Making Their Dreams Possible

Ronald Mitchell grew up in the streets of southside Chicago where one of the largest gangs in the country was located. On his way home from the YMCA one day, Ronald was held up at gunpoint by a gang member. He pleaded for his life and convinced the gang member not to kill him. The assailant put his gun down and began talking to Ronald about his troubled life.

Ronald eventually convinced the gang member to seek help through a mentoring program and go back to high school. That experience influenced Ronald to launch the BEM Foundation, which helps at-risk kids through mentorship and life-coaching in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

“The mission of our foundation is to provide youth from ages 9 to 19 with the academic tools, resources and leadership skills they need to produce extraordinary results in their respective lives and communities,” Mitchell said at his career-shadowing program last week in Alexandria, Va.

The BEM Foundation was officially incorporated three years ago when he opened an office in Alexandria. In the next few days, the students will choose which mentor they would like to spend a day with at their job, according to company information.

Kevin, a sophomore at Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, has been part of the foundation for three months. If he wants to be a professional soccer player, he said he believes he can do it.

Kierra Gambrell, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, has been with the foundation for a year. She’s now the organization’s Youth Ambassador.

“The BEM Foundation represents kids in a positive way and always encourages them to do well academically," Gambrell said. "The organization has a strong connection with the community and has a passion to improve our society."

The BEM Foundation provides three types of programs for children and mentors: youth town hall meetings, “power texting” mentoring program and career shadowing program.

The youth town hall events, which happen about four times a year, allow children to speak about heart-felt subjects important to them. The “power-texting” program, a term coined by Mitchell’s foundation, uses text messages to reach and inspire young people; and the career shadowing program pairs professionals with students from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Ne’Presha Watkins, a State Farm executive, recently became a mentor and strongly supports the foundation’s mission.

 "I believe that the value of mentoring goes far beyond enrolling in a process," Watkins said. “It’s about building relationships on a foundation of mutual trust and respect while also making a commitment towards development. The BEM Foundation has a great grasp on this concept."