~ Letter to the Editor ~ Leaving Teen Enrichment Center with fond memories and hope for the future

Dear Editor,

After five years and nearly six school cycles, my time as an employee at the Malden Teen Enrichment Center has come to an end. As an avid reader of The Malden Advocate in that time I have read the stories of countless Maldonians who have given decades of their working life to the city. I will never reach the lofty status of these great city employees but I wanted to take the opportunity to express my profound love and gratitude to the city and the youth who call it home.

When I started at the Teen Center, I was a kid myself, 21 years old fresh out of four years at Bridgewater State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. I had a passion for community service and had enjoyed my time as a high school mentor so my mom encouraged me to reach out to a former coworker of hers, Cathy Mac who was doing good work running a youth center in Malden. A word on Cathy Mac. If every city had a resident who loved, supported and gave back to their city the way Cathy does the city of Malden, the world would be a better place. I have received a life worth of lessons on community involvement and putting effort into the things that you care about. I think it took about two weeks of working at the Teen Center for me to realize that I wanted to spend my career working with communities and kids. That fresh faced 21-year-old still figuring out his path leaves the Teen Center a 27-year-old with a Master’s Degree in Social Work, a clear career path, many lessons learned, and relationships to last a lifetime – all things that have come into my life thanks to my coworkers at MTEC and the youth of Malden.

What a gift to have been a part of the lives of the kids who frequent the Malden Teen Enrichment Center. It has been the ultimate honor to witness their journey, and to be a trusted mentor and confidant during all the changes, joys, failures and successes that the roller-coaster of high school can bring. The youth are our future and let me tell you Malden, you are in the best of hands. If life ever gets you down, if the politics and divisions of today’s society becomes too much, spend a day with these kids! You will not find a funnier, brighter, more friendly, inclusive and inspiring group of kids. I have truly never had a “bad day” at work, working with these kids. I mean how could you? On camping trips, I saw kids canoe, cook and hike mountains for the first time. Kids who I met as incoming freshmen, I have written their recommendations for jobs and scholarships as high school seniors! They have made it so easy to love my job.

Just as the staff and teens at MTEC became like a second family to me, Malden has become a second home. Can’t get more Malden than reading the latest copy of The Advocate over breakfast at Cornucopia! I’ll miss having such a short walk from my office to get dumplings at District Kitchen. I’ll miss laughing at the jokes of my guy’s Mike and Paul from Public Facilities. I’ll miss Friday morning conversations about life and sports at the city hall gym with Kevin Duffy. I’ll miss my staff at the Teen Center. Sheena, you’re the sister I never had but always needed! Jay, I’ll never stop coming to you for advice! More than anything I’ll miss “my kids” at the Malden Teen Enrichment Center, you guys are simply THE BEST! I’ll be stopping by for life updates, and dumplings from District Kitchen in the near future!

Signed,

Jacob Mullin-Bernstein