The Mix: Connection Before Correction

In this powerful episode of Struggle2Success, Sterling Brown sits down with Marisol, Interim Executive Director of The MIX in Lancaster, Pennsylvania — a faith-based youth development center with over 40 years of impact. Together, they explore how connection before correction is transforming how we engage young people, families, and entire communities.

Marisol opens up about her journey as a single mother, educator, and community leader, sharing hard-won lessons about accountability, resilience, and grace. From equine therapy and STEM education to the Mix Store incentive program and the center’s faith-driven mission, this conversation reveals what it truly means to inspire youth and empower families.

Whether you’re an educator, parent, or leader searching for ways to make a lasting difference — this episode will remind you that every small act of care matters.

Tune in now — because the mission doesn’t stop at the door.
Want to collaborate or be a guest? Email sterlingbrown@s2spodcast.net

#Struggle2SuccessPodcast #LifeIsTrials #StayFocused #TheMIXLancaster #YouthDevelopment #CommunityImpact #SingleMoms #FaithAndAction #Resilience #MarisolSantos #sterlingdbrown

U.S. Law Shield empowers responsible gun owners with peace of mind by providing immediate access to trusted self-defense attorneys, comprehensive legal defense coverage, and ongoing education on self-defense laws—so members are protected before, during, and after a critical incident. Use promo SOT167 of use the link and receive 30-days free and many more benefits:   https://www.uslawshield.com/?affid=407

This segment was proudly sponsored by Mendelsohn & Mendelsohn, P.C. — a fourth-generation family law firm serving Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. Whether you’re facing debt, divorce, or family challenges, they provide compassionate, skilled representation to help you start fresh.

📍 637 Walnut Street, Reading, PA 19601

📞 (610) 374-8088

🌐 mendelssohnlawyers.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Mission Beyond The Walls
• 2:35 Marisol’s Path Into Youth Work
• 5:41 Advice For Young Single Parents
• 9:19 What Community Really Means
• 15:18 Inside The Mix: Programs And Focus Areas
• 18:14 Growth, Structure, And Student Retention
• 22:46 Engaging Parents And Caregivers
• 26:31 Partnerships And Outside-The-Box Programming
• 31:17 Building Resilience And Accountability
• 35:51 Processing Violence And Hard Emotions
• 40:26 Who The Mix Serves And How To Help
• 45:30 Funding Realities And Hope In Action
• 49:34 A COVID Moment That Shaped The Mission
• 53:59 Joy, Faith, And Finding Your Smile
• 58:09 A Question For The Next Guest
• 1:00:09 Final Invites, Email, And Sign-Off

Transcript

Marisol: 0:00
It doesn’t stop outside these walls. If we’re out in the community and we see your student, the mission doesn’t pause. We still move the mission forward—we still have a call.

Announcer: 0:16
If you’ve ever been told you’re not capable of success—if you’ve made mistakes or grown up under-resourced—this podcast is for you. You are now locked in to Struggle2Success. Struggle2Success inspires people to face life’s challenges with courage, fortitude, and unwavering determination. If you’re in the car, out jogging, or just trying to find calm in the storm, join Struggle2Success every other Saturday. Remember: life is trials. Stay focused.

Sterling: 0:52
Marisol, you’ve been in education for over 26 years. You hold a bachelor’s in administration and a master’s in social work. How did that prepare you for the role you’re in today?

Marisol: 1:07
I started in early childhood—preschoolers were my lane and I loved them. I studied business thinking I’d open a daycare, but life steered me to The MIX, where I began working with older students. Along the way I connected with a professor doing equine therapy, which inspired me to go back for social work. At The MIX I met families and saw the need up close. I’ve been a single mother for 20+ years, so I relate. My education and lived experience help me shift mindsets and consider different perspectives our community brings to the table. I’ve been at The MIX seven and a half years; before stepping into my current role I served as Director of Student & Family Engagement, which laid the foundation for this transition.

Sterling: 2:35
That was also at The MIX, correct?

Marisol: 2:37
Yes—Director of Student & Family Engagement. I started in 2018, and in November 2024 I became interim executive director. I don’t know it all, but the culture and foundation positioned me well for this role.

Sterling: 3:14
You mentioned being a single parent who kept charging forward and earning greater accolades. That’s exactly the kind of story we highlight on Struggle2Success. For young women who are single parents trying to achieve more—what’s your message?

