5000 Role Models smoothed out A Rocky Path For Me
There was a time that when people heard my story - incarcerated mother , absentee dad - their first inclination was to feel sorry for me . I would have , too , if I were in their place , but the way I grew up , self-pity was a luxury I couldn ' t afford . The early years were actually good . My five older siblings and I lived with our mother in a nice , two-story home . I never lived with my father , but he ' d visit me and , on rare occasions , take me to his house . When I was about 6 , he just stopped coming around .
Soon our family began moving from house to house . We downsized from the nice house in Broward to a one-story in Miami Gardens , ultimately settling at my grandmother ' s in North Miami . With each move , the living conditions declined .
Front Cover Feature Congresswoman Federica S . Wilson Saving Our Sons Miami , Florida June 2017
I didn ' t think things could get any worse until I was awakened in the middle of the night by a flashlight shining in my eyes . Six police officers had come to arrest my mother . Just 13 , I didn ' t really understand what was going on , and no one explained . When my mother came home two weeks later , I thought everything was fine . A couple of months later , however , she handed me the card to access the $ 200 my father paid in monthly child support and headed off to jail for the next six years . All but one of my siblings moved out to live with their fathers and an aunt moved in with us .
I was deeply saddened , especially since I couldn ' t tum to my father for shelter or comfort . Life at home was terrible because the house was dirty and hot . I was raised to keep my feelings to myself , so I did . But one day I sat on my bed and told myself that I would get out of there and do it the right way .
The tough environment at North Miami High School offered many temptations to do the wrong thing , but the pull of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project was stronger . I joined the program in my sophomore year - a crucial period in my life . It taught me great values , how to conduct myself around others and strengthened and reinforced my resolve to succeed .
Two extraordinary mentors , Antoine Philidore , the Role Models administrator , and cooking teacher Andre Franks each took me under their wings . Without them I could have easily fallen into the wrong crowd . Chef Franks nurtured my desire to learn about the culinary-arts industry and allowed me to assist him at off-campus catered events . Mr . Philidore constantly checked in with me to make sure I always had everything I needed . Both men believed in me and shared the words of wisdom that helped me keep moving forward .
More important , they filled the yawning gap in my life created by my father and taught me how to be a man . If one day I can give to struggling boys a fraction of what they and the 5000 Role Models program have given to me , I will be honored .
Now when people hear my story , they smile . In addition to earning a Role Models scholarship to attend Florida International University , where I ' m a sophomore majoring in hospitality and tourism management and live on campus , I ' ve done so well each semester that I ' ve been awarded a Carnival Gold full-ride scholarship , which is great recognition from the industry . My mother was released from prison last year and seems to be doing well . Life ' s good . I appreciate every little thing and take nothing for granted .