While taking photos at an event around Christmas about five years ago, Ronnie Shoultz first met Paul Horsley, then a second-grader who had an interest in photography.
Now Schoultz — a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. — mentors and visits Paul, a seventh-grader at Fort Hill Community School, at least once per week as part of the Young Men and Women of Distinction mentor program at Fort Hill, an alternative school for students in grades 6-12 who are unable to remain in a traditional classroom setting.
“To follow him and see him develop and grow over that period of time is just rewarding,” Schoultz said.
Alpha Phi Alpha is a national fraternity with a Lynchburg chapter that develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence and provides service and advocacy for the community.
Fraternity member George Hurt, who also is a teacher at Fort Hill, had the idea to start a mentorship program at the school because he was “tired of seeing our young African-American students being labeled as not measuring up, crime issues, gang affiliations, low academic scores, [not overcoming] the achievement gap.”
“Initially, we wanted them to see the sides of successful African-American men in the community, and they didn’t always have to just look up to a drug dealer … We wanted to offer them a genuine side of life where you can make an honest living,” Hurt said.
Cathy Viar, director of secondary alternative education at Fort Hill, said the program provided another opportunity to support the students. The school currently has 147 students. Viar said there is no set time students stay at the school, but they generally stay for a semester to a year.
“I just felt like any support is a wonderful thing for these children because nothing is ever too much. Every child needs as many opportunities as possible,” Viar said.
Students are chosen based on who Viar, the mentors and the teachers think would benefit most from the program. Seven male students and seven Alpha Phi Alpha mentors are participating in the program this year, which is in its second year.
This year the Order of the Eastern Star, a state fraternity of men and women focused on community service, created a similar program for the female students at Fort Hill. Five female students were partnered with five female Order of the Eastern Star mentors.
All mentors visit the students at school at least once per week.
Alpha Phi Alpha mentors also have the boys visit them in their respective businesses and take them to lunch. The boys also went to Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, a camp where they could participate in several activities such as zip-lining and fishing but also develop trust among each other.
Order of the Eastern Star mentors take the girls to lunch, go shopping and see movies, and some mentors have taken mentees on college tours.
Mentor Vickie Dawson took her mentee to see “Black Panther” to see positive action heroes.
“To be in a positive environment is good because I think they need an outlet too. They have so many things going on in life and the world, they need some positive energy,” Dawson said.
Several students said having a mentor has had a positive impact on their lives.
Eighth-grader Mikey Cash, 14, said they have “people to teach us stuff nobody else will” such as brotherhood. The Alpha Phi Alpha mentors also teach the young men how to dress and shake hands with someone, to respect everyone, how to handle difficult or frustrating situations, make positive life decisions, the power of choice and so much more.
Eighth-grader Jordan Banks, 14, said the mentors taught him how to control himself more so he doesn’t get in trouble “like I used to.”
Having a mentor also provides the students another person to support them.
“It’s a big stress reliever knowing you can talk to somebody when you need it like if you’re having a real, real bad day, and you’re feeling depressed, you can go to your mentor and talk to her about it,” eighth-grader Shamya Smith, 14, said.
Not only have the students seen change in themselves, but the teachers and Viar have seen changes in their behavior and academic performance such as a boost in self confidence and better grades and attendance.
“They have gained such self confidence. It’s amazing the way they see themselves, the way they talk, the way their body language is different,” Viar said. “It’s all those little incidental things you just see shaping a whole person. It’s like little miracles happening right in front of you.”
Although the program generally lasts a year, Alpha Phi Alpha mentor Byron Steward said mentoring the students is a lifelong commitment because they will follow the students through high school and as they become young adults.
“It never stops, but that, to me, is the power of mentoring. You may not see the results immediately, but you will see the results,” said Jason Giambrone, an Alpha Phi Alpha mentor and teacher at Fort Hill. “I can’t wait to see who these young men become because they’re going to be better having been in this program.”