Aspiring Writer and Director Malissa Wilson Finds Unique Way to Connect with Youth about Modern Issues

By: Lauren Pitta

Over the past 20 years Wilson has overcome many obstacles but never gave up her love for writing. Credit: Malissa Wilson

A full time mother and full time CSI student studying cinema, Malissa Wilson hopes her hip hop musical “Through Faith”’ can educate young adult students about some of the real life struggles going on around them. 

“Growing up I had to deal with some of the issues myself,” says Wilson. “These struggles are what make me committed to trying to encourage the youth and educate them on making smart choices.”

As a former graduate of Port Richmond High school, growing up between Staten Island and Harlem helped Wilson discover her love for writing. Between being a mother and going back to school– she was forced to put down her pen and take a break from her work. She never gave up on the hopes that one day her writing will mean something.

“Being a mother is most important, then comes my education, and then my writing,” says Wilson. “Now that my daughter is 6 years old and I’m almost done with school I can make my writing a priority again.”

She describes her musical as using the art of acting, singing, rapping, dancing, and stepping is put together in such a way it comes of the paper in a magical way. With pressures of drugs, violence, social media pressures, and overall life pressure, her musical highlights these issues plaguing our communities by sending a message of hope and unity.

As her college chapter begins to come to and end in her life, a new chapter begins. As graduation approaches for Wilson, she was recently contacted by Projectivity, which is another youth organization she has partnered with in the past. 

They contacted her with the great news of possible partnership with Moonlight Productions which may want to produce her musical and make Wilsons dream come true.

Being a good role model is what drove her motivation to go back to school. She wanted to use herself as a prime example of motivation and bettering yourself, she went back to college nearly twenty years to date after receiving her high school diploma, showing no matter what happens nothing gets in the way of education, that comes before everything.

Not only is Malissa kept busy between being a mother and working on her play, during the day Wilson is a social and emotional teaching coach. She is responsible for 20 classrooms across 11 different schools. 

“I coach and train teachers on ten different concepts to the good behavior game leading children to regulate their behavior and school life.” Says Wilson. “My objective is teaching good behavior while creating great moments and memories in their classroom.”

Working with the youth during the day, Wilson does what she can to help teach kids good decision making skills. Credit: Malissa Wilson

By creating vision boards with each class Wilson makes the children think about how they would like things to go in the classroom from what they would like to see, hear, and feel while being in school. “Self regulating is key,” says Wilson. “By being with each class at least once a week, sometimes more I learn to really understand their needs and can help them in whichever way they need.” 

In more ways than one, Wilson continues to find different ways to make a difference in her community. Whether it is doing what she does best, getting her message across through musicals or just another day at work the world needs more people like Wilson. 

As the day soon approaches where there will be a meeting about her play production, she remains confident her play will make a difference in the youth. 

“If the musical at least helps one child, my goal is reached.”