the purpose of relevancy and scope, I will be focusing on Queens, New York.

Queens, New York was one of the cities analyzed in a study by United Way of New York City, the Women’s Center for Education and Career Advancement, City Harvest, and The New York Community Trust to determine the ‘Self-Sufficiency Standard’. The Self-Sufficiency Standard is different from the poverty measure because the Self-Sufficiency Standard formed their financial numbers based on incomes people can meet their daily needs with: food, health care, housing, transportation, miscellaneous, and child care (if one is responsible for any). Additionally, the standard varies by geographical location in New York and family type, and it does not include public assistance (Medicaid) or private assistance (shared housing). 

For Queens, New York, the “bare-bones” standard for one adult and two school-age children is $5,786 – per month. The number is more appalling after one takes into consideration how the standard of living has risen to be almost three times the price of wages. This has translated to 40% of New York households struggling to make income to afford their fundamental needs. Furthermore, the study shows how households being responsible for children ensures nearly a doubling that the household will not have enough income to support their needs. With children in the picture, it poses a greater question. How will they be able to break out of their generational poverty if they cannot afford education? Well, one girl may be the answer to that for Queens, New York: specifically, Jamaica. 

WHO IS KRISTALYN BILLIPS?

Kristalyn Billips is a Howard University student who was born and raised in Jamaica, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Billips has always been passionate about education since the importance of it was instilled in her from a young age. Billips says, “Her mom, cousins, everybody pushed it onto her”. However, Billips did not see the same fervor towards education reciprocated by her community. In Queens, New York, the high school graduation rate is 81.5%, which is lower than the national average, which is about 88%. Relating back to the Self-Sufficiency Standard, education rates can be correlated to the pricey standard of living but low wages. Billips wanted to share the inspiration she received from her family for education towards others too because she believes it can aid in breaking the cyclical nature of poverty. So, Billips launched the Mason Education Initiative.

WHAT IS THE MASON EDUCATION INITIATIVE?

The Mason Education Initiative was founded in memoriam for Billips’s late grandmother, Sandra J. Mason, because Billips is often referred to as having her grandmother’s spirit: the drive for diffusing education. Billips informed me that the Mason Education Initiative (MEI) is, “A community run on family organization, created with the opportunity to provide children and others with resources”. She credits everyone in close proximity to her for being supportive of her aspiration, especially her mother and brother. 

Billips’s mother, Christina Cox, is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of MEI. And, Billips’s cousin, Nikyta King, is the Chief Advisory Officer (CAO). Cox is the owner of a clothing and lifestyle brand while King is a long-timed licensed cosmetologist. They were both able to transfer their business knowledge towards promoting and fundraising for MEI.

For example, in January 2020, Cox and King helped advance Billips’s school supply drive. Billips was able to use all the school supplies given and donate them to her old elementary school. Billips was thankful she was able to have her mother helping her, and she was also grateful for the response she received from her old principal. She said, “The principal commented on how it was going to help the school a lot. They were able to divide the supplies among both students in shelters and teachers, so they would have a fresh set for the remainder of the school year”. And it ended up helping more than Billips could have predicted, because the supplies were put to good use when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools.

Billips’s brother, Jahrell “Rell” Billips, is in charge of the extracurriculars; he grew up playing football, so recreational activities come naturally to him. Jahrell is also younger than Billips, which she notified me was another huge inspiration for starting MEI. She likes to see how improvements are being implemented for her brother’s education, which makes her hopeful for her main demographic’s education – children. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE MASON EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Thankfully, MEI’s progression has not been too halted by the pandemic, but Billips agrees that there is still more progress to achieve. For one, Billips wanted to have a back-to-school party for her old elementary school; it would continue the school drive she started back in January, but there would be a DJ and other party features for the children. The party idea has been pushed to next year because of COVID-19. However, Billips says her main form of growth for MEI currently is social media. She loves being able to form new audiences that share her passion and commitment towards helping these children. She reflects, “I want to secure an education for them. They don’t get to learn who they are, but all the kids are amazing. Nothing I create goes to me. Anything people can donate is valuable: money for scholarships, legal advice, time, etc.”

Billips’s passion for education is truly inspirational because of how she was able to actualize it into MEI. Although the American Dream is a nice romanticization for many, Billips is helping children achieve it. Billips envisions MEI progressing to having its own recreational center. There will be different classrooms for children to learn subjects that are often not taught in schools because of budget cuts: performing arts, financial literacy, college/career exploration, etc. You can also aid in children reaching and realizing their potential through donating to MEI. As Billips says, “Anything … is valuable.” 

What do you think about the Mason Education Initiative? Are there any innovative initiatives you would like me to feature? Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments, through my Instagram and Twitter pages, or all three!

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