Brotherhood’s Impact: Michael’s Story

2020 Graduate of Wichita North High School

Micheal Iyali joined Rise Up For Youth because his older siblings told him how they benefited from being involved. He was inspired by their success. At the moment he needed a little push and if joining Rise Up For Youth would help with that he had to give it a try.

Michael enjoyed his time in the program because of his experiences with Mr. Hurst. “The mentors in the program are there for each student and they put their time for the students to make sure that they are headed towards a great future. Mr. Hurst encourages us to get that GPA up and always work harder because later on, the hard work pays off. They are there to help fill out scholarships and do everything else they can to help out their students. Getting a higher GPA every semester was my goal and also my challenge.”

Micheal Iyali is also a recipient of the 2020 Rise Up For Youth Empowerment Scholarship. “They helped me find and apply for scholarships. I am so grateful for that.”

“Mr. Hurst made sure I stayed focused on my goals and achieved them. He provided me with enough resources to help prepare me for college. He made sure I had all the graduation requirements and made sure that I was getting everything done. I had all the help I needed from him to get everything done on time.”

Some of Michael’s favorite events that he did with Rise Up For Youth were the Alzheimer’s volunteer event, the holiday parties, and also the weekly sessions that were held by Mr. Hurst at school and on Zoom. “There’s no doubt that the program has made me a better person. The program helped me become open-minded and interactive. I used to be one of those kids who would prefer to lay low because of shyness but with the program, I did not have to be shy. No one judged anybody and they listened to me and wanted to learn more about me which made me feel more myself and courageous. Of course, I would recommend Rise Up For Youth to anyone in high school.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are past your freshman year, I would still encourage you to join the program. Especially your senior year, this program will help you push hard till you walk through the stage and have your diploma. The program is there to help you in any way they can to make you a better person for your future.”

Micheal is now a student at Cloud Community College with plans to major in Pre-Precessional Health.

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“One of the things that are so amazing about him is his resiliency. Despite the things that he has experienced, he knows what he wants and where he wants to go in life and what he wants to be.”

Lee Hurst
Youth Champion | Rise Up For Youth