100 Black Men Inspire North Springs Students to Follow Their Dreams

Nearly 30 members of 100 Black Men visited classes at North Springs High School to mentor and inspire students as they consider career paths following graduation.
By Adrianne Murchison | February 4, 2011 

When Brian Hooper mentors students at North Springs High School, he tries to instill something that he didn’t learn until after his own high school graduation.

The North Springs alumnus wants them to know that any profession is within their reach.

“I wish there would have been a way for me to see [that], ‘Ok there are all these things you can be and all these things, you can do,’ “ Hooper recalled.

This week, Hooper and nearly 30 members of 100 Black Men of America visited classes at North Springs to mentor and inspire students as they consider career paths following graduation.

The event was the North Metro chapter's kickoff to Black History Month. The nationwide organization of 100 Black Men is committed to mentoring and empowering youths.

Hooper, a Sandy Springs resident and recent law school graduate, gave students an example of what lawyers do.

“I illustrated a situation where someone had contraband on them,” he said. “I made up a law and we tried to apply the law to that particular situation and come out with some type of argument. I tried to get them to see both sides of the argument.”

Dwight Kelly, president of the North Metro chapter and a retired pharmaceutical executive, explained to students how it's possible to work in a profession that they love.

“It’s important to stay in school, work hard and find your passion. If you love what you’re doing, it’s never a job,” he told them.

That rang true for senior Justin Fisher. He plans to attend Berklee School of Music, in Boston.

Justin told North Springs staff, “Mr. Kelly had a lot of good information about career choices for the future, and I know what he means about finding your passion."

John Caine, of 100 Black Men, lives in Sandy Springs and has two children who graduated from North Springs.

The electrical engineer said he fulfills a personal passion when he mentors students.

“Being in the classroom is what I love,” he said. “I tell students to recognize their dreams; work towards them and never let anyone take their dream away. Their dream must be their own, not their parents, not their coaches.”