NSTS January Newsletter

Happy New Year from all of us at Next Step to Success!

As we dive into 2025, we are excited to share our latest updates, upcoming events, and achievements. Thank you for your continued support in helping us inspire success for Norfolk’s youth.

Support NSTS

Our Million Minute Mentorship Challenge is going strong! This year-long initiative (September 2024 – August 2025) aims to raise $1,000,000 to support NSTS’s construction of the St. Vincent de Paul House campus. Each sponsored minute of mentorship equals $1.00 donated toward transforming the lives of Norfolk youth.

Celebrating our "Grit Goal" Winners

At our Holiday “Sneaker Ball”, we honored six of our youth for their perseverance in pursuing their individual “grit goals” for personal improvement.

Funded by an NSTS donor, these awards came with training scholarships to further the winners’ progress toward achieving their long-term goals.

The hard work of each scholarship winner is rewarded with an opportunity for even more hard work, in this case guided by a personal trainer of a sort that typically only more affluent families could afford.

These exceptional teens demonstrated resilience, determination, and true grit in pursuing their personal goals:

• Bella: Academic Improvement
• Amari: Basketball Coaching & Sports Development
• Alayhia: Career Exploration & Entrepreneurship (Hair Styling)
• Michael & Janiah: Culinary Arts & Catering w/ HoneySuckle Cafe
• Shyyahri: Driver’s Education & DMV certifications

We are so proud of their hard work and dedication. Keep reaching for the stars!

Volunteer Spotlight

We are honored to highlight one of our Million Dollar Mentorship Challenge Volunteers, Dr. Robert Kelly.

Dr. Kelly gave an inspiring presentation to our youth about careers in the medical field and provided resources to help with applications and financial aid. His session provided invaluable insights and guidance for our aspiring medical professionals.

Dr. Kelly dedicated 60 minutes to mentoring the 60 students and staff in attendance.

We invite donors to match Dr. Kelly’s contribution of mentorship with a generous financial contribution towards the construction of our new St. Vincent de Paul House campus.

Thank you, Dr. Kelly, for making a lasting impact and inspiring the next generation of doctors and health care professionals!

Family Resource Night | February 13, 2025

Our Family Resource Night is designed to connect families to valuable community resources to help them in areas such as college financial aid, personal financial management, healthy lifestyles and career success planning.

Next month, we were thrilled to welcome guest speakers from:

• New Vision Youth Services
• Norfolk Police Department
• Big Brother Big Sister
• Access College
• United Way of South Hampton Roads

Our Family Resource Nights are a great opportunity for our families to learn about programs and services that can aid them in their journey to success.

To learn more or participate in an upcoming Family Resource Night, email info@nextsteptosuccess.org.

Join us in making a difference:

Volunteer your time as a mentor.
Encourage friends, family, and colleagues to get involved.

Together, we can achieve this monumental goal and empower our youth for a brighter future!

As we move forward in 2025, we remain dedicated to empowering Norfolk’s youth, fostering resilience and building pathways to success.

We welcome new youth into our program and continue to grow. To submit an application for your student, click here to apply!

We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors, donors, partners, volunteers, and the entire NSTS family for their unwavering support.

Together, we are making a difference—one step at a time.

For more information about our programs and how to get involved, visit our website: