Braxton Mayhew
Mentored from third grade through high school in the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) of Communities in Schools of Greater Greensboro (CISGG), Braxton Mayhew has met every challenge put before him with courage and determination. Of his long-time mentor Lee Staton, Braxton says his influence was indispensable.
“Lee was a fantastic mentor,” Mayhew says. “I learned a great deal from him that I’ll always remember. To have that type of connection grew me as a person. It shaped who I was.”
Today, Mayhew is thriving as a trailblazer, role model and visionary.
Trailblazer
Mayhew is excelling in his freshman year at Elon University, having earned a full scholarship through the DeJoy-Woś Odyssey Scholars Endowment. In high school, Braxton benefited from a program of the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Woś Family Foundation which provides two years of comprehensive tutoring and exposure to leadership, business and cultural experiences for program participants. By meeting high standards of academic performance and personal achievement, Mayhew earned a full university tuition scholarship that he says changed his life.
“Mr. DeJoy and Ms. Woś provided me with so many opportunities and different kinds of support,” Braxton says. “Even now I can reach out to them. They’ve shown me what it looks like to be both highly successful and focused on helping others. I’ll never be able to thank them enough.”
Role Model
Throughout grade school, middle school and high school Braxton missed only two days of school, becoming an inspiration for others through his personal commitment to education.
“Getting to school every day wasn’t always easy, but I knew missing school would have had significant consequences,” Braxton says. “I never saw the point in giving up.”
Visionary
Looking forward, Mayhew aims to lead in the global film industry and pass forward the support he’s received. A business major at Elon, he envisions being a producer, director and industry leader positioned to help aspiring filmmakers.
“Giving back is my primary goal,” says Braxton. “That’s what I’m focusing on the most.”
CISGG continues to partner with the DeJoy-Woś Foundation to identify promising youth for preparation as potential DeJoy-Woś Odyssey Scholars at Elon University. Three CISGG youth are in the DeJoy-Woś Foundation’s high school-level programming currently.
Learn more about the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Woś Family Foundation at http://louisdejoyandaldonawosfamilyfoundation.com/.
For more information, or to learn more about AAMI, please go to www.cisgg.org. To donate, please click on the link: Donate!