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Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were grateful to welcome an amazing voice in the John Muir High School Community, Mr. Shakoor, one of John Muir’s teachers, to speak with our young men! Mr. Shakoor spoke with our young men about the importance of simply being willing to try even when there is a possibility of failing. 💯 He shared how that mindset has pushed him throughout his entire life and encouraged our students not to let the fear of failure stop them from pursuing

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were grateful to welcome an incredible voice from the John Muir community, Dr. Robles, Assistant Principal, to speak with our young men! Dr. Robles took our young men through his journey growing up right here in Pasadena and shared some of the experiences that helped shape the person and leader he is today. He spoke about his time in the community, the challenges and lessons he encountered along the way, and how his experiences ultimatel

We were excited to welcome an outstanding member of the John Muir High School community to speak with our young men! 💙✨ First, we had the pleasure of hearing from our Principal, Dr. Gray, who spoke to our young men about the importance of high school and the difference that their education and the decisions they make during these years can have on their future. He encouraged our students to take their education seriously and reminded them of the many opportunities that can c

This week, we were excited to welcome an amazing member of the John Muir High School community to speak with our young men! 💙✨ We had the opportunity to hear from Mr. Silk, our Graphic Media Teacher at John Muir High School. Mr. Silk shared stories about his time as a photographer when he was younger and how his career gave him the opportunity to travel all over the world. 📸🌎 He spoke to our young men about the importance of taking risks, stepping outside of their comfort

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We had a great time welcoming our young men back for another school year! 💙 It was great to see everyone, go over our MPYD expectations and rules, and get everyone ready for another successful year. We also put their knowledge to the test with a fun Kahoot! 🎮🧠 covering our program rules, expectations, and everything they need to know moving forward. With our guest speakers starting next week, our young men are ready to learn, ask questio

The first week of school is officially in the books! 📚🎒 We are so glad to see all of our returning students back and excited to welcome so many new faces to MPYD! 💙 It has been great reconnecting with our students, meeting new students, and getting new sign-ups throughout the week. We’re looking forward to another year filled with mentorship, leadership, learning, growth, and new opportunities. 🙌🏽✨ Here’s to a great school year! We can’t wait to see what this year has in

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐🎉 We are excited to recognize our MPYD students attending Pasadena City College who have been accepted into the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) Scholars program. 🎓 Throughout their time with MPYD, these young men have demonstrated leadership, dedication, and a strong drive for personal growth. Being selected for the PCF Scholars program is a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and commitment to their academic goals. We are extrem

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were excited to see our young men come through for registration as we prepare for another exciting school year! 📚🎓 It was great reconnecting with our returning students and meeting some of our new participants. With the new school year right around the corner, we’re looking forward to another year filled with growth, success, mentorship, and new opportunities. We are truly grateful to everyone who continues to make these opportunities

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were honored to welcome back the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for another engaging and impactful financial literacy workshop. Our young men had the opportunity to learn about the importance of managing their money wisely, building healthy financial habits, and making smart financial decisions that will benefit them in the future. 💰📚 Our students were highly engaged throughout the presentation, asking thoughtful question

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 This week, we had the opportunity to celebrate one of our graduating seniors, Andrew Arnold, as he begins an exciting new chapter at Morehouse College. 🎓 Andrew has been an outstanding young man throughout his time at MPYD, consistently demonstrating leadership, dedication, and a commitment to personal growth. We are incredibly proud of everything he has accomplished, both within our program and beyond. While we will certainly miss having

Our young men had the incredible opportunity to attend our annual MPYD Leadership Camp! 💙 Throughout the week, they stepped outside of their comfort zones, built lifelong friendships, strengthened their leadership skills, and created memories that will last a lifetime. Camp is about so much more than just having fun. Our students participated in team-building activities, leadership workshops, outdoor challenges, and meaningful discussions that encouraged personal growth, acc

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We had the privilege of celebrating the birthday of our founder, Mr. Tecumseh Shackelford! It was a special day as our summer workers each wrote him a heartfelt birthday card and surprised him with two of his favorite cakes. Mr. Shackelford was incredibly appreciative and grateful for the thoughtful gesture. He shared how rewarding it was to see the character, respect, and kindness we strive to instill in our young men reflected in their ac

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We have officially kicked off our summer work programming, and our young men have been hitting the ground running! 💼☀️ We started by conducting interviews for our participants, setting a professional tone for the weeks ahead. Since then, our young men have been working hard on campus beautification projects, taking pride in improving our community spaces 🌳🧹Alongside their hard work, they have also been participating in enriching activiti

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We have some incredible achievements and moments to share from our amazing seniors as we celebrate their hard work and dedication! Two of our outstanding seniors, Ricky Ortiz and Gael Sanchez, proudly stood alongside Pasadena Council Member Tyrone Hampton during their participation in the Fire Explorers program. 💼🚒 We love seeing our young men stepping up, learning vital skills, and engaging directly with our community leaders! We are als

Greetings, Friends and Family! 🎓 We had the honor of celebrating the MPYD Class of 2026 as they walked across the stage and received their high school diplomas. What an incredible milestone! 👏🏾 We are tremendously proud of each and every one of our graduates. Their hard work, perseverance, and dedication have brought them to this moment, and we know this is only the beginning of their journey. 💙 To the Class of 2026: As you step into this next chapter, remember that your

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We welcomed three of our graduating seniors as guest speakers: Alvin Morones, Elexis Guerra, and Joshua Hoover. 👏🏾 🎓💙 Alvin shared his plans to attend Universal Technical Institute (UTI) to become an aircraft mechanic, Elexis spoke about his goals in pursuing higher education at UC Berkeley, and Joshua discussed his high school journey and how it has shaped him into the young man he is today. Each of them offered honest, heartfelt advic

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 Our week was full of excitement for our young men. We took them to K1 speed, where our students had the chance to race, bond, and challenge themselves in a fun and competitive environment. The smiles and laughter made it a day to remember! We are truly grateful to everyone who made this possible and to all who continue to support MPYD 🙏🏾. Your encouragement and generosity help us create moments like these! Thank you! 👍🏾

Dylan Wilson, a John Muir High School graduate and MPYD alumnus who generously gives back each year, also helped make this possible 🙌🏾. Through matching Mr. Wilson’s contribution, we were able to provide scholarships to five additional young men. 👏🏾💙 These young men have embodied the MPYD spirit with consistent attendance during our programming and with academic achievements inside of the classroom.

Ms. Adobi Gwacham, owner of both Chick-fil-A locations in Pasadena, continues to be a strong supporter of MPYD ❤️. Because of her generous donation, we were able to award two of our seniors with $1,000 scholarships: Victor Soto- Marquez and Dallas Hawkins🎓👏🏾. Dallas will be attending UC Riverside where he will be majoring in biomedical engineering, and Victor will be attending PCC before transferring to a 4-year university and starting a career in welding. We are so proud

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 As the school year comes to an end, we wanted to give our young men the opportunity to visit the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. For many of them, it was their first time visiting — and even hearing about the museum — despite growing up in Pasadena. Our young men truly enjoyed the experience, learning about different cultures, history, and art while spending quality time together 🖼️✨ We are truly grateful to everyone who helped make these