Marisol: 3:58
I recently spoke to young single mothers about this. First—don’t sugarcoat it. There’s no neat finish line. You’ll have highs and lows, valleys and mountaintops. You will fail sometimes. Just don’t stay down. Keep pressing forward. Find at least one person you can be accountable to. Community matters. Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Even in my 40s, I have to remind myself to ask. Surround yourself with people who encourage you and who can speak truth with love. Your past is your past—it can build you—but you still choose to move forward. Be grateful you woke up; that alone is a reason to try again.

Sterling: 5:24
That’s true.

Marisol: 5:26
And if you have children, remember they’re watching you. When you get back up in a storm, you’re teaching them to rise too. Even if you don’t have kids, people at work or in your circle are watching how you respond. Every interaction matters.

Sterling: 6:20
Reset—yes.

Marisol: 6:23
Exactly. Inside and outside the building, everything counts. We acknowledge students and families wherever we see them. We ask how they’re doing—even if their child isn’t in our program. Community means encouragement and accountability. It’s about people who can build you up and, when needed, correct you—because they care about your growth.

Sterling: 6:58
When we walked through The MIX with you, everyone watched how you carried yourself—poised, present. Community is underrated today. To me, community means your kids are my kids and mine are yours. We take the time to say, “Keep going.” What does community mean to you?

Marisol: 8:14
I grew up in the Catholic faith and had youth-group community. As an adult and a young mom, I longed for that same community and sometimes struggled to find it. I have a small circle now, and at The MIX we want families to know this isn’t daycare—we care about their children, about them, and about their neighborhoods. Inside or outside the building, we see you. We’ll talk, laugh, and ask real questions about how everyone is doing. Community encourages, builds, and corrects. My therapist told me: you need connection before correction. Without relationship, correction won’t be received. With relationship, you know I’m coming from care, not judgment.

Sterling: 10:29
So it’s the approach—right?

Marisol: 10:32
Approach and tone. If I’ve been playing Uno or pool with a student, next time I correct them, they know I care. Brené Brown says daring leaders connect and care about the people they lead. We teach students to be leaders among their peers by caring and connecting.

Sterling: 12:53
That’s great.

Marisol: 12:53
And stop me if I go long—I’m passionate about this!

Sterling: 12:59
It’s good. Teens need to know we’re present in a fast-changing world. With that, what is The MIX, and how long has it been in Lancaster?

Marisol: 13:34
The MIX is a faith-based youth development center. We celebrated 40 years last year. Founded by a Mennonite couple—the Weavers—who left a powerful legacy. We started small; now we have the larger building you toured. Our five focus areas are: academic enrichment, health and wellness, life skills, community engagement, and career readiness. We partner widely and also build staff-led activities from student interests. We’re an exploratory center: crochet club, Korean culture and drumming, equine therapy, music studio projects like the “Songs for Justice” vinyl—plus advocacy and practical life skills like eye contact, a firm handshake, resumes, applications, and cooking. We run after-school and summer programs.

Sterling: 15:50
When you started at The MIX, how many students came—and how has that changed? And what helped those numbers?

Marisol: 16:11
Early on we served 100+ across grades 1–12. I came from preschool where ratios were 10 to a group; suddenly I had 20 solo! Now we typically enroll ~90 with a ~50-student waitlist, and average 75–80 nightly during the school year, 85–90 daily in summer. We’ve become more intentional—smaller groups (no more than 15) work best. Middle and high schoolers were once hard to retain; now many stay—especially those who started in elementary. Former students return as junior counselors and staff. We also listen: if teens don’t want a certain program, we ask what they do want and try to meet in the middle.

Sterling: 18:16
That open door could’ve saved a life, or given a tool someone needed. Still a win.

Marisol: 18:39
We began as Arbor Place and rebranded in 2021 as The MIX (DBA). Originally focused on teens, we drifted, and now we’re seeing strong middle/high school engagement—especially from long-time students who know the culture and staff.

Sterling: 19:21
Now you’re seeing the return on the seed you planted.

Marisol: 19:35
Yes. Students come back as junior counselors or college-age staff. It affirms impact—and they help tailor programs from a student’s perspective.

