Economists Jacob Burgdorf and Conor Lennon from UofL and Keith Teltser at Georgia State University looked at data from 2009, when Uber was introduced, through 2016, and included UberX’s arrival in 2012.��Their paper signals total alcohol consumption and binge drinking both have risen in the period measured.

“Uber is naturally interesting because it’s this new thing; Jacob has research on beer distributors – he’s a beer industry guy – and I have co-authored a paper with Keith on bourbon and secondary markets for bourbon,” Lennon said, “so we have research on the alcohol industry, so naturally we were curious how does alcohol affect this (ride-sharing) industry.”

According to the research, it was determined that Uber has a larger effect on drinking in areas where public transportation is limited, noting a 17.5-to-21.8% increase in instances of binge drinking in those locales.

The findings also showed that Uber’s arrival coincides with an increase in average drinks, including a 4.9% rise in drinks on a single occasion and a 9% increase in incidences of heavy drinking.

“We were kind of surprised that nobody had focused exactly on this thing; everybody was focused on this secondary thing, which is drunk driving, which is after the fact,” Lennon said. “You have to make sure they’re not drinking more and drinking to excess and causing harm in other ways.

“Nobody had measured the first step.”

Burgdorf, Lennon, and Teltser also used their findings to investigate Uber’s impact on full-service restaurants, on the premise the ride-sharing app would have a positive effect on earnings at establishments serving alcohol. However, they found no significant impact on revenue, further suggesting that Uber is associated with increased consumption at “drinking places” and not full-service restaurants.

“If you go to Uber’s website, it says they’re strongly against drunk driving, and they have these free rides for people who are drunk, but they proudly announce that their busiest times are right around bar-closing time across the country,” Lennon said.

“… If Uber is announcing that, that’s almost telling you what Uber’s role is. It’s smacking you right in the face; the shocking thing is nobody wrote this paper before.”

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UofL freshman Alyssia Leach, however, didn’t grow up with that mindset.

Growing up surrounded by educators, she eagerly looked forward to going to school and learning, knowing its ability to open doors in her future. She also saw, earlier than most, a way she could impact others’ lives if they had that same passion. She taught her sister during the summers when they were both young kids, but it didn’t stop there.

In high school, Leach created an organization at duPont Manual High School that provided teen entrepreneurs a place to connect and share their individual obstacles and successes.

At that time, she learned about and became involved with GripTape, a nonprofit organization that gives youth between the ages of 15-19 the opportunity to apply for financial help to support learning endeavors they wish to pursue, driven by their interests and passions. GripTape grants students up to $500 to learn something new, for example building computers, saving animals or learning new trade skills.

“GripTape has impacted more than 600 students across the country by providing them with funding to change their futures,” Leach said. “Personally, I want to connect with each of these students and share their stories, learn from them and encourage the next person.

Now a member of its Youth Leadership Board, she spoke with the organization’s founder Mark Murphy and rolled out its new podcast, GripTaped, which showcases new challengers and goes in-depth about what they chose and what they’re learning.��

“I think that my love for school is rare, but an important part of my current successes,” Leach said. “I was always the kid who loved going back to school and was known as the teacher’s pet, but it never bothered me because I always reaped the benefits.”

Leach, who is in the process of finishing her first semester of college, already has her future laid out. Currently double majoring in marketing and chemistry, she wants to open her own laboratory where women can create their own makeup, skincare, or hair care products to be distributed in stores.

Leach is working to partner GripTape with the UofL’s College of Business to reactivate the entrepreneurship club and explore funding startups born from the club.

“GripTape’s message motivates me every day to go beyond the work in the classroom and see what else the world has to offer,” she said.��

Leach’s leadership role with GripTape has earned her a keynote speaking opportunity at the in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 25-28, 2020. Her topic will be, “Leading with Learners: Elevating Student Voice in ����ֱ�� Transformation.” 

