David Charles is a graduate of Pottstown Senior High School located in Southeastern, PA. Growing up as the middle child in a subsidized housing development, David has first-hand experience with the obstacles that many youth face on a daily bases in many situations. He grew up knowing what it was like for the adults in his life to work to make ends meet and not have enough time in the day for family engagement.
David has also traveled to areas such as California, Florida, New York, Atlanta, and Germany and met many lost children in his travels. While he pursued his music career, he worked to help many youth musicians who crossed his path in subtle ways. He understands the plight of the young man who has a hard time believing that making better choices equates to a better life. The understanding and dream David had then and stays steadfast to today is the motivation behind the creation of S.T.R.I.V.E. Initiative (STRIVE – Strengthening Tomorrow Requires Initiative & Vision Everyday).
David’s personal mission continues to be sparked by his sincere commitment to help area youth develop lifelong changes to improve their life and the lives of others. The long-term commitment of STRIVE, under the direction of David, work to support community revitalization through personal development of our precious youth. The younger generation has the potential to be leaders, so it is crucial that they have proper resources and motivation.
“My mentor is caring and sweet. She guides me through a lot of things in life, like troubles with people or family stuff.” – Mentee
“I am so grateful to have a mentor working with us. He is so positive and cares so much about the community. It would be wonderful to have a mentor like him in every classroom because of the impact he makes” – Teacher
“This program has connected me with a student I probably would have never met or discovered in passing. The idea of bringing mentoring to students is genuine and genius. Students who have hopes, dreams and goals, but don’t know how to attain them or who to reach out to help them reach their dreams and goals.” – Mentor
