Student: De’Mone’ Jordan
De’Mone’ Jordan has spent the last year creating and starting a program for elementary school girls that attend Building Hope Community Life Center.
Jordan graduated with her bachelor’s degree in social work from ECU in May. She is now enrolled in the graduate social work program and is continuing to do even more work in the Greenville community.
During Jordan’s last semester as an undergraduate, she interned with Building Hope, a local afterschool program designed to help give guidance and encouragement in all areas of life to young children and teens in the community who may come from a tough home life.
Jordan hangs up an IROCK poster.
As an intern, Jordan realized that there was a need to create a program specifically for the elementary girls of Building Hope. Jordan took it upon herself to establish a program for them and created IROCK.
IROCK stands for I Reflect Obedience Charisma and Knowledge. These are the principles that the group focuses on and strives for when they are together.
“A lot of them deal with self-esteem issues and IROCK makes them feel better about themselves,” Jordan explained.
IROCK is geared toward building confidence and ensuring that all of the girls not only feel good about themselves, but are doing well in school.
Jordan was able to take the first group of IROCK girls on a campus tour of UNC-Chapel Hill this past spring. Many of the girls who are a part of the new program had never heard of any colleges other than ECU and Pitt Community College.
Jordan has plans to continue other campus tours and trips in the community for the girls to become more knowledgeable and build better relationships with each other.
Other goals she has for the program are to prepare the girls for middle school, inform them about college, discuss girl problems such as body changes and puberty, and bond with one another.
“I basically want the program to be a safe zone for the girls, and for it to be sort of like a big sister program,” Jordan said.
The root of Jordan’s desire to help others comes from her background in Manson, North Carolina. Manson is a rural town that is home to a lot of crime and drug abuse.
“My overall goal is to become licensed as a clinical social worker, work with the alcohol and drug abuse population, and eventually build my own facility in my hometown as a way to give back,” said Jordan.
Jordan is set to graduate with her masters in social work in May.
Your words to live by: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)
What advice do you have for other students?: Speak up in class and get to know your professors. Building positive relationships with them will benefit you.
STATISTICS
College: College of Health and Human Performance
Major: Social Work
Age: 22
Classification/Year: Graduate- Advanced Standing
Hometown: Manson, NC
Hobbies/interests: Modeling, cooking, baking and hanging out with family and friends.
Clubs and Organizations: Bachelor of Social Work Student Association, National Association of Social Workers and National Council of Negro Women.
FAVORITES
Favorite hangout: Sup Dogs
Favorite place on campus: Joyner Library
Favorite place to eat: Bojangles, and any Hibachi restaurant
Favorite class: Crisis Intervention
Professor who influenced you the most: Dr. Mary S. Jackson and Dr. Kelley Reinsmith-Jones
Favorite TV show: “SpongeBob Square Pants” and “Chopped”
Favorite band/musician: Nicki Minaj
Favorite movie: Four Brothers
Favorite website: Amazon
MOTIVATIONS
Dream job: Any job that will allow me to make a difference in people’s lives and advocate for those who have no voice.
The one thing you cannot live without: My phone
Role model: My mom and my older sister, they both are hardworking women.