Looking back at his high school career, Jason Reid says he wishes he had gotten more involved as a freshman.

Now a senior at Ardrey Kell High, Jason created a mentor program called Project Elevate to help freshmen understand the importance of actively participating in the community.

Throughout his high school career, Jason said, he has noticed a “growing population of African-Americans at Ardrey Kell that are high achievers,” and he wanted to provide inspiration to that demographic.

Students as mentors

So every other week, Project Elevate meets, a group of about 18 freshman African-American students with five upperclassmen student mentors. Rather than targeting students once they are in the high school system, Jason said he went to middle schools to talk with eighth grade students about the mentor club.

“I was happy that someone would take time out of their day to help us freshmen and to prepare us for not only Ardrey Kell, but high school in general,” said Randall Eaton, 14, a freshman in Project Elevate. Randall said Jason has helped him eliminate distractions and focus on doing his best in school.

The goal is to help inspire students to get involved in their freshman year and make an impact in their community, Jason said. After prospective students completed an application, Jason paired individuals with mentors.

“The most difficult part was kicking it off,” he said. “You don’t really know it’s feasible until you have support from higher authorities.”

He said at his June interest meeting, he was surprised to see the amount of student and faculty support.

“He’s just a normal guy with huge aspirations,” said Larry Drucker, Ardrey Kell assistant principal. Jason realized he needed to do something about the lack of transition from middle to high school that he experienced, Drucker said.

“(As a freshman) I didn’t know the true importance of striving to do my best,” he said. “I made sub-par grades and I missed out on a lot of opportunities.”

While Jason played football, he says he wished he had joined other clubs and organizations as well. “It made me realize that I have talents outside of sports,” he said.

With his own experience in mind, Jason designed a curriculum to accompany Project Elevate, centered on the topics of belief, illumination, motivation, elevation and exploration.

Breaking stereotypes

Often, Jason said, he notices his peers trying to conform to a stereotype, rather than focusing on goal-setting.

“A lot of African-American students try to fit one mold, but we are all meant to shine in different ways,” he said.

He plans to pass the program down to a rising senior so it can continue.

“(Jason) is focused on giving and serving,” said Drucker. “With Jason, having a plan is right there near execution.”

“As a freshman, I didn’t think I could make any impact on this school,” Jason said. “And now I’m on the verge of making a very significant impact.”

Penland: 704-358-6043