CAMPBELL — Suri Stephens aspires to one day be a physical or occupational therapist, and she’s grateful to an organization for helping her flex and strengthen her muscles of desire, determination and dedication.

“I’m having comfort knowing someone will be there for me — that tutor or mentor to look up to,” Suri, 14, an Ursuline High School freshman, said.

That someone who helped guide her career decision — and was instrumental in providing the path toward meeting new people and forming friends — was Inspiring Minds Youngstown, which Suri credits with also helping her reach beyond her comfort zone.

Suri was among a few hundred students, educators and others who flipped the script and gave back to Inspiring Minds via attending the organization’s annual masquerade ball fundraiser and dinner Saturday evening at the Community Literacy Workforce and Cultural Center, 436 Struthers-Coitsville Road.

The three-hour gathering also was to celebrate 10 years of impact IM has had on the many students who have partaken of its offerings, as well as the organization’s future.

Money generated from the ball, which is the organization’s largest fundraiser, will go toward IM’s $1 million campaign to renovate the facility it bought at 2110 South Ave. on Youngstown’s South Side, along with its variety of programs, Tammye T. Hardin, program coordinator, noted. The purchase was necessary to allow IM to serve a greater number of students, as well as the city, organizers have said.

The target date for completing the renovations is June 2027, Hardin said, adding that the space is being used and the work has caused no interruptions in IM’s programming.

“We make it work,” said Hardin, a graduate of The Rayen School who earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Youngstown State University and a master’s degree in adult education from Strayer University.

Thanks to being part of Inspiring Minds, Suri went on her first college tour that took her to Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Her brother attended the college and shared some of his experiences with her, something that fueled Suri’s desire to consider LSU, she said.

Suri, who also hopes to minor in clinical or counseling psychology, added that Inspiring Minds staff has pushed her to excel without “pushing too hard,” which has reinforced her desire to help others.

IM’s Youngstown chapter, which was established in 2015, operates on five core areas of impact: education, college and career readiness, exposure to new experiences, health and wellness and personal development. Included under that umbrella are a variety of after-school and summer programs.

The Warren chapter of Inspiring Minds was founded in 2006 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.

Its overall goals and mission are to engage, inspire and empower young people to reach their full potential; discover their passions while providing the students with the tools to pursue them; ensure everyone with the organization graduates from high school, then finishes college or a vocational school; and help them become strong and successful members of society.

Specifically, in its 10 years, Inspiring Minds has served more than 1,000 students, provided the young people with opportunities to travel to more than 30 cities in 15 states, allowed them to visit more than 50 colleges and tour in excess of 50 companies and industries, according to its website.

“Each year, there continues to be a 100% graduation rate for the seniors in the program,” Angela Moss, an IM board member, said.

Moss, who has two children in the organization, noted that the 10,000-square-foot South Avenue facility is equipped with classrooms, a full-service kitchen, a recreation room and a multi-purpose space, which will allow IM to double the number of students it serves.

Derrick McDowell, the independent candidate for Youngstown mayor, told the audience that after the murder of his brother, he largely retreated into himself during his high school years. He also spent part of his time at YSU “trying to prove I was worth something,” he said.

McDowell, a community activist who runs the Youngstown Flea, added that he began to work with Inspiring Minds and soon realized that as a young person, he could have benefited from being in the organization.

Among other things, IM shows that, while success doesn’t occur overnight, many young people are much more than merely a collection of their trials, tribulations and hard times, McDowell explained.

Also during the program, five individuals who contributed significantly to assisting IM with reaching its 10-year milestone, as well as helping open doors of opportunity for its youth, were the recipients of the IMpact Award. Those who took home the honor were Deryck Toles, the organization’s founder; Lee Schwebel, a longtime donor, volunteer and supporter; and volunteers Shirrell Brown and Kiantre Woods.Simon Arias, founding board president, also was an award recipient but was unable to attend the event.

“You name it, I’m willing to pitch in,” said Brown, whose volunteer efforts include working with the students on financial literacy and business entrepreneurship.

In addition, five students read aloud narratives they had written expressing their hopes for what they will glean and experience with IM’s new building.