50 for 50: Meet Alexia Myers-Hinds

"I was born and raised in South Jamaica, Queens. Growing up, I didn't see many positive programs for young women. When I was 12, I saw a Girls Inc. interview on TV, inspiring me to seek a leadership program. My mom found the Access for Young Women (AFYW) program at QCH. The commute was long and costly, but I was determined.

My first experience was an overnight camping trip in summer 1993. I was hesitant, but the staff's care reassured my mom, and I had a great time. I participated in a summer video and photography program, and a theater project that taught independence. I loved the theater project so much that I became a teacher for younger girls the following summers—my first job! This fostered 'girl power,' teaching us leadership, critical thinking, and public speaking.

At 15, I joined AFYW for the school year, bringing friends from my neighborhood. We discussed societal challenges for women, and I'm proud to say I presented at one of their first youth-led conferences. I really appreciated all the QCH women staff leading a program that profoundly impacted me. They saw something in me and allowed me to shadow, ask questions, learn, and eventually lead.

After college, I returned to QCH in 2004 as a Youth Leadership Specialist, as part of AFYW's expansion to Jackson Heights. I loved how QCH's open, supportive model widened to other communities. I worked with AFYW until 2011, then directed QCH’s College Access and Success Program (CASP) until 2015, helping youth with attendance, dropout prevention, and college advisement.

Today, I'm Director of Jamaica Community Partnership under Rising Ground, working in my hometown. I connect families to resources, including QCH services. It's fulfilling to address the void I experienced as a teen, seeing QCH programs now in my neighborhood.

I remember QCH as my second home—a safe, open space that empowered me to learn, contribute, and understand community service. It instilled the 'blanket' of support that helps families thrive, a principle I apply in my work and as a mother today."

— Alexia Myers-Hinds