Becoming 'a better man', through mentoring

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

According to mentor John Winston, "Any idiot can make a baby, but it takes a darn good man to be a dad."

Winston, the president of the African American Mentoring Program, visited WNZF studios to be on "Free For All Friday," a weekly radio show hosted by David Ayres, to discuss AAMP and to celebrate January as National Mentoring Month.

Winston was joined by Melba McCarty, who is the president of AAMP for girls, a branch of AAMP that began 6.5 years ago, Winston said. McCarty sat by Barbara Simons, who at 22 years old, is the youngest mentor in the program. She is also a former mentee, or "protege," as they like to be called.

Sophia Burton III is another mentor on the show, and she was joined by her daughter, Samantha Brown, a high school student. Samantha said having a mentor in her life has helped her to make better decisions and to not worry about what other people think of her.

McCarty used the phrase "It takes a village" to describe what the mentoring program means. It's not just about having parents involved in a child's life, but also about having other interested adults to help guide them.

Winston said it was particularly important for young people to have a male mentor because, he said, there are many absentee fathers in the black community, and that can set some children up for failure.

Winston's protege on the show was Marcel Williams, a Flagler Palm Coast High School student and football star. He gave a candid interview on the show, saying that having a mentor "pushes me to be a better man."

To get involved in the program, visit aampflaglerschools.org.