TAMPA, Fla. — Mentors with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. are working to make a global impact on Tampa Bay-area youth.
Maurice Taylor oversees educational activities for Men of Tomorrow.
The fraternity feeder program connects youth with role models. The men guide the teens through networking, college enrollment and employment opportunities. The program began in 1987.
“We try to plant the seeds, hoping that at some point it will grow, and it will resonate with our young men,” Taylor said. “You learn a lot from them, even though you are the teacher.”
Taylor said Men of Tomorrow meets with mentors twice per month. Many lessons are rooted in finances, etiquette and Black History.
“Our history is being modified and minimized,” Taylor said. “We were established in 1906. Ironically, a lot of the issues that the founders faced back then, we still deal with today: voter intimidation, lack of resources for underserved communities. We see rights being taken away.”
Students in the program said they have learned to hold themselves accountable.
“They’re making sure my grades are right, they’re making sure I’m not out too late. They’re making sure I’m on my Ps and Qs in school. Making sure that I’ve got to get my stuff done before anything else,” Cornell Boyd III said. “We’re talking about college; we’re talking about where we’re going to go; what we want to do — what things that we want to aspire to be.”
Taylor said the chapter will tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities for spring break. He said donations to help fund the trip are appreciated: Men of Tomorrow (MOT) – GZL Educational Foundation Inc.