Prior to her report, with the meeting taking place on Veterans Day, Staff Senate chair John Smith recognized Timothy Dill for his service in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

Following the approval of minutes, Professor Reginald Bruce shared that two new academic programs have been reviewed and discussed, while :

1. Certificate in LGBTQ Health Studies. The program provides undergraduates with certification in knowledge about the unique healthcare needs of LGBTQ populations. An advantage of this program is it would use many resources that are already in place at UofL. It would also be the first undergraduate program of this kind in the country.
2. Certificate in Organizational Change in Higher ����ֱ��. It is aimed at preparing postsecondary instructors and faculty members for professional practice related to understanding and managing organizational change within their institutions and units.
3. Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Management, chaired by Dr. Carl Maertz. It has intended date of implementation in fall 2020. The major provides targeted courses in management, requiring functional knowledge of business disciplines and an internship experience in management.

Gary Becker, director of university parking and transportation services, discussed a construction project set to begin on campus that will affect parking. Construction on New Residence Hall 1, which features approximately 450 traditional-style spaces, will start at the end of the 2019-20 academic year, with an anticipated fall 2021 completion date. It will be located between Miller Hall and the Student Activities Center, the current location of the visitor parking lot for the SAC. The reserved lot behind the Red Barn will be closed to allow for the parking of construction trailers and to provide construction vehicles access to the site.

Upon completion of that building, Threlkeld Hall will be razed at the end of the 2021 academic year. New Residence Hall 2, which also features approximately 450 traditional-style spaces, is set for a fall 2022 completion date, and Miller Hall will be razed at the end of that academic year.

President Bendapudi said the acquisition of the KentuckyOne Health Louisville assets is complete. UofL is trying to respect the legacy of these facilities by keeping part of their names; for example, UofL Health – Peace Hospital, and UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital. More information about the new names is .

“We are trying to be sensitive to the communities we serve,” she said. “We feel good about turning things around.”

Bendapudi noted that Jewish Hospital was losing about $50 million a year. UofL will receive $33 million a year in funding just for being an academic health institution. UofL is also depending on a $50 million loan from the state to help kick the turnaround plan in place.

“The loan is critical to the success of this turnaround. It will provide long-term stability and continued service,” she said.

Bendapudi added that the risks of not acquiring this system would have been significant. Jewish Hospital, for example, gets about 3,000 emergency visits per month. Further, UofL’s renowned transplant program would have to close, about 1,900 jobs would be lost, equating to about $100 million annually in wages, 60 residents would have to be relocated, and there are additional ramifications.

Several hundred employees participated in the inaugural Cards Come Together event, held during Homecoming Week in October. Bendapudi said she hopes this becomes an annual event.

Raise Some L, also held during Homecoming Week, raised a record amount of money – more than $900,000. This compares to the about $300,000 raised last year.

Finally, Bendapudi said the Strategic Plan is in the implementation phase. There are three committees each under the Learn, Work and Invest focus areas, and two additional committees tasked with identifying our thematic charges (e.g. aging) and how to best implement our CARDINAL principles.

Mary Elizabeth Miles, interim associate vice president for human resources, spoke with the group about programs HR has implemented, including HRtalks and HRlistens, focusing on increasing two-way communication with employees. As part of the 2019-22 Strategic Plan, the initiatives focus on personal growth and professional development to become a “Great Place to Work.”

Miles said there was a decision made regarding hourly, non-exempt employees that have to work during winter break and how the university will compensate them. She said HR is working with a consultant to study job titles and roles of staff to determine how positions at UofL align with those at parallel institutions.

Other reports:

Jason Beare provided a report on employee benefits, which is , regarding future topics being discussed.

The Student Government Association noted that 1,800 pounds of food have been collected for the food pantry. It also was mentioned that students staying on campus during break should email Lydia Burns. SGA worked on an initiative about bike safety with UofL’s Police Department.

Smith spoke about the opening of Chick-fil-A on the HSC campus and informed senators about the university’s settlement with John Schnatter for naming rights to Cardinal Stadium, which athletics paid. The rest of his .

Vice chair Andrew Grubb spoke about his involvement with the UofL Athletics Association and reviewing fees both for 300-level College of Business courses as well as online/distance learning classes.

More reports are . The next Staff Senate meeting is Dec. 9 in Chao Auditorium.

While their friends packed bags for glamorous retreats to international destinations or tropical climates, the pair of UofL students and Pi Kappa Phi brothers chose to be part of their fraternity’s long-standing philanthropic initiative, The Ability Experience.

Each summer, members of Pi Kappa Phi trek across the country and participate in one of six nationally-known programs that are part of The Ability Experience, a nonprofit organization aimed at building relationships and empowering people living with disabilities.

