Angels Among Us - Young Gentlemen Club
Updated: February 12, 2013
CHAMPAIGN -- This Angel Among Us is changing students' behavior and their lives. Spend a few minutes in the halls of Franklin Middle School and you can tell Marques Lowe knows everyone.
He's a teacher's aide and a hall monitor. He also leads the Young Gentlemen Club; a group where values are always the lesson of the day.
Lowe said, "I'm going to teach you real life stuff that you can't get in the classroom so when you step out into the real world you know how to step into different situations."
The idea for the club actually came out of controversy. Kiwane Carrington was shot with a police officer's gun in 2009. The city was divided. Lowe went to this packed city council meeting and took his turn at the mic.
He remembered, "I made a promise to the City of Champaign. You will see me again. I'm going to start doing something."
He knew something needed to be done because he could see it in the halls.
"At the time, we had some really bad kids struggling every single day, living this life they see on TV that they portray, that they want to be a part of."
So he made them part of this group.
Lowe said, "They just need somebody to say, 'Hey, go home. Have a productive day. Stay out of trouble.'"
But the Young Gentlemen Club is much more than that. The kids journal, listen to guest speakers and go on field trips. It's changing lives like Traey Simpson's. A year ago his mom had to move to Indiana for a better job. Dad is in California. Grandma takes care of him.
"Sometimes I would get in trouble or I just needed that extra mindset to tell me I need to stay on task to help me in life, high school and college," said Traey.
College is a goal Traey says wasn't in his mind until Mr. Lowe stepped in.
"All the guys in my club, they never say can't. They just do it."
It was a lesson Lowe had to learn the hard way. He grew up in Ford Heights outside of Chicago. It was once considered the poorest suburb in the U.S.
"A lot of killings," said Lowe. "A lot of gunshots. A lot of scary situations that I sometimes ran from but I sometimes had to face."
Thankfully he had a mentor whose words he'll never forget.
"If you can make it out, when you give back, make sure you give back strong."
He definitely is. Teaching these kids that strength doesn't come with fists but with integrity, education, and respect.
"This is me giving back," said Lowe. "This is something I love to do, motivating young men to do great thing in their lives."
He's a teacher's aide and a hall monitor. He also leads the Young Gentlemen Club; a group where values are always the lesson of the day.
Lowe said, "I'm going to teach you real life stuff that you can't get in the classroom so when you step out into the real world you know how to step into different situations."
The idea for the club actually came out of controversy. Kiwane Carrington was shot with a police officer's gun in 2009. The city was divided. Lowe went to this packed city council meeting and took his turn at the mic.
He remembered, "I made a promise to the City of Champaign. You will see me again. I'm going to start doing something."
He knew something needed to be done because he could see it in the halls.
"At the time, we had some really bad kids struggling every single day, living this life they see on TV that they portray, that they want to be a part of."
So he made them part of this group.
Lowe said, "They just need somebody to say, 'Hey, go home. Have a productive day. Stay out of trouble.'"
But the Young Gentlemen Club is much more than that. The kids journal, listen to guest speakers and go on field trips. It's changing lives like Traey Simpson's. A year ago his mom had to move to Indiana for a better job. Dad is in California. Grandma takes care of him.
"Sometimes I would get in trouble or I just needed that extra mindset to tell me I need to stay on task to help me in life, high school and college," said Traey.
College is a goal Traey says wasn't in his mind until Mr. Lowe stepped in.
"All the guys in my club, they never say can't. They just do it."
It was a lesson Lowe had to learn the hard way. He grew up in Ford Heights outside of Chicago. It was once considered the poorest suburb in the U.S.
"A lot of killings," said Lowe. "A lot of gunshots. A lot of scary situations that I sometimes ran from but I sometimes had to face."
Thankfully he had a mentor whose words he'll never forget.
"If you can make it out, when you give back, make sure you give back strong."
He definitely is. Teaching these kids that strength doesn't come with fists but with integrity, education, and respect.
"This is me giving back," said Lowe. "This is something I love to do, motivating young men to do great thing in their lives."
