Aug 27, 2008 6:57 pm US/Eastern
Program Helps Teens Realize Their Dreams
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
This is the day 18-year-old De'Von Brown has been getting ready for since entering the Maryland Institute College of Art.
De'Von is one of the 127 inner city boys who attended the Baraka School in Kenya, East Africa, before it was shut down in 2003 because of turmoil in that country.
"Baraka taught me how to be me. I always knew I'd grow up to be a nice guy. I just didn't know how nice," he said.
With his mother battling drug addiction and no father in the picture, De'Von was raised by his grandmother, Mary Humes, who said, "I don't know what the future holds for De'Von, but I know he's going to be a great young man."
Selwyn Ray, executive director of the Maryland Mentoring Program and chairman of the Baraka Youth Empowerment Fund, has been one of De'Von's mentors.
"I'm so happy to have played even a minuscule part in De'Von's success. I'll be there the day he graduates," he said.
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