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Wintley Phipps, founder of the U.S. Dream Academy, accepted the Excellence in Mentoring Award for Program Leadership on behalf of his organization at the 2004 MENTOR National Recognition Event.
I was searching for effective ways to impact and transform the lives of young people who, without clear intervention, might find themselves following their parents to prison. All of the research and best practices pointed unequivocally to the power of mentoring in a child's life.
Mr. T. Marshall Kelly. He happens to be one of the most gifted, unsung male bass baritone vocalists I have ever heard. He is a man who could have used his gift solely for entertainment. Instead, he dedicated his talent to the inspiration and uplifting of mankind. I was inspired by his example to use my gift in a similar way.
The Bible, because the principles contained in its pages, when read meditatively, can truly be transformational.
The philosophy that guides my life is: "There is a purpose and destiny for each life." The most exciting adventure a human being can experience is to connect through service.
Montgomery to Memphis, the documentary on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was the first time that I had seen chronicled in film the life of a man willing to give all, even his very life, for a cause he believed was just. I was so inspired by that film that I wanted to live so that I too would be that kind of man.
In hindsight, I would have searched for methods and strategies that would have helped me to capture the essence of what my instructors were trying to impart.
My favorite source of news would be CNN.
My dream is that everyone in this nation would see mentoring as part of their personal role and responsibility to uplift children around them, especially those who are disadvantaged.
It was the validation of my heartfelt response to the needs of disadvantaged children, many of whom, had parents in prison. It provided both visibility and encouragement, for which I am sincerely grateful.
