Virginia Community Leader Lee Gosselin Reaches Out to At-Risk Youths

The idea of a “cross-country trip” holds an undeniable appeal for most Americans, a people historically enamored of exploring their country from coast to coast. Perhaps it’s the wide variety of terrain housed within the borders, or the vast spectrum of people and cultures that share the land.

Lee Gosselin’s journey is driven by a unique purpose. It’s a project she calls the Youth Remap Challenge, and its execution will take Lee on a winding 30-day journey westward from Virginia to California, then back again.

The Youth Remap Challenge springs from years of tough life experiences and hard work on Lee’s part, and in many ways represents her personal story of triumph and survival. As a troubled adolescent, Lee was no stranger to the juvenile judicial system, group homes or life on the streets. While most people in Lee’s place might be overwhelmed by such circumstances, she refused to succumb, and found the strength to positively transform her experience.

Now a successful business owner residing in Virginia, Lee draws inspiration from her past in order to reach out and help embattled youths. She works in central Virginia as an avid volunteer and community advocate, and is now taking her commitment to the next level with the Youth Remap Challenge (YRC).

What is the YRC exactly? On one level, Lee describes it as “A choice, delivered in a message that is geared towards at-risk youths and discusses the issues they face in their environments today.” Lee understands firsthand the damage a troubled environment can wreak on a young person’s life by motivating hostile, destructive choices and behaviors. She asserts that while the environment cannot be controlled, the choices made within those conditions can be, and that’s where the Youth Remap Challenge comes in.

“The YRC enforces that message by sharing experiences of other people who have been where they are, people they can relate to, connect with, who made the choice and succeeded,” Lee says. “I’ve learned that despite where we come from or what we’ve experienced, each of us has the ability to create our own path. We can choose to remap our lives.”

This summer, from August to September, Lee is taking her message on the road. From state to state, she plans to visit youth organizations, which provided so much positive guidance in her own life, and relate her story, as well as the stories of others like her, to at-risk children and teens. She hopes that by demonstrating how people can rise above their circumstances and become happy, healthy and successful, these young people will be challenged to make constructive decisions in their own lives.

The country’s current turbulent economy pushed Lee to put the YRC, a project ten years in the making, into action. “It’s hard not to notice how the economy has impacted non-profits and their ability to provide services. I can only imagine the effect it would have on these kids, their environments, and I wondered, ‘What more can I do?’ In that moment, the Youth Remap Challenge was born,” Lee states.

Fueled by enthusiasm and determination, Lee will spend the 30 days traveling by car and camping. However, the journey is anything but a solo trip—local and national communities play integral roles in ensuring the success of the project. V Magazine for Women and the Active Woman Traveler (AWT) are proud to announce their partnership with Lee. Her quest to reach out to troubled teens speaks perfectly to the V mission of celebrating women and supporting community causes, and the details of her cross-country journey will be a valuable addition to AWT’s collection of travel accounts.

Looking for ways to advance Lee’s cause? Help build support by passing information on to businesses, colleagues, family and friends, follow the journey at her blog (www.searchforamnesia.com), become a fan of her Facebook group, make a donation, or become a sponsor. Her financial goal for the trip is $4,000, and with less than 20 days to achieve this number, the clock is ticking.

Lee’s optimism is unwavering and inspiring: “Initially this was going to be a onetime cross country event, but now, the project has turned into a full-on crusade. I hope to not only raise enough money to make THIS trip, but to make this an annual summer challenge, and to establish YRC as a non-profit so that we can continue to issue the challenge and share the message.”

Truly, Lee’s staggering upcoming 7,000-mile trip represents just another step in her lifelong quest to not only come to terms with her own past, but to positively alter the future of young people in her position today. As Lee states, “It’s amazing, exciting and contagious. It’s no longer about one summer, one trip, or one story…; it is truly the unity of a community inspired to make a difference, for our youth, for our future.”

To learn more about her journey, finds ways to get involved, to make an individual donation, or to become a sponsor, visit Lee’s blog at www.searchforamnesia.com and her updates at www.activewomantraveler.com.