Batshoun found one program that captured him immediately, Build America. The six-week-long event focuses on building or repairing accessible amenities for camps, specifically created to give those who have disabilities a summer camp experience.

“My great aunt was paralyzed from the waist down and before she passed away, she worked incredibly hard to push for equality for the community of people with disabilities in Kentucky, including things like the integration of accessible parking,” Batshoun said.

The sophomore from Northern Kentucky first traveled to Boston, where he and his 10-member team spent time bonding and receiving training on how to correctly use power tools. The group visited with and worked with campers in Ohio, Colorado, Arizona and California. At the end of each trip, Batshoun said his team presented a $5,000 grant from the money raised to each camp to aid in future projects.

Of the many memories he’ll carry with him, Batshoun’s time at Colorado Lions Camp stood out in particular. During a project, his team worked on repairing a wheelchair ramp for the girls’ cabin. One day, the only camper in a wheelchair asked Batshoun if he could test the ramp after it was finished.

“The next workday finished and we finally completed the wheelchair ramp, so I waited until after dinner to tell Easton that we finished the ramp and we were ready for him to test it out,” Batshoun recalled. “We walked up to the cabin and he started to go up the ramp. Once he got to the top, he had the brightest, purest smile I had ever seen on his face, and it was at that instant I truly knew the impact that The Ability Experience has.”

Though it’s impossible to predict memories like that, Batshoun said it didn’t take much convincing for him to dedicate his summer to The Ability Experience.

Batshoun’s friend Davin Newsome, also a Pi Kappa Phi member at UofL, worked with Build America in 2017 and convinced him to do it as well.��

“Davin was not wrong at all. Build America was by far the most impactful and memorable seven weeks of my entire life. From the lifelong brothers I spent every waking hour with for seven weeks to the countless amount of lives we impacted along the way, this was without a doubt the summer of a lifetime,” Batshoun, a sophomore, said.

Burgess elected Journey of Hope, a cycling trip in which three teams ride to spread a message of acceptance and understanding for people with disabilities to Washington D.C., with starting destinations in Seattle, San Francisco and Santa Barbara.

Training started May 27, and the team left June 9 from San Francisco to begin their cross-country voyage, with all three teams converging on Capitol Hill.

As the north route’s crew chief, Burgess led a 29-member team on a trip that lasted 63 days. One of their stops included a two-day stint in Grand Island, Nebraska, where Burgess recalls spending “every moment” with people, sharing meals and visiting their workplaces. He said lunch at a park constructed by brothers of Pi Kappa Phi was easily the highlight.

“The two mothers who gave us the tour of the park have been around Journey of Hope and Build America for nearly two decades and so have their kids,” the Lake Mary, Florida, native said. “One of the mothers had a daughter with a disability in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her daughter, because of her disability, always had trouble connecting with people until she met cyclist and brother Jason Tirado. He made a lasting impact on her and her family and stayed active in their lives before he sadly passed away in 2000.

“When my team heard that story, we were all moved to tears because both of the mothers were also getting emotional and you can see how much of an impact he had and what he meant to the people of Grand Island, as well as what Journey of Hope and brothers of Pi Kappa Phi mean to the community.”

Beyond the sentimental impact, the three teams contributed financially, combining to raise more than $600,000 and helping more than 3,000 people.

As much as Batshoun and Burgess know they played a significant role in improving the lives of others, Burgess also realizes how much the program impacted him personally.

“Journey of Hope has made me into a better servant leader and in turn has made me want to become a better man, a better citizen, a better friend, a better brother,” Burgess said. “I will continue to dedicate my time and efforts to helping serve the lives of people with disabilities and continue to give back to my local community wherever I am.”

It’s what makes University of Louisville’s athletics department’s partnership with raiseRED – the largest, on-campus student-led philanthropic campaign that fights to end pediatric cancer – an all-around victory.

The deal centers around a plan called Flight 23, which provides students admission to every home regular season home game for all 23 sports, including football and men’s and women’s basketball, for $10 per month.

Athletics is donating $2 to raiseRED for every Flight 23 member that attends a home football game (up to $10,000 total) and $1 to raiseRED for every member that attends a home men’s basketball game (up to $20,000 total).

can be purchased online through each student’s .

