Day 26: February 11, 2010

After attending FPN’s (Florida Philantrophic Network)annual meeting, Worst To First got back on the road, picking up where we left off along the I-4 corridor. As I strapped on my walking boots and marched south from Orlando to Kissimmee, I was thankful for a cool and sunny day, ideal for my planned eight mile walk, and for the sidewalk that ran almost the entire length of my route.

In the late afternoon, I reached the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida, the Osceola branch. The old club, located on a dirt road adjacent to a cow pasture, gives no hint externally of what goes on inside; character building and human empowerment. Our tour guide, a 16-year old teenager named Akin, was a perfect and powerful example of the moral fiber being built into the kids who attend.

Akin's Story:

Five years ago, Akin came to the Boys and Girls Club in Osceola County. He was, by his own admission, a troubled kid; failing classes, in trouble at school, acting out at home, angry and mistrusting. After half a decade, however, Akin has changed. He is now an A student, model citizen, and recognized as a national teen representative at international Boys and Girls Club conferences! He is also living proof of how effective local community-based after school programs can be in terms of turning lives around.

Stories like these teach us some powerful lessons, ones that must be heeded. From them, we learn that young people need encouragement, a wholesome place to interact with peers, play sports and participate in character enrichment activities. Given Akin’s story, is it not foolish for the state of Florida to be so shortsighted when allocating resources to programs like Boys and Girls Clubs? The investment up front in programs like these, ones that yield such great return, need to be funded. Doesn’t Florida want to produce youth, like Akin, who dream about going to Ivy League schools, instead of teens who ponder time behind bars?

One day, Akin hopes to attend Harvard University. After spending time with him and people like Andrew Kirkland, service director at the Osceola branch and great role model for all, my bet is on Akin.