D50 After Dark Podcast
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Empowering Leaders for Tomorrow: Victor Johnson’s Mission to Mentor Youth
Highlights
0:00
1:31 – Victor Johnson published a mindset-focused book in 2018 which led to his first paid speaking engagement at Dallas College
2:01 – At Dallas College, Victor mentors men of color in leadership, financial literacy, and communication skills
5:01 – He observes that many young people struggle with communication despite being tech-savvy
11:23 – Victor’s Create Your Future Self Youth Program has mentored over 5,000 young people in the past five years
17:56 – Victor says that the unique selling point to the success of the youth program is to “keep showing up” with consistency.
20:54 – He emphasizes how finding purpose empowers students by giving them a voice and role in “the greater scheme of things”
Summary
In this engaging conversation on D50 After Dark, host Mickey Bennett interviews Victor Johnson about his impactful work mentoring young people. Victor traces his journey from publishing his book “Proven Pathways to Wealth and Happiness” in 2018 to becoming involved with Dallas College’s Male Achievement Program (MAP), which specifically supports men of color in their academic and professional development. He speaks candidly about the unique challenges these young men face, including pressure to appear “tough” and navigate societal barriers.
The discussion evolves to focus on Victor’s Create Your Future Self program, which remarkably adapted during the pandemic from a local Dallas initiative to reach students internationally. Now operating both in-person and online, the program has touched over 5,000 young lives, teaching everything from financial literacy to public speaking skills. Victor emphasizes the importance of genuine connection and consistency in mentoring, noting that “our biggest success… is we just keep showing up.”
Throughout the interview, Victor shares insightful observations about modern youth, particularly their struggle with face-to-face communication despite technological proficiency. He draws an interesting parallel between the predictability of technology and the unpredictable nature of human interaction, using this to explain why many young people need support developing interpersonal skills.
The conversation concludes powerfully with Victor’s perspective on helping students find their purpose and speaking with them rather than down to them. Mickey Bennett’s thoughtful questions and personal reflections, particularly about his own lack of purpose in high school, create a genuine dialogue that shows the potential of mentorship. The interview ends with information about accessing the program through bethevictor.us/ particularly for the summer sessions which are open to students worldwide.
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