Alan Sylvester
Alan Sylvester became a KAAAP mentor several years ago---prior to the merger of KAAAP, KPEF and CIS. He is among the exclusive club of mentors who were matched with an elementary school student and remain committed to seeing the young person through graduation---exactly the way the KAAAP model was originally intended. But Alan took his challenge a giant step farther. A comment was made at a mentors’ meeting that there just aren’t enough men involved as mentors and that our young boys are desperate for male attention. Alan attended that meeting and took the comment as a challenge to what he believed about men that he knows personally and professionally. He was certain that there are men who have been very involved with their own children and when faced with their empty nest, would consider being a mentor. The announcement of the Kalamazoo Promise solidified Alan’s thinking and he became even more convinced that there were men who would be interested in helping another child, particularly if the goals were as clear as academic achievement, college readiness and being able to use the Promise. So he mobilized several others---an advisory team---to work with him to create “One-on-One”. This mentor project works exclusively to recruit men and matches them to 4th grade boys at Edison and Lincoln Elementary buildings. To date at least 25 boys and carefully recruited men have been matched. Alan Sylvester, a man with his own business, his own family and his own mentee, took it upon himself to initiate an effort that will be life-changing for a group of boys whose needs are profound.
Alan, congratulations on your 2008 Champ Award!