In previous years, athletics has donated a portion of funds for every student season ticket purchase referred by raiseRED, which focuses year-round efforts on supporting research and funding of the UofL Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology.

Last school year, raiseRED fundraised a record $682,483, a figure that could be surpassed with the new partnership.

Though the partnership dates back to at least 2016, last year’s successful single-game initiatives between athletics and raiseRED signaled opportunities for continued growth.

On Jan. 31, Louisville’s women’s basketball welcomed 11-time national champion Connecticut to the KFC Yum! Center for raiseRED Student Night. Head coach Jeff Walz and provost Beth Boehm agreed to donate $10 each to raiseRED for every student in attendance. By the end of the night, the Cardinals knocked off the Huskies and raiseRED was on the receiving end of a $10,000 check. Earlier that year, men’s soccer and athletics marketing teamed up to donate $1,000 to raiseRED in appreciation of the organization helping drive student attendance to the match.

Athletics will continue its student night initiatives with raiseRED during the fall and winter seasons leading up to the Dance Marathon, which is held annually in February.��

“We are very thankful for our partnership with athletics,” said Cole Hetzler, raiseRED’s university outreach coordinator. “It speaks to the community that we have here at UofL, and how we all support each other.”

That was in 1998.

Since then, the internship program has grown to a record-high number of UofL students participating – 51 during the spring 2019 semester. Its growth can be attributed to a few factors, including amplified support from the current administration at UofL.

“UofL actually promotes and gets behind the program and provides us the resources to do it, including connecting us with government relations,” said Jason Gainous, professor of Political Science who has led the FLIP since 2006.

The program exists at other institutions in the state. The difference at UofL, however, is that it includes an actual cohort of people.

“Other internships from other universities stem from students making a connection. We have a structure and an organization, as well as an academic component,” Gainous said. “Our program organizes speakers and has an on-site coordinator (in Frankfort).”

Through this cohort, our students are provided an abundance of opportunities to work – and learn – in a hands-on legislative environment, assisting in functions at varying levels in legislators’ offices. They’re also aided and mentored by Shannon Rickett, UofL’s assistant vice president for government relations (and a UofL alum).

Another point of differentiation for UofL’s program is that it now offers a stipend to participants. This, according to Jasmine Farrier, department chair and Political Science professor, allows for even more opportunities for students.

“It’s not a barrier; the travel, the time, getting lunch in Frankfort,” Farrier said. “We want all students to have this opportunity. Our motto in Political Science is that students build their resumes as they earn their degrees.”

The internship takes place during Kentucky’s legislative session, which is typically January through March. As part of the experience, some students have helped draft legislation, while others have participated in bill research. All of them have had the ability to forge relationships with constituents.

This experience has proven its effectiveness, as numerous former interns are now respected members of the state’s legislative system, including Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens, Senator Gerald Neal and Representative McKenzie Cantrell.

For Tialisha Lumpkin, a 2018 spring participant, the opportunity to intern in Frankfort at the State Capitol led to post-graduate opportunities. Lumpkin currently is an advocacy community organizer for the Catholic Charities of Louisville.

“As an intern, I was able to pull back the curtain on Kentucky politics and, in doing so, I gained immeasurable experience and insight on how Kentucky operates. It was hard work and also fun, from scouting support for legislation to enjoying free legislative lunches,” Lumpkin said.

Smith will maintain his position after winning the three-candidate election, the major action item on the agenda. The 32-year veteran, including eight as a senator, is UofL’s assistant director of Intramural and Recreational Sports. He was first elected in June 2018.

Andrew Grubb, a senior academic coordinator in the University Honors Program, unseated Marian Vasser for the vice chair position.

Grubb graduated from UofL with his bachelor’s degree in 2005 and his master’s in 2007. He returned to Louisville from Connecticut in 2010 in a temporary role before he was hired permanently in May 2011. During his time at UConn, he first experienced the administrative side of higher education when he was voted president of the graduate student senate.

“What I’m hoping for in fulfilling my duties as vice chair is to highlight the contributions of staff on campus, raise the profile of staff, a distinctive class of human who do invaluable things here to make the university work,” Grubb added.

Rhonda Gilliland held on to her role as the secretary-treasurer in a two-person race.

Each candidate had five minutes to share his or her campaign. Once the group for that position finished their presentations, senators were given time to ask questions about their stances on key issues.

