Schenectady mentor program aims to get teens to look to the future

SCHENECTADY - Will Reid was one of the adolescents Stevie Tchako  immediately hit it off with four years ago at a basketball clinic where Tchako volunteered while at Schenectady High School.

"We bonded over basketball," said Tchako this week with Reid standing a few feet away  tightening the brakes on a soap box derby car on the Union College campus with the Nott Memorial as the backdrop.

Tchako, now 19, recalled Reid as a "funny kind of cocky kid" who was trying to fit in with his peers.

My Brother's Keeper Success Mentorship program, which began in February,  brought them to together again.

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity worked with the college to recruit about 15 men of color attending Union College with some 20 minority students  in grades 7 to 9 in Schenectady.

Tchako, now 19 and a sophomore majoring in biochemistry at Union College, said he is proud of the growth and maturity he's seen in Reid, who is now a 14-year-old eighth grader at Oneida Middle School.

"Back then he was one of those kids who wanted to act out to make himself be always known, which I used to do when I was growing up," said Tchako, "but I started to see him know when to say certain things and still manage to keep his sense of humor. I really enjoyed seeing that part of him grow."

Reid said the program has taught him about perseverance and not to be deterred by his mistakes on and off the basketball court.

Jahiem Copeland, 14, said he enjoys when the group breaks into small groups and shoots the breeze, which helps to reinforce life principles.

If he doesn't make it to the NFL, the Central Park Middle School student said, he would like to do something related to sports medicine so he can stay close to the game he loves.

Like Tchako, Melvin Kelly is 19 and a sophomore at Union College.

He urges the youngsters to look beyond the here and now and think about their future.

"If they see me as someone they can confide in, someone they trust, someone they want to be around, then I take that role on completely," said Kelly, who is from Georgia.

Brian Ledbetter, a program specialist with the Schenectady school district, said one of the goals of the MBK program, which is funded by a federal grant, is to address the achievement gap among young male minority students to increase their chances of graduating high school and being on a path for college.

He said they meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Union College where besides recreational activities to burn off their boundless energy, the group talks about everything from social issues to academic challenges and successes, and they bond over dinner.

Ledbetter said a key component of the program is restorative practice, which involves evidence-based practices to improve bonding, communication and decision-making.

Dean Akinleye, who is also involved with the program, said they also discuss the effects of suspension and absenteeism on their academics and communication with law enforcement and adults.

Additionally, the middle schoolers toured Union  College and were introduced to professors and alumni in various fields at the institution.

Tchako said even though Union College is physically located in Schenectady, it seems "like two different worlds" and he tried to bridge that gap by educating his schoolmates about Schenectady and letting people know that they can make it to Union just like he did.

"It has opportunities to interact, and that's for people from outside of the campus too," said Tchako, who wants to become a physician.

He said the teens in many ways represent the good in Schenectady and sees himself in some of them.

"People assume that because I've gotten into Union College that I'm a pretty smart guy but I've still been through some things in my life too and because of MBK I'm able to relate to the these kids on a personal level," said Tchako. "Nothing's perfect. I'm at Union right now, but there's a road I took to get here."