DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — This week’s Hoover’s Hero doesn’t see a problem, she sees potential in the tireless work she puts in every day with at-risk boys and girls in Decatur.
I walked away from my time with Kurtistyne White feeling inspired. After hearing her story, I think you will too.
Keeping Kurtistyne busy on this particular day is practice time for the Decatur Youth Symphony World Drummers.
“We’re using the African drum for our rhythms and our beats and different things like that,” she says.
The World Drum Program started off with third through fifth graders, but Kurtistyne says over the years it’s expanded to high school because the parents and students love it so much.
“We’ve had kids who have been in this particular program for four and five years and they kind of age out at some point. In about ninth grade, they start doing other activities, you know, for high school,” she said.
Kurtistyne was nominated by Devin Lacy, a highly respected conductor with the Decatur Youth Symphony and music teacher.
“That’s incredible because he’s a musician, he’s a community person, he’s a giver. He sets the bar high for his students. I’ve seen it firsthand and for him to nominate me, it’s just like it’s an honor. It really is. It’s an honor and it’s an honor for you, you know, to have the Hoover award,” she said. “I’m always rooting for the underdog, you know? I’m just that type of person.”
For more than 20 years, Kurtistyne has worked with the school system and youth services, and to say her work is bringing successes is an understatement. One student she worked with went from living in the projects to an Ivy League college.
“So, seeing that, you know, it’s just like, okay, mentorship works. It takes a village works. Communication and everybody be in, you know, like, man, it works,” she said.
Kurtistyne says this line of work takes passion and giving more than 100%.
“You know, a job requires you to do a certain amount but, you know, if it’s your ministry and your passion, you’re going to always go over it, you know, and say, hey, we want to do 100% but if there’s something that you love to do and you want to do it, you got to do 120%, you know?,” she said.
Kurtistyne finds inspiration from her upbringing and her mother, who made her feel protected like the children she works with today.
“I mean, I’m from humble beginnings. I’m from Phenix City, Alabama. I lived on what they called the back road, grew up on a back road, picking blackberries, plums and all that stuff, being with all my cousins and everything, and just me having a family unit. We didn’t have a whole lot of money, but we had a whole lot of love,” she said.
Many times, that’s all it takes.
“I always say it’s God’s plan, and anything I can do to help a child or anyone, I’m willing to do it,” she said.
The World Drummers practice one day a week, getting ready for community events like the Christmas parade, Mardi Gras parade, and over half a dozen other events.
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