Boys To Men!

   Every year in the Dukes Foundation we intake intelligent, well talented young men graduating from high school. While moving a step higher and going away in different directions, these young men are beating the odds. Considering where they come from they do not let that distract their focus and determination to be better and do better. There are many people today doubting our young men in this world, telling us things that we are not capable of achieving. Graduating from high school is one of them. I agree there are not too many of our young men graduating from high school. We find ourselves getting caught up in the wrongs things, more so at a young age. This is either causing them to lose their lives or going to prison. As an urban kid growing up from the city I really can understand where they are coming from.   

 Now here I am, a college graduate from Lane College majoring in Mass Communication. My journey with the Dukes Foundation really keeps me focused on what is ahead of me. The Dukes Foundation helps me find a long-lasting brotherly connection with people with those within the foundation, all appeared from similar situations. James Atkins another mentee from the Dukes Foundation graduating from Morehouse College and now a program manager for Microsoft. So as a proud member of the dukes foundation, I can truly say that it is possible and we can make a change to overcome the odds. 

 The Dukes Foundation is a youth mentoring program that provides; academic coaching, career development workshop, cultural exposure, and motivating exercises.  http://www.dukesfoundation.org/

Choices, Chances and Change

All you know is that you are trying to get in where you fit in. One thing about that is you are just lost & Don’t know which direction to go But you know what you want out of life. You just need to know how to get started, You just need to know which step to take first and How to reach out to those people that are willing to help. Better yet, We all want to know where to find the best crowd to place ourselves in. The answers we want them so bad that we start to go searching really hard for them causing yourself Stressing because you can’t find the answers. You start getting upset & burning down the bridges that are connected to your answers. You just not knowing that the answers may be right in your face & you are doing nothing but overlooking them. I learned you have to stay composed and just be patient, which we don’t have but being composed will lead you to your answer. What people don’t understand sometimes the answer will find you.

Now for my story, I'm wanting to play pro baseball. Growing up my parents didn’t have the finances to put me into any upscale baseball programs. I didn’t have the fancy baseball uniforms, bats gloves and etc. One thing I did know was that my talent was good enough to compete with others. I know people don’t believe in me, But I believe in myself and I am self-motivated so there is nothing that can stop me. The problem for me is that it’s hard to find a baseball agent, I go looking online every day. Searching to find a baseball agent that will help me work my way into the league. I make sure I workout every morning, if I’m not working out I’m running because I know my time is coming I just want to be ready for it when it does come. I still ask myself what is the first step for me? I find that the answer is to stay ready so you won’t have to get ready. Prayer works so stay prayed up. You have to be posses with the dream. You have to see it when nobody else does. Your dreams will come true but you have to believe in them.

   The 3 C's Of Life are Choices, Chances, and Change. You have to make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change. The greatest and most persistent blockages to your progress in life usually come from yourself.  https://www.theodysseyonline.com/three-cs-life