What is the Achiever Program?

This program was founded in 1981 with the vision and the dream that through an ever increasing number of accomplished and motivated young men, the Black family unit can be maintained and strengthened. The goal is accomplished through the workshops and mentoring. More than one-thousand young men have gone through the program and more than 2.8 million dollars in scholarships have been awarded.

Program Objectives

  • Provide scholarships for college-bound high school males.
  • Develop a program of recognition for outstanding males.
  • Develop leadership ability in the young men selected for the program.
  • Involve the community in the development of the young men by organizing a group of business and professional men to serve as mentors/confreres.
  • Produce a corps of young men bound by common experiences who are dedicated to the improvement of our society.
  • Expose participants to STEM careers.

Program Components

Life Coach and Confrere Activities

Alumni Achievers and professionals from all walks of life conduct mentoring activities that focus on social and financial responsibility, college and career pathways and confidence building. The sessions are formatted so that personal concerns can be addressed and a pool of resources are made, creating a bond among the Achievers, Alumni Achievers and the confreres. Life Coach Tony Magee leads most of the sessions and Confreres step in with their specific expertise to round out the seminars.

Service to the community is a critical component to the development of the Achievers. Each year, the young men work on projects that directly benefit their communities. Over the years, they have assisted in cataloguing priceless artifacts of Black films and theatre, painted homes, worked with women’s shelters and supported good dental health with the Colgate Dental van.

“Protect Your Body”, “Protect Your Freedom”. Maintaining a healthy body is essential to success. In this core workshop, a variety of topics including: sexually transmitted diseases; interactions with law enforcement; and cyberbullying are discussed. This program is coordinated in conjunction with Upward Bound.

The Affair of Honor is the culmination of the Achiever Program. The event will be held at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. At the Affair of Honor, the Achievers are presented to family, friends, and the community, and their accomplishments are celebrated. Achievers who are eligible will be presented with scholarships and/or monetary awards. Alumni Achievers join the new Achievers onstage and together they recite the Achiever Oath.

I am very happy to announce that I have made the Dean’s List at Syracuse University! This semester has been a whirlwind but I am adjusting quite well, especially with everything I learned as an Achiever. I am so grateful for how this program has made me grow as a man. I will endlessly attempt to exude the lessons taught by Coach Tony!

Blake Brewer
What exactly is an Achiever? At the young age of 16 or 17, I surely had no clue. In hindsight, I don’t think I was supposed to understand at the time. However, as I entered adulthood, the lessons instilled in me by way of the Achiever Program came into fruition; lessons that I still carry to this very minute.

When I thought about being an Achiever, I automatically correlated that to wealth – in a way I was right. I am wealthy…however, real wealth doesn’t necessarily have to have a monetary connotation attached to it. Due to this program, I learned that I am wealthy. I am wealthy in spirit, I am wealthy in knowledge, I am wealthy in not compromising my integrity and values, I am wealthy in knowing my self worth and not letting anything stop me from attaining my goals in life. I am wealthy. I am an Achiever.

Besides…I don’t think I’ve been late to a single thing since completing the Achiever Program.

Roderick Mayo
My experience in the Achiever Program was one that ultimately changed my outlook on my future both personally and academically. Though being from and living in the Bay Area hindered my full participation in the program I was still able to utilize the tools I was given from the Achiever Program in almost every aspect of my everyday life. I had to fly down nearly every other week to attend a little more than half the seminars and meetings but those alone have given me necessary tools to not just be successful in my future but to thrive in any situation I’m in.

Without the Achiever Program I could definitely say I would be lacking in key parts of my game. I thank the Achievement Trust, all the Angel City Links and every one of my past and future Achiever brothers for giving me more than I could ever ask for out of this program.

Jonah Adams
The Achiever Program has had a dramatic impact on my life as its helped me transition from a boy to a young man. The pairing of consistently meeting with successful men in my community (confreres) and being around peers with the same focus, drive and desires in life helped me form a sense of responsibility, accountability and overall maturity that has stayed with me to this day.

I found our group sessions especially helpful. Speaking and receiving advice from those who had previously completed their college experience gave me a leg up on the competition. I learned how to stand out with my professors and guidance counsellors as well how to handle myself with new experiences. This is a wonderful program which I feel proud to have been a part of.

Adam Walton