LAUSD brings male students into nationwide mentor program
A mentor adjusts a student’s tie during the induction ceremony for the 5000 Role Models of Excellence program, where nearly 400 young men from across the Los Angeles Unified School District received their first red tie as a symbol of leadership and responsibility.
Photo by Stephen Oduntan
By Stephen Oduntan
Contributing Writer
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — Nearly 400 young men from across the Los Angeles Unified School District have been inducted into the 5000 Role Models of Excellence program, a growing mentorship initiative designed to support male students through academic guidance, leadership development and long-term personal growth.
The ceremony took place Nov. 14 at the Visual and Performing Arts Academy of Crenshaw High School. Outside, rain tapped the pavement, but inside, students in white dress shirts filled the auditorium as Nipsey Hussle’s “Dedication” played — setting a tone of resilience before the program began.
It was the district’s second cohort since Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho launched the initiative last year, with the goal of expanding structured mentorship and leadership opportunities for boys across the district.
LAUSD leaders — including schoo; board member Sherlett Hendy Newbill, Educational Transformation Officer Robert Whitman and Region South Superintendent Andre Spicer — addressed the students and their families, offering messages of encouragement, accountability and support.
“This is an incredible opportunity,” Hendy Newbill said. “I’m excited for the young men who are taking on this challenge of being mentored, because programs like this are necessary for our students. Seventy-six percent of people say mentors are important, but only 37% really go after it. You’re already ahead because you’re choosing to be mentored.”
Whitman connected his remarks to the district’s broader investments in Black student achievement.
“Mentorship gives you a chance to extend your village,” Whitman told the crowd. “None of us get where we need to be alone, and I wouldn’t be standing here today without the mentors who guided me.
“Programs like this give our boys a space where they can be unapologetically themselves — supported, challenged and prepared for what comes next,” he added.
Spicer’s message centered on modeling, responsibility and transformation.
“A mentor is a model,” Spicer said. “When I was growing up, I didn’t have one, and my path was much harder because of it. We want your journey to be different. Commit to listening, commit to learning, and remember that who you are today is not who you’re going to become. You have greatness in your DNA.”
The 5000 Role Models of Excellence program pairs male students with trained mentors throughout the school year. The initiative focuses on college readiness, character development and long-term life skills.
Mentors are expected to meet regularly with students and provide guidance both inside and outside the classroom.
“Programs like this give our boys opportunities they’ve never had,” said Reginald Sample, a veteran LAUSD administrator.
“Young men of color haven’t always had support systems that help them make the best choices. Seeing men in a positive light and being exposed to experiences they might not otherwise have is transformational.”
Shortly after, a video message from U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Florida, founder of the original 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project in Miami, appeared on the auditorium’s large screen.
Wilson congratulated the Los Angeles cohort and spoke about the program’s decades-long mission to guide young men toward leadership, discipline and academic success. Her message underscored the significance of the red tie as a symbol of commitment and the national network of support the inductees were joining.
One by one, rows of students rose from their seats and walked down the aisles to receive their red ties — a signature element of the program symbolizing discipline, responsibility and a commitment to manhood. Mentors lined the front of the auditorium, greeting each young man before looping the tie around his collar and tightening the knot.
Some students stood still with nervous smiles as mentors adjusted their collars; others nodded proudly as the red fabric rested against their shirts. Applause broke out in waves as each group returned to their seats, the auditorium filling with flashes of red that marked the beginning of their formal induction.
One of the inductees, Major Manning, a sixth grader at Thomas A. Edison Middle School, said wearing the tie carried personal weight.
“It makes me very proud,” he said. “Not many people get this opportunity, and my dean chose me to be here. Being part of this program makes my family proud, and I always want to make them proud.
Parents and guardians also attended, many cheering and recording the ceremony as their sons joined the program. Among them was Taniya Simmons, Major Manning’s mother, who said the opportunity represented something rare and meaningful for families in their neighborhood.
“It means a lot,” Simmons said. “A lot of kids in our community don’t always get opportunities like this. I’m grateful my son was chosen, and I know it’s going to open doors for him that many young men never get.”
Major’s father, Jeremy Manning, spoke with a wide smile as he described what the program means to their family.
“It’s an opportunity — a brotherhood,” he said. “We don’t always have access to these kinds of resources. Knowing he has people to guide him and back him up makes me proud.”
As the program wrapped up, speakers thanked families for showing up despite the rain and applauded the young men for how “sharp” they looked in their new ties. Staff then called for a final group photo, urging students to sit up straight and lift their faces toward the lights as Powell prepared the shot.
The moment closed the ceremony on a note of pride and expectation, with leaders reminding the students that their futures were “limitless in opportunities.”
Stephen Oduntan is a freelance writer for Wave Newspapers.
