People ask me why I serve; why I’ve dedicated my life to working with young people, building programs, developing curriculum, and standing in spaces where change is needed most.
The answer is simple, but it’s not shallow.
I serve because I understand what’s at stake.
Working in communities like the Antelope Valley and across California, I’ve seen firsthand how systems can either shape a young person’s future or limit it. I’ve worked alongside youth who’ve been labeled before they’ve been understood. I’ve seen potential dismissed, voices silenced, and brilliance overlooked because it didn’t fit a certain mold.
That doesn’t sit right with me. So I decided: I wasn’t going to be another observer. I was going to be part of the solution. Through my work with Future Leaders California and the programs we’ve built, from diversion initiatives to life coaching models, I’ve committed myself to creating pathways where young people can grow, not just be managed. Because I don’t believe our youth need to be “fixed.” I believe they need to be seen, guided, and challenged to step into who they already have the potential to become.
That belief is what led me to develop the Four E’s of Life Coaching: Existing, Envision, Execution, and Evaluation. It’s more than a framework; it’s how I approach service. You start by understanding where someone truly is (Existing), help them see beyond their current circumstances (Envision), support them in taking action (Execution), and then teach them how to reflect and grow from their experiences (Evaluation). That’s how transformation happens.
I serve because I believe in building leaders, not just participants. Too often, young people are placed in programs that focus on compliance instead of development. That’s not the work I’m here to do. I’m here to help young people recognize their voice, take ownership of their decisions, and understand the impact they can have, not just on their own lives, but on their communities.
Because when one young person shifts, it creates a ripple effect.
That same belief drives initiatives like the Just Us Arts Initiative (Justice Sunday Program), which creates a space where young people can express themselves, process their experiences, and reconnect with their identity through creativity and culture. It’s about giving them a voice in a way that traditional systems often don’t, and reminding them that their story matters.
I serve because I know what it means to need guidance, not just instruction, but mentorship. Someone who sees you beyond your current situation. Someone who challenges you, but also walks with you. That’s the role I choose to play. I have no desire to be anyone’s savior or fixer. I am a builder.
Service, for me, is about consistency. It’s about showing up in classrooms, in community spaces, in conversations that matter. It’s about designing programs that don’t just check boxes, but actually change lives. It’s about partnering with cities, schools, and organizations to create real opportunities for young people to succeed.
And it’s about doing the work, even when it’s not easy, even when progress feels slow, and even when the system pushes back. Because impact takes commitment. At the end of the day, I don’t serve for recognition. I serve because I believe in legacy, not the kind that’s written in titles, but the kind that’s lived out through people. The young person who starts to believe in themselves. The one who makes a different decision. The one who realizes they are more than their environment. That is my inspiration. That is the legacy I’m committed to.
So when people ask me why I serve, it’s because I see what’s possible, and I refuse to let that potential go unnoticed.
And as Vice-Chairman of The Society of African American Narratives, I serve to share my history as a key building block because understanding who we are is essential to becoming who we’re meant to be.