In between secretary-treasurer race, director of gift administration and training for advancement, Judy Singleton, presented an update on Quasi Endowment. She mentioned during her time on the floor that the University foundation is putting out a request for proposal for an investment group, as the current unit has gone unchanged for the last 18 years.

Todd Kneale, director of total rewards in human resources, shared an update on health benefits. He is part of a group of consultants across campus focused on building a four-year strategy for health benefits, restricted to medical and prescription drugs. He said the group is benchmarking not only other institutions but also competing organizations.

The meeting wrapped up with senators sharing updates from their various units.

Smith started his report by informing senators that the strip mall, across from Cardinal Towne that previously housed Gray’s Bookstore, has been sold to a developer. The University is in talks with the new owner, who is proposing to build a more than 400-bed student-housing facility on the south side of that property. The developer is aiming to put a major retailer on the north side of the space. Smith said there is no proposed timeline at the moment.

Smith also informed the senators that an RFP is on the market for a craft beer partner, and the beverage would be sold in areas that have high concentrations of UofL alumni.

Following a notice that was sent out previously, Smith reminded those in attendance that Canon agreed to buy out the remaining leases on Xerox equipment and that more than 200 new Canon machines will be delivered to campus in the near future.

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She started attending classes at the University of Louisville in the fall of 2009. A number of obstacles forced her to stop and resume her education twice more over an eight-year span.

Though she could’ve thrown in the towel, already holding a full-time job and no immediate incentive to get her diploma, she went seeking advice on a way to return to college. A conversation and unique program at UofL opened the door for Ballard.

“I found out about the Fresh Start Program in spring of 2016 after talking with one of my advisers,” Ballard said. “The Fresh Start Program gave me the opportunity to start over with my GPA.

“Prior to taking the Fresh Start Program, I was on academic probation and had struggled to do well in my classes. I struggled for a number of reasons, I didn’t have a reliable way to school, I worked third shift and I lacked motivation because I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career. Ultimately, I felt lost.”

Students are eligible for only one Academic Fresh Start, but as part of the program, they can resume their academic careers and request a reset of their cumulative grade-point average. The program has no impact on earned hours.

Ballard restarted her coursework in the fall of 2016, focusing on a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and learning. At times, Ballard, who took advantage of the university’s online learning option, admitted having doubts about completing her degree with the demands of being a full-time employee and a full-time student.

“My best friend of 22 years, Heather Luckett, and my fiancé, Jacob Settle, always encouraged me to keep pursing my dream,” Ballard said. “When I felt like giving up, they both stepped in to give me pep talks and remind me why getting my degree was so important to me. Without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Every milestone, they have been there cheering me on; I couldn’t ask for a better support system.”

On May 11, Ballard was a walking example of success. The Louisville, Kentucky, native strolled across the stage at the KFC Yum! Center, receiving her diploma Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA.

“Getting my degree was always something I had strived for. To me it was a sense of accomplishment,” Ballard said. “I wanted to make everyone in my family proud and have a positive influence on my younger siblings. To me, getting my degree meant more opportunities and success.”

Ballard has dreams of opening more doors. Currently a strategic sourcing specialist at a custom trailer manufacturer, she aspires to further her education, potentially at Louisville.

“Next, I plan on using my degree to obtain a management position within my company,” Ballard said. “In the future I hope to go back to the University of Louisville for my MBA.”

Had Luke Thomas chosen the former, he would be fulfilling a dream that included bringing smiles to kids’ faces through frozen, sugary treats.

Instead, the summer prior to his senior year at the University of Louisville, Thomas was pulled in a different direction – and to an opportunity he couldn’t overlook.

On November 6, 2018, months after building and executing his campaign and balancing that with his schoolwork, Thomas became the youngest elected official in Perry County’s history, winning the District 3 seat on the county council.

While Thomas now is associated with a historical moment, it wasn’t a thought that crossed his mind at that point in his life.

“When I moved home for the summer in 2018, I was helping the local party leader and a couple of candidates with their own campaigns, gearing up for the general election in November,” Thomas said. “Out of what seemed nowhere, I was asked by our party leader if I had ever considered running for office because the party didn’t have anybody running in the county council seat in my district.”

The Tell City, Indiana, native scoffed at the notion at first. After some time and careful reconsideration, he changed his stance, thinking it was the perfect opening to help grow the community where he was born and raised.

