Weather
Positively MilwaukeeMentors are Positively MilwaukeeBy Carole MeekinsMILWAUKEE - Cavalier "Chevy" Johnson says mentors at the Y changed his life. Today he lives by it's core values. Johnson recites them easily. "Those are caring honesty respect and responsibility. And I haven't forgotten them since the first day I stepped in this place." Chevy has been part of the YMCA mentoring programs for the past nine years. The graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison, Chevy says mentors have taught him a lot. He shares, "Being at those YMCA summer camps broke me out of my shell." As a child growing up in MIlwaukee's inner city, Chevy witnessed tough scenes. He remembers, "Beatings stealing domestic disputes and stabbings." Chevy decided at an early age to rise above his surroundings. He recalls, "I was in the fourth grade. I pulled my pants up and said, I was not going to go around walking and talking like kids here. I'm going to try something else." Chevy hopes to enter politics and set an example for other young black men. He says, "I want to get them involved in things that are positive that will help the community instead of trying to tear the house down." The YMCA has given Chevy the chance to travel all over the world including New York, Chile even London. They are experiences he says that have shaped him and taught him. When asked about his ultimate goal Chevy reveals, "One day I would like to be the president of the United states." |
|
