Shaping the Future: A Conversation on Youth, Community, and Change in Baton Rouge

At The Walls Project, we believe youth are the heartbeat of community transformation. To help guide that vision, we’re excited to welcome Maliah Mathis as our new Youth Programs Associate Director. With decades of experience working alongside young people and a deep heart for connecting and building the next generations, Maliah brings both wisdom and energy to the role. In this conversation, she reflects on her journey, her hopes for Baton Rouge, and the principles that keep her rooted in the work.

Walls: Looking back on your journey, how has your history of working with youth in Baton Rouge shaped both your approach and your vision for the future?

Maliah: Looking back, my approach to youth development has always been rooted in care, empathy, and a deep desire to see young people thrive. When I first stepped into this work right out of college, I carried nothing but idealism and the urge to help everyone at once. But I didn’t yet have the patience, tools, or boundaries the work required.

Over the past decade, through hands-on experiences in Baton Rouge schools and communities, I’ve grown into a more grounded and confident professional. I still carry that caretaker spirit, but I now balance it with the understanding that change doesn’t happen overnight. Real impact takes time, consistency, and trust.

That perspective shapes my vision for the future: I want to continue creating spaces where youth feel both supported and empowered, while also being taught the value of long-term growth. My role is not just to respond to immediate needs, but to build structures that sustain progress for years to come.

Walls: If you could imagine Baton Rouge five or ten years from now, what changes would you most want to see for young people, and what would it take to make that vision real?

Maliah: When I think about the future of Baton Rouge, I’m inspired by the Sankofa concept: learning from the past to guide how we move forward. In my work, I often find myself in intergenerational spaces, and it’s striking how each generation echoes the same concerns about feeling disconnected. That tells me this isn’t just a “youth issue” it’s a community issue.

Five to ten years from now, I want Baton Rouge to feel like a true village again, where young people grow up with belonging, urgency, and pride in their community. My vision is a city where youth are supported not only by schools and programs, but also by neighbors, businesses, local leaders, and elders who are invested in their growth.

To make that vision real, we have to rebuild trust, foster collaboration across generations, and create opportunities for young people to lead while feeling supported. If schools, churches, nonprofits, businesses, and families can align their efforts, Baton Rouge can become a place where young people don’t just leave, but choose to stay, invest, and build the future.

Walls: In your experience, where do you see the most urgent and actionable opportunities for impact, whether in schools, neighborhoods, policy, or community programs?

Maliah: I believe the most urgent opportunities exist across all four areas: schools, neighborhoods, policy, and community programs, because true change doesn’t happen in isolation. These systems are deeply interconnected, and when one is out of alignment, it disrupts the whole.

The most pressing shift, though, is a mindset one: remembering that at the core, all of these systems serve people. Too often, schools focus on test scores, policies on compliance, neighborhoods feel left behind, and programs are stretched thin. The human element gets lost.

If we re-center on serving young people and families, not just managing systems, then our approaches naturally become more compassionate, more proactive, and ultimately more effective.

Walls: What is it about working alongside young people that brings you the most energy, joy, or sense of purpose?

Maliah: The joy comes from the young people themselves; they are the joy! Their fresh perspectives, curiosity, and honesty are refreshing. They’re simply trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, and being part of that process is powerful.

I find purpose in serving as a connector, linking them to opportunities, experiences, and people that shape their journey. I often say I have the greatest job, because I get to discover cool experiences, share them with youth, and then brag on their accomplishments. That constant cycle of curiosity, growth, and celebration keeps me energized and grounded in why this work matters.

Walls: Are there guiding principles, personal values, or philosophies you carry into your work with youth that shape how you build trust, inspire growth, or foster change?

Maliah: Yes, absolutely. I carry three guiding philosophies with me every day:

1. Most things are what you make them. What you put into an experience is usually what you get out of it, and I try to instill that ownership and agency in young people.

2. How you do the little things is how you do everything. Excellence, integrity, and care in small moments build habits and character that carry into bigger opportunities.

3. Let the hard things be the hard things. Some challenges deserve real effort, but not everything has to become a crisis. Growth often means learning to tell the difference, and giving yourself permission to move through life with more ease when you can.

These principles keep me grounded and help guide young people toward resilience, self-awareness, and long-term growth.

Maliah Mathis’s vision is one of patience, purpose, and people-centered change. Her philosophy reminds us that true transformation comes from consistency, collaboration, and a shared sense of responsibility. As she steps into her new role at The Walls Project, Maliah is not only shaping programs but also helping to cultivate a village where young people feel seen, supported, and inspired to build the future right here in Baton Rouge.