About Us

With 15 years of experience working with youth and their families across Missouri, Sharonda has held a variety of roles. Her career includes working for the St. Louis Public School District, the Greene County Youth Academy, and several non-profits in the St. Louis area, including the Boys and Girls Club. She has served as a camp counselor, teacher, youth behavior specialist, youth specialist and teen advisor throughout her career. Through her work, she has consistently been a positive influence in the lives of the young people she has served.

For Sharonda, this work is personal. She understands the power of a mentor, having found them in her own coaches, teachers, and through her time in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program where she remains connected to her own mentor. She firmly believes that a positive influence can change the trajectory of a young person's life, and she uses her experience to pay it forward to every youth she encounters.

Sharonda's mission is to build a thriving community. As an alumna of the Neighborhood Leadership Association and a RUNG for Women alumna, she is skilled in Project Management and dedicated to understanding the needs of her community. She plans to use her years of working with children and her deep knowledge of what the community needs to lead young people toward a thriving life. Her hope is to build success for the St. Louis community by bringing hope to one youth at a time.

About the Program Director

Sharonda Pankey is the heart and soul behind the Youth Mentorship Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University, where she double-majored in Psychology and Criminology. While her initial plan was to work with youth from a restorative justice standpoint to provide a new pathway for those involved in the juvenile system, her passion for pouring into young people has remained the driving force of her career.