SHAWN M. MASON
Chief Executive Officer
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For over 10 years I’ve had the opportunity to work with Shawn Mason in various capacities, and what has always amazed me about him is his consistency when it comes to his commitment to working with youth. Even in the absence of resources he has repeatedly found a way to bring quality programs to students. For several years we taught across the hall from each other and his patience with some of our most challenging students made him the go-to teacher on our team when any of us needed support, and he was always there. He is a motivator and possesses a natural gift for encouraging growth. Shawn’s work ethic and passion are contagious, not only to his colleagues, but to the children who have the pleasure of working with him.
Linique McCoy - Owner, Discovery Pitstop
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Words from Shawn
As the Lead Arts Counselor at the Super Kids Reading Camp in Baltimore City, I recognized their youths need for mentorship and education. In a period of two years, we saw significant growth and development among at-risk children. Then I had the opportunity to return home to New York City to further my work and mission in education and mentorship. It is because of this experience, a degree in psychology, my work as a school teacher, and my efforts to develop a youth empowerment program that makes me confident
that I would can make a valuable contribution to your school.
While working in Brooklyn at P.S. 3, The Bedford Village School, I created the Kappa Club – a weekly discussion group
for you men of color to address social issues and their effect on these young males. What started out as five kids quickly grew to 35. Seeing the potential for reaching even more youth and understanding the importance of building a stronger program, I enlisted the help of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. This partnership with my fraternity helped these young men become members of the fraternity’s national mentorship program. I am reminded of a young man of a single mother who had never left the block of his neighborhood. Once he and his mother agreed to enroll in the program, he joined us for a few college tours, and then attended school in Upstate, New York. Now, he owns several properties and returns to his old neighborhood to teach the next generation of young entrepreneurs.
This is more than teaching for me. I am on a mission to positively impact the educational, social, moral, and spiritual lives of young children. That is why I built the R.I.S.E (Reaching Individual Student Excellence) Mentorship Academy. It provides an individualized education plan for success for each child, breaking a generational curse to create generational wealth. If you think that this initiative could add value, to the children at your school, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss how we can work together to create a path of success.