Sterling: 20:30
We’ve talked kids and The MIX; let’s talk parents. What’s the mission—and how do you translate it to them?

Marisol: 20:53
Our mission: Inspire youth. Empower families.

Sterling: 20:58
How does that meet parents where they are?

Marisol: 21:03
Parents are balancing a lot—work, schedules, life. We create on-ramps: volunteer roles, seasonal events (Fall Fest, Thanksgiving dinner, a big Christmas party), and open houses where parents join typical activities—bucket drumming, STEM (slime!), etc. We offer workshops like financial literacy (with banks and Tenfold) and Smarter Parents, Safer Kids (PCCD grant) that covers age-appropriate sexual development (ages 2–13), communication, and safety planning. If the Y or others host great programs, we share those too.

Sterling: 23:52
Partnerships—you mentioned them often. How do they work—annually, quarterly?

Marisol: 24:25
All of the above. Sometimes partners approach us with programs; sometimes timing fits a later season. When we seek partners, we use our networks—our program director (Alex Colón), program coordinator (Anne West), and me. We ideate, research, and contact community folks. Example: we’re building a 3D printing curriculum—so we reached out to Tech Central, STEM leaders like Isaiah Perry, and Millersville connections. We also ask students what they want—like bringing in a tattoo artist to discuss art careers. It’s about community relationships and active listening.

Sterling: 27:15
You hear me.

Marisol: 27:17
Say it back!

Sterling: 27:19
I’m listening—yes.

Marisol: 27:23
Staying open-minded led to equine therapy. A Millersville professor pitched it in 2019. We could’ve said “city kids and horses don’t mix,” but we tried it. Before COVID she taught in-house on Wednesdays, then we bussed students to the barn Thursdays. Students learned stall care, met rescue horses, and received mental health benefits without the stigma of “therapy.” Kids with behavior challenges were calm around the horses. Thinking outside the box sets us apart.

Sterling: 30:54
How many volunteers do you oversee?

Marisol: 31:01
Volunteers ebb and flow. We consistently host interns and high schoolers needing hours. Community volunteers are a smaller but faithful group—some families serve dinners or help weekly. Others assist with events, cleaning, landscaping—impact comes in many forms.

Sterling: 32:25
How do you build youth resilience for daily struggles? What does that teaching look like?

Marisol: 32:43
Like with single parents, we coach students to keep moving forward and learn from struggle. Dr. Irvin Scott (in Leading with Heart and Soul) says don’t judge a student by the chapter where you entered their story—and don’t steal struggle from them. Sometimes they must fail safely to learn to rise. At The MIX we use real-world incentives and consequences—our Mix Store lets students earn “Mix Money” for positive behaviors and fines for disrespect or unsafe choices. If you want that $50 Nike card, choices matter. We also pause programming to process real-world events—lockdowns, neighborhood incidents—because kids feel those deeply. During COVID we met them online: Mood Mondays, Talk-Back Tuesdays, Worship Wednesdays. We named their emotions, taught vocabulary for feelings, and trained staff to facilitate those conversations.

Sterling: 35:22
Exactly. Tell us about the Mix Store.

Marisol: 35:25
It’s our incentive program. We stock items via purchases and an Amazon wish list—snacks, toiletries, games, gift cards, clothing. Teens price items and run the store; on store days they spend what they’ve earned. We also validate emotions and make space to talk through hard events. During COVID we hung “I AM RESILIENT” on our fence and kept showing up—virtually and creatively.

Sterling: 38:06
Violence touches our youth directly and indirectly. How does The MIX help them process it and get to the other side—especially given everything else you already do?

Marisol: 38:38
We return to our mission—inspire youth, empower families—with God at the core. Not everyone shares our faith, and that’s okay; we love people as they are. We create safe spaces to talk, even if that means setting aside a STEM lesson. When incidents happen locally, we process them together. We validate feelings and help students dig deeper—“mad” might be frustration or fear underneath. We train staff to facilitate or to ask for help when needed. Relationship with families is key: when they trust us, they’ll share context so we can support their child and, when required, fulfill our mandatory reporting role responsibly. We also care for staff; they carry their own burdens. As a faith-based youth development center, we’re committed to developing youth, families, and employees.

Sterling: 46:01
How far do students travel to The MIX, and what are the demographics?

