August 2014 
In this Issue: Justin's Story
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September 4


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CYDC in the News
July 16


July 20 

Post and Courier Feature Story on CYDC Resident Justin Williams

July 21


July 21

High School Graduate
Justin displaying his Wando High School diploma.

Wando Senior Day 
Justin poses with his parents Shakara Cooper and Jerome Williams during Senior Day at Wando High School. 


Justin Photo Montage
A photo montage of  Justin featuring everything from a baby photo up through Prom and Graduation.

Game Changer: Caring Mentors and Team Sports Helped CYDC Youth Turn Life Around

19-year old CYDC resident and rising South Carolina

Wando High School graduate Justin Williams (center) poses with his diploma after graduation ceremony. To his right is CYDC residential counselor and mentor to Justin, Greg Brown. On his left is Que, a friend and former CYDC resident.   

State Freshman Justin Williams has come a long way since he first arrived on the campus of Carolina Youth Development Center as a wayward teen in 2010.

"I was a rough kid when I first came into custody," recalls Williams, who was in eighth grade at the time.

His own family considered him a problem child and felt he was headed down the wrong path. He was an angry juvenile who fought often and disrespected authority figures.

After receiving positive mentoring from first a foster parent and then CYDC residential and support staff, Justin gradually began to calm down and mature. 

"I realized I needed to straighten myself up," remembers Justin.

"I learned to respect others."

Caring mentors such as CYDC residential counselor Greg Brown played a key role in helping Justin turn his life in the right direction. Brown came to pick Justin up from football practice one day and there was an immediate rapport.

 "He took me under his wing," recounts Justin. 

He could be having a bad day or be in a sour mood and Greg would come into his room and make him laugh.

"Greg has been a big impact in my life," he adds.

 "He's been like an uncle to me."

Justin notes that he doesn't think of CYDC staff as staff anymore. The bond is much stronger. He cites in particular counselors Anthony Thompson and Jacqueline Jones, among others. 

"They've become like family to me," he said. 

Additionally, Bakker Career Center and residential staff

From a troubled youth to CYDC ambassador, Justin is shown here giving a tour of the Bakker Career Center to Red River Inc.'s Senior VP of Corporate Strategy Jeff Sessions during the company's community service project at CYDC on Feb. 20.  

helped prepare Justin for his first job interview with the Urban League, for whom he worked during his Freshman and Sophomore years. He started out doing database entry, responding to emails and helping clients. By his second year he had his own office and served as an executive assistant. His duties included answering phones, attending meetings, taking notes at meetings and he even had to fire people occasionally. 

The experience taught him organizational and life skills, as well as the importance of punctuality and attention to detail.                        

As a senior, Justin also worked as a server assistant at Red Lobster. For the past three months he has been employed as a footwear associate at Nike Factory Store in Tanger Outlet. His specialty is in athletic shoes, so he is known by his Nike colleagues as a "sneaker head." 


 

Wando Football 

                        

Another outlet that helped Justin get his life on track

Justin started at cornerback his senior year and had a break out season capped off by a team award for his exceptional play at his position. 
was participating in team sports. Justin played football all four years he was enrolled in Wando High School, primarily at cornerback and on special teams. His sophomore season he was what they term an "eight quarter guy," because he played on both junior varsity and varsity football teams on Thursday and Friday nights respectively. He felt his coach had overlooked his talent his junior year when he started only six games because a senior cornerback teammate of his got the nod instead.  
"I felt I had something to prove," Justin said.              
And prove himself he did. Justin started every game his senior year and won a prestigious team award for his exceptional play at cornerback. He produced a standout season, tallying 34 solo tackles, four interceptions, four forced fumbles and three sacks. 
His favorite moment came in the playoffs when he managed to hold the number one-ranked receiver in the state in check, which included making a leaping grab interception of a pass in the end zone that saved a touchdown. 

 

The Call that Changed Everything

                                                                   

But the most joyous celebration came on June 16 when

A beaming Justin proudly holds up his acceptance letter to South Carolina State University.

Justin got the call from a CYDC staff member informing him that he had been accepted into South Carolina State.

While he expected to be admitted into some other schools to which he applied, he had not counted on this one, which also happened to be his first choice.

Since Justin's favorite subject in school was economics, he plans to major in business at South Carolina State. He also hopes to walk on the football team, and thanks to his networking contacts has already met with the program's football coach to discuss his options.

When he begins school at the Orangeburg-based campus in August, he will be the first person in his family to attend college.


 

***Click here to read the Post and Courier's July 20 feature article on Justin Williams.