Young Men's Conference Encourages Positive Life Changes in Youth

Rappers, attorneys, and high school students came together earlier this month for the 8th Annual Young Men’s Conference in Riverside to promote investing in the future of youth. The Young Men’s Conference was held at the Riverside Convention Center and is organized by the Riverside Community Health Foundation in partnership with the City of Riverside Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. Their mission is to provide young men with the necessary information, tools, and motivation to overcome barriers and realize their potential. Students were invited to listen to lectures from local leaders as well as performers such as rapper King Lil G and Senior Deputy District Attorney Gerry Lopez. “I like that they dedicate a day to this out of school, because these boys need attention,” said King Lil’ G. “I wish there were more events like this for me to speak at.” Nearly 200 students from Riverside Unified School District and Jurupa Unified School District attended. Lopez, the keynote speaker, spoke about how he overcame growing up as a troubled youth in a bad neighborhood. He grew up in Echo park, joined a gang as a teenager, and was into drugs at a young age. “The reality is deep inside, way deep down, I knew I was driving down a path of death and destruction,” said Lopez. Lopez told the students of his P.L.A.N. for success, where the letters stand for: listen to Positive people, Learn, take Action, and No negativity. The students heard from on air personality ODM, Councilman Andy Melendez, and Adolfo Cruz, the Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. The speakers spoke about their struggles growing up and what they would have done differently. The goal of the conference was to bring in speakers who can connect with the students on a personal level and who have similar life experiences as them. “I’ve been here three years in a row and I like everything I hear,” said Santiago Funes, John Muir High School student. “He [Lopez] grew up in poverty and that’s different from me, but he works for the city now and I grew up here and I work for the city now. I can relate to him and his story really influenced me.” Funes works for the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department as well. After breakfast and the speeches, the students had the opportunity to join workshops focused on leadership, creative careers, pathways to college, and financial advice. Each student attended two workshops. Jonas Fahz lead the leadership workshop, focusing on what makes a leader and why leadership is important; he then answered questions from attendees. The students were able to engage in a discussion about their thoughts on leadership and bounce ideas off one another. Mentors added their points of view to the discussion. “You know being on stage is what allures people, but being asked to speak on leadership here was a real honor because that’s really what people need to hear,” said Fahz. “It’s important for them [the students] to open up and say things they can’t say in the classroom so they feel that they have a voice.” One of the most popular workshops was titled “Let’s Talk Money,” held by Orlando Contreras, a local branch manager at Wells Fargo. Contreras educated the young men on how credit scores can hurt or help them and discussed ways to start a credit history, how to fix bad credit, interest rates, and the importance of budgeting. Students asked an assortment of questions including how to sign up for a credit card, where to invest, how to set up direct deposit, and when to borrow money. “I was impressed by how involved they were in the financial part,” said David Stewart, a chaperone from Riverside Heritage John Muir Charter School. “They asked a lot of questions and it was really good that they were so engaged.” Tony Ortiz, Outreach Specialist at the Riverside City College, spoke about the nature of capitalism and how to choose the right college at the “Pathways to College” workshop. A majority of the students in attendance come from disadvantaged neighborhoods, and many lack the resources or encouragement to believe they can change their current economic situation. The Young Men’s Conference aims to influence these young men to invest in their future by bringing together local professionals and entertainers who have a similar upbringing as the youth and can present a real alternative to their struggles. “This conference wasn’t the regular ‘Get an education, go to college,’ and then they don’t tell you how to do it,” said Diego Alvarez, John W. North High School sophomore. “These guys lay it out for us. They tell us it won’t be easy, but their experiences give us hope and let us know what we could be.” The workshops came to a close with the entertainment part of the night. Pomona rapper Charm the Legend spoke briefly about his hardships growing up and how he relied on music to get him through it. Di'Jonn Grizzell, better known by his stage name, Jonn Hart, also spoke to the students about resilience and following one’s dreams. Hip hop artist King Lil G was the headliner for the event. “I do it because I feel like they can identify with me. A lot of these kids want to be in gangs and stuff, but I tell them I want to pursue a positive life,” said King Lil G. “Education is the most important thing even if you become a rapper you still need to read a contract or do math for your bills.” The Conference started to wind down with an obstacle discussion panel. The panel spoke candidly about the transgressions of their past and how they overcame them. One of the panelists, Terrance Stewart, was labeled a problem child in middle school and barred from all school activities such as dances. Things worsened as he was kicked out of school in ninth grade, with things only getting worse from there. In 2007 he was released from prison at the age of 26. However, in 2013 he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in ethnic studies from the University of California, Riverside, where he organized his own school dances. “Mentors helped me get to where I am now,” said Stewart. “I hadn’t had somebody tell me you can get stuff done, you can go to college.” Stewart is is currently continuing his studies in the master's degree program for higher education administration and policy. Stan Morrison, retired college basketball coach and athletic director, ended the speeches by stressing the lessons given throughout the conference. Morrison attended the University of California, Berkeley and played on the California Golden Bears varsity basketball team from 1959 to 1961. He was the athletic director at UC Riverside for 12 years until his retirement on August 15, 2011. “I made one of the best choices in the past year by coming to this conference,” said Morrison. “This is the most important thing I’ve done all day.” The conference came to an end with an opportunity drawing for visa gift cards, movie tickets, Knott’s Berry Farm tickets, and Sports Authority and iTunes gift cards. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet with local organizations like Riverside Community College, Riverside area Rape Crisis Center, Planned Parenthood, The Art Institutes, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire, Inland Empire Health Plan, and more. “I’m going to use the P.L.A.N. program to help me in school,” said Michael Balderama, Jurupa Valley High School student. “Maybe I could become a lawyer too some day.” The Young Men’s Conference is held every year in May. To learn more and how you can support, go to RCHF.org and contact Jessica Puente at 951-788-3471, jessica@rchf.org.