LOWRIDER BIKE CLUB

Working with teens takes a special calling. Teens have so much going on in their lives that they often times become distant and unwilling to engage with adults. In turn, adults often shy away from teens and avoid them, thereby creating a divide between the two. My philosophy has always been that I once walked in similar shoes. I alienated myself from people as a teen and sometimes avoided adults all together when I could; yet deep inside, I needed all the support I could get. Fastforward to today, I find that engaging teens in conversation, sharing thoughts and ideas with teens and involving them in projects is critical to their development. 

We opened the Española YMCA Teen Center opened in 2007 with an intent to bring creative ideas to promote abstract thinking, creativity, thinking skills, confidence building, teamwork, artistic expression, writing skills and more. I find that through the years we have allowed ourselves to learn from the teens. I find that listening to their ideas and allowing their voices to be heard opens them up to a world of opportunity. This model has helped us be most effective through the years as the students evolve and the world changes around them. The technological world has made it much more difficult at times to keep up with the teens, but we also find that exposing the teens to art, culture, traditions and customs in their very own backyard gives them an opportunity to appreciate the beauty that exists right at their fingertips.

A discussion by Diego Lopez and I at Socorro's restaurant began the special journey that we have been on to build Lowrider Bikes, 1:10 scale Lowrider Cars and electric RC Cars. The initial funding came from the DEA to support the initial class. That project was a huge success and even drawing the attention of 60 Minutes! Soon after the 60 Minutes presentation, we began to get phone calls, and we also received letters with people showing appreciation and an interest in what we do for our teens. Enterprise Bank & Trust contacted me and said they wanted to fund a special project that involved connecting teens with their culture and traditions. The Cruzin' to Success project was born. 

This has brought us to where we are today. Our Lowrider Art class project entitled "Cruzin' to Success" has been an absolute success. Teens are given an opportunity to use the technology at their fingertips to get those ideas to create drawings, learn design elements,  study videos of other painters, learn about their culture and take their ideas from a visual concept, then a written concept and finally incorporate all the various dimensions to create their masterpiece. During the various phases, as a mentor I am able to engage in various discussions about who the teen is, what do they like, what do they eat, how school is going, we learn about their likes and dislikes meanwhile they feel empowered that they are able to create their own artistic masterpiece through their very own creative expression. 

The result is a teen that is smiling, believing in himself or herself that they have the skills to create a beautiful piece of art. The pride emulates through their smile, through their drawing, the stroke of the paint brush, the smooth wave of their hand as they work the airbrush. Being there in that moment when they accomplish something that they may have never even attempted is very special. Teens need caring adults to mentor and support them through their success and struggles alike. Every class, every discussion, the long hours, the patience the teens have is astounding. They simply need to be given an opportunity, a place to feel safe, an environment that supports their growth, they will thrive! Through the help of community, community partners and caring adults that believe in the cause, the Cruzin to Success project has been rewarding and fruitful. 

Special thanks to our community volunteers; Christian Cordova, Cynthia Martinez, Renee Sandoval, Abel Devargas, Jennifer Devargas, Delubina Montoya, Cruz Lopez, Diego Lopez, Jessica Ortiz and special thanks to Jana Gottshalk and our friends at the New Mexico Heritage Arts Museum for creating the space for our teens to display their work.

Ben Sandoval
Española YMCA Teen Center Director