She Grew Up Searching for Guidance. Now She's Giving It Back.

Victoria Coakley knows what it means to need a hand reaching toward you. Growing up in public housing, raised by her mother with help from her older sister, she moved through a childhood that had its share of stumbles—school suspensions, discipline referrals, the kind of moments that can quietly close doors on a young person's future.

What made the difference, she'll tell you, was the programs that opened doors instead. Summer youth camps, the D.A.R.E. program, sports, and adults who showed up and stayed. Those experiences gave her a foothold that eventually carried her through college, trade school, and into entrepreneurship. Today, Victoria is the owner of Vice Versa Barber Braid Beauty—a business built on skill, consistency, and community.

So, when she learned about Y-NOW Mentoring, one of the Y’s Safe Place Services programs, the decision to get involved was personal.

First Steps, and First Doubts

Victoria will be the first to admit that walking into the Y-NOW program felt overwhelming. The nerves were real. The uncertainty was real. More than once in those early weeks, she wondered if she had what it takes to be a mentor.

A Y-NOW staff member encouraged her to keep going; to show up even when she wasn't sure, and to trust the process. That encouragement mattered. And it's something Victoria now understands from both sides: the young person across from a mentor often needs the exact same reassurance.

She was matched with Anthony—Ant Man, for short. A young man with energy, complexity, and more potential than he knew what to do with. Early on, Victoria approached mentorship the way many of us would: with a plan, an idea of who she'd be to him, and an expectation of how it would go. Those expectations didn't survive contact with reality.

Learning to Listen Instead of Lead

There were moments when Victoria wanted to quit. The early struggles with Ant were honest and hard—friction, resistance, and the creeping doubt that she wasn't making any difference at all. She leaned on encouragement from the Y-NOW staff and her fellow mentors, who reminded her that struggle doesn't mean failure. It means you're in it.

Slowly, she began to shift her approach. Less controlling, more curious. Less advisor, more guide. She started sharing honestly about her own experiences with frustration and growth—not as cautionary tales, but as proof that the path isn't always straight, and that's okay.

She connected with Ant's family, visiting his home and building relationships with his caregivers. She attended school meetings and conferences alongside Linda, the Y-NOW case manager. She learned that mentorship isn't a weekly appointment. It's a relationship—and relationships require patience, consistency, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the results aren't visible yet.

One Experience at a Time

Over the months, Victoria and Ant built something real. They practiced reading together, worked through flash cards, and tackled math. They journaled about feelings and learned to name emotions that had no names before. They explored entrepreneurship—Ant helped sell handmade earrings at a vendor table, discovering a sense of ownership and pride in the process.

They ran a 5K together. They attended basketball games and met athletes. They experienced art shows, music, and environments that stretched Ant's sense of what the world could hold for him. They celebrated holidays. They showed up to Y-NOW events and meetings side by side, and they crossed the stage together at graduation.

None of it was perfect. There was conflict. There was frustration. There were weeks that felt like setbacks. But the consistency never broke. And that, Victoria says, is the whole point.

What She Carries Forward

Victoria is returning to Y-NOW for another season. Not because mentorship is easy, but because she has seen what it can do.

She has watched Ant grow. And she has watched herself grow. Mentorship, she will tell you, is not charity. It is mutual. The young person gets a consistent, trusted adult. The mentor gets something harder to name—a widening, maybe. A deeper sense of purpose. A reminder of who they used to be, and who they are still becoming.

Her message to anyone sitting on the fence: the nerves are normal. Feeling unprepared is normal. What matters is the decision to show up anyway—to be consistent, to be honest, and to trust that your presence, over time, makes a difference that neither of you can fully see yet.

Louisville's young people don't need mentors who are perfect. They need mentors who stay.

Become a Mentor

Louisville youth are waiting for someone like you. No experience required—just a willingness to show up, be consistent, and believe in a young person's potential. Contact the Y-NOW team to learn more about becoming a mentor.

Y-NOW is a 10-month mentoring program for Louisville youth ages 11–15 who have a parent who is—or has been—incarcerated or struggling with substance use. Through consistent support and a trusted community of peers and adults, Y-NOW helps youth overcome stigma, build confidence, and reach their full potential. There is no cost to participate.