Marisol: 46:13
Most students are youth of color—many Hispanic and African American, with some Caucasian students. The majority come from the School District of Lancaster, though we have a handful from other districts (Conestoga Valley, Penn Manor, Township). We currently see more girls than boys—even some groups with 12 students and only one boy!

Speaker 2: 47:18
At least he’s holding it down—way to go!

Marisol: 47:25
We used to have more boys; it shifts. If students can get to us, they’re welcome.

Sterling: 47:51
How can local leaders, businesses, and community members best support The MIX?

Marisol: 48:09
Start by learning who we are. Many in the county don’t know us—just like there are great orgs we’re still discovering. Come for a tour. You can donate (individual giving sustains us), volunteer, or sponsor programs (levels from $500 to $25,000). Grants help but aren’t guaranteed or immediate.

Sterling: 49:39
And the bricks?

Marisol: 49:45
Our Legacy Courtyard features a legacy wall—you can purchase a brick to honor someone. ExtraGive is in November, but we launched a Hope in Action: Helping Futures Thrive campaign now because needs are immediate and ExtraGive funds arrive mid-January. Groceries and costs are up; donors are stretched. We understand—and we’re transparent.

Sterling: 50:50
Right—people prioritize feeding their families. Meanwhile, you still need resources for youth.

Marisol: 51:30
Exactly. We also serve a full dinner every program night—real meals, not just hot dogs. Students sometimes take plates home for family. With funding tight and no steady revenue stream, giving now makes a direct impact.

Sterling: 52:55
There’s also turnaround time and accountability—audits, allocations—the back-end work donors don’t always see.

Marisol: 53:48
Yes. Donating directly on our website or social pages helps immediately. Or stop by—we can process credit cards in-house, accept checks or cash, and receive in-kind supplies. Cooks can donate a meal for a night. Every dollar, hour, and share matters. We debated delaying fall programming due to funding but chose to start October 14 at a smaller scale—about 50 students and leaner staffing—while we build support. If you can’t give, please follow @themixlancaster and share our posts.

Sterling: 56:57
For a final story: what’s one moment from The MIX that stays with you?

Marisol: 57:26
COVID. We stayed connected when schools were still figuring things out—meeting students on Zoom with Mood Mondays, Talk-Back Tuesdays, Worship Wednesdays. For our end-of-year “party,” we built family game-and-snack bins (plus a Bible), loaded up cars, and caravaned to students’ homes—honking, cheering on bullhorns, dropping off gifts. There were tears—students and parents—and then we did a Zoom movie night in PJs with those snacks. In the fall, we converted our space for daily virtual learning for ~60 students (1st–10th grade). We became lunch helpers, nurses, IT, behavior coaches—whatever was needed. Our former ED, Kiana Bowman, led with, “The mission doesn’t stop.” We adapted and kept pointing people to hope—and to Jesus—for those who wanted it.

Sterling: 1:01:53
Before we close, each guest answers the prior guest’s question. You get two to choose from: Where do you find joy? Or: What do you do to smile?

Marisol: 1:02:29
They go hand in hand. For me, joy comes from God—regardless of circumstances. Years ago, in chaos, I still found myself walking and singing with joy. I don’t always feel it, but I reach back to that place: “God, I don’t see the way, but I know You’ll make one.” That makes me smile. Sometimes tears in worship are grief; sometimes they’re gratitude. Breath in my lungs is a reason to smile. I also create space at home—a prayer wall, journaling, reading, walks—to meet God and find peace.

Sterling: 1:06:08
So what question would you leave for our next guest?

Marisol: 1:07:09
If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, who would it be, on what, and why?

Sterling: 1:07:41
Perfect—why and what would you build together?

Marisol: 1:07:43
Exactly.

Sterling: 1:07:48
Locked in.

Marisol: 1:07:51
I hope they react the way I did—“Oh my gosh!”

Sterling: 1:07:57
Marisol, thank you. Did we miss anything?

Marisol: 1:08:04
Just this: if you have a program or skill—cooking, STEM, arts, mentoring—bring it to our students. Donations, time, volunteering, and programming all matter. Nothing is impossible.

Announcer: 1:08:53
Thanks for tuning in to Struggle2Success. Connect with the show at struggle2success.p@gmail.com. Like and subscribe so you never miss an episode. And remember, life is trials. Stay focused.