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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Role models greet students at New Hanover High School

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By Simon Gonazlez

Staff Writer

Nearly a dozen friendly, neatly dressed black men greeted students arriving at New Hanover High School Tuesday morning, offering smiles, encouraging words, and HOPE stickers.

“Good morning. It’s good to see you,” said youth mentor Vance Williams, the man at the vanguard of the welcoming committee, as he shook a student’s hand.

Williams moved around the courtyard, learning names and passing out the stickers that support Principal James McAdam’s theme of encouraging his pupils to Have Only Positive Expectations.

“We’re here to meet them, and encourage them,” Williams said.

Williams, well known in the neighborhoods around the high school for his work with at-risk youth, organized the greeting initiative. His purpose was two-fold.

He wanted the students to see and meet black men who are successful, have overcome adversity, and who recognize the importance of education.

“I love the children, and I want to show them a positive image of African-American males,” he said. “When you look at TV and when you look at a lot of things that are portrayed you see a lot of negative images. Today I really want to show a positive image, that we care and are concerned about our children’s education. We want them to learn that if you need somebody to talk to, we’re here. If you need somebody just to give you an encouraging word, we’re here. That’s my main objective: to give them a feeling of purpose and a feeling of hope.”

He also is recruiting men who can be leaders, role models and mentors to youth.

“I’m doing this to start a volunteer base,” Williams said. “Leaders in the community can come and meet and greet the children, and inspire the people that they have influence over to come and volunteer at the school.”

The volunteers on Tuesday included Sterling Anderson, a 68-year-old businessman who moved among small clusters of students, stressing the importance of school.

“Back when I got out of high school, I could get an apartment, buy my own clothes, and take care of myself on $100 a week. Now to do that you need to be making about $600 a week, unless you want to stay home with your mommy and daddy,” he said. “My point is this. You’ve got no time to waste. I’m trying to encourage them that every moment is important, and to absorb every amount of education, every amount of information they can.”

Education, he told the students, is the only path to success.

“I look at this world today, and I see people just trying to survive, working two to three jobs, just to pay rent,” Anderson said. “I want to help these kids out of that trap, where they’re trapped in low-level jobs, low-level pay, and to escape that cycle of poverty.”

Donald McKoy, 37, was there to urge the students not to repeat his mistakes. He attended New Hanover High School, and should have been part of the graduating class of 1998. Instead, he was in county jail after being arrested for selling marijuana.

McKoy dropped out of high school. He got his GED (General Education Development) degree when he was 21, but said he’s faced an uphill battle ever since to find jobs.

“I’m really out here to try to get the guys to stay in school, and don’t turn out like I did,” he said. “I want the young guys and girls to know that this is the way. This is the gateway to their future. There’s nothing else. The streets ain’t going to get them nowhere.”

At least some of the students listened as the men spoke, absorbing the message.

“It’s cool,” said Jamahl Washington, a freshman. “It opens up your mind.”

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