Mentorship "show[ed] me my self-worth... the value that I have as a human."

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Unsplash

The impact of afterschool and summer programs last well beyond a student’s formative years. The relationships that afterschool youth build with the adults in their programs often lead to academic success and future leadership opportunities. Mentored youth are 55 percent less likely than their peers to skip school, and 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions, according to surveys completed by MENTOR.

Albert Shumake of River City Drum Corp understands firsthand the importance of mentors in the lives of young people.

The River City Drum Corp, started by Mr. Edward “Nardie” White and his wife Zambia Nkrumah in Louisville, Kentucky out of the Parkland Boys & Girls Club, teaches pipe drumming, drumline, and percussion, as well as leadership and social development skills. Albert joined River City as an eight-year-old, during an era of high gang violence throughout the city.

“Mr. White saw in me and in so many other kids that everybody does not fit that cookie cutter description of what a young person from the inner city is and what they do,” Albert says.

Mr. White took Albert and five other young men under his wing, bringing the students along to events and business deals and exposing them to experiences that would eventually mold them into leaders in their communities.

“What Mr. White did, and what mentorship did for me, was show me my self-worth, show me the value that I have as a human, as a young man, as a Black man, as a creative person, and that really developed some fearlessness in me to approach every opportunity with the confidence that I’m great, I come from greatness, and I can produce greatness.”

Now, Mr. White has passed the reins on to Albert, who leads the River City Drum Corp and serves as a mentor to a number of young people under his tutelage.

According to MENTOR, 90 percent of mentored young adults are interested in someday becoming a mentor themselves. Albert serves as a prime example of this, even writing in a college scholarship essay about his goals to give back what was given to him. “As a senior, when I wrote a college essay to get a scholarship, I specifically said that ‘after I go to college, get my degree, and become successful, I’m going to come back to my neighborhood so that somebody else can get the same treatment that I got.’”

And he did just that: returning to his neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky to take over as executive director for the afterschool program that had such an impression on his young life.

“I know that the work that was done for me is necessary and if I don’t do it, the chain becomes broken and I don’t want to contribute to the lack of progress,” Albert says of his decision to continue Mr. White’s legacy. “I’m able to live my creative life and give what has been given to me. To give back. And that is a tremendous gift that not everybody has the opportunity to do, or not everybody makes the choice to do.”

Albert’s choice has certainly benefitted the students of River City Drum Corp. They are able to enjoy the mentorship of a leader that truly cares for their growth and wellbeing.

“If I see a young person who’s not smiling as big as they normally do, or who’s body language is saying that something is wrong, I’m going to go the extra mile to make sure that I understand what they’re going through, because someone did it for me.”

Albert’s students aren’t the only benefactors of his mentorship. The mentor/mentee relationship is one that is rewarding for all parties involved. “The kids that I work with, as they become better leaders and they start to embrace their individuality and creativity, their entrepreneurship and whatever it is they’re into—to see them be able to walk into those things really lets me know that the work I do is giving a good return.”

Positive mentoring relationships have the power to make a lasting impression on young people that will carry them through their lives. Now, in Louisville, Albert’s appreciation for the level of commitment Mr. White afforded him is palpable.

“I feel like my path in life is being validated at this point. I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude and thankfulness to be able to make a living, provide the resources for my life, give an example to my daughter and the kids in neighborhood. I really idolize Ms. Zambia and Mr. Nardie. They were some of the brightest spots in my dark life—you know—or in the darkness that was in my life. They helped me to see myself for who I am, and I get to see my work rub off on students everyday.”