Building A Brighter Future Through Our Youth

What I Experienced: Growing up in the inner-city of Indianapolis I was exposed to a lot of the negative aspects of my community. I experienced drive by shootings and other gang violent activities. I witnessed friends and neighbors become addicted to drugs as well as engage in the sale of drugs. Unfortunately, many of my friends did not value education and began to travel a different path than I did. How I Overcame: My parents were very diligent in making sure I possessed the moral compass required to guide me through the many pitfalls in my community. As a result of my support system, I focused on my education, played sports, and excelled in the game of chess. I began to realize that many of my friends and peers did not have the strong family foundation and support system needed to keep them grounded and focused. How I Gave Back: In an effort to decrease the number of young people in the streets, to promote the importance of education, and to create opportunities and resources for higher education, I started the Ian Smith Foundation. Using my experiences growing up, I believe I can be an integral part in changing the lives of underserved youth in Indiana.