Thomas has been active in and passionate about his community since high school, including assisting with the Youth Day of Caring, a one-day event in which volunteers help complete community projects, participating in three mission trips, and serving as an instructor for his high school’s marching band.

“My biggest hesitation about running, considering I was still a student, was time and commitment,” Thomas said. “It was the fall semester of my senior year, which meant I would be preparing my undergraduate thesis proposal, which I heard was a daunting task and was very time consuming.

“As I came to find out, the majority of the campaigning happened on the weekends, so although it was stressful managing school and the campaign, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Thomas believes his education at UofL helped him reach this stage, dating back to one of his first classes in college, English 102, taught by Tim Roberts.

“We had to create a video that explained a concept in a minute, and mine concerned my hometown wanting to build another park when the ones we had were rundown and not well taken care of,” Thomas said. “The theme of the video became ‘Let’s fix what we have, because more isn’t always better.’ It was about wanting to take a step back and do things differently.”

His major, geography, with a concentration in urban and regional analysis, is a perfect fit for his current role in serving his community. The program was designed to prepare students for careers that involve urban planning, transportation, economic development and urban community organization.

Thomas also believes the degree, which he completes this month, has given him the ability to look through a different lens and aided him in his decision-making.

Beyond school, Thomas will dedicate much of his attention to his council term, which ends in 2022, and serving as vice president of the county council. After that, his sights are set on the national level.

“In the long-term, I think of being in either Indianapolis or Washington, D.C., and using my education from UofL and master’s in public policy to work in the political arena,” Thomas said. “I have always loved politics and living in the state or nation’s capital is something I would really like to do.”

In February, the political science major and first-generation college student was one of 22 students in the country invited to the inaugural national gathering of the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance that supports boys and young men of color.

“I was able to meet and speak to President Barack Obama. I shook his hand, looked him in the eye, and told him my name and where I came from,” Brown said.��

A Louisville Youth Voices Against Violence Fellow at the Youth Violence Prevention Research Center, Brown works with researchers, community partners, and community organizations to help reduce violence in West Louisville. He helps design and implement the organization’s social norming campaign.

“I first heard about the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance when my coworker sent me the application and suggested I apply for MBK Rising,” Brown recalled. “I decided to apply because the only requirements were ‘Are you a young man of color?’ or ‘Are you doing exceptional work on behalf of young men of color?,’ and all I had to do was submit a 60-second video highlighting work I do to ensure young men of color thrive.”

The west Louisville native traveled to Oakland, California, where he participated in MBK Rising, a two-day workshop aimed at finding solutions to obstacles and closing opportunity gaps that young men and boys of color face.

As part of his trip, along with engaging with Obama, Brown met with and listened to prominent figures that included NBA star Steph Curry, Grammy-winning singer John Legend, four-time NFL Pro Bowl selection Richard Sherman, and award-winning actor Michael B. Jordan.

“What stood out most to me at the event was the number of young men of color from across the country that attended the event,” Brown, a Martin Luther King Jr. and Porter Scholar, said. “Once I got there, I was able to meet plenty of young men of color that were doing exceptional work in their respective communities whether it revolved around mentorship, violence prevention, speaking, writing (or) music.

“There were so many talented, passionate individuals that I couldn’t help but be inspired.”

Brown said he became involved in the community because of first-hand experience of inequity within the city. He wanted to make a difference and believes that the event strengthened his desire to do just that.

“Being invited to MBK Rising meant that my involvement and dedication to my community is important and necessary,” Brown said. “Having the opportunity to be recognized on a national level meant that I had an opportunity to widen my scope and have an impact on more people’s lives.”

Toward the latter part of the trip, Brown was one of hundreds able to attend and participate in a Town Hall meeting with Obama and Curry.

Though the dialogue and advice resonated with the crowd, it wasn’t Brown’s biggest takeaway from the trip. Rather, it was the continued connections with other attendees.��

“Moving forward, with the young men I’ve met at the end, we have already created an everlasting bond and we continue to stay in touch with each other and raise one another up,” Brown said. “I not only learned valuable lessons on community activism, but most importantly, I learned the importance of mentorship, brotherhood and service. I learned that in order to climb, I must lift as well.

“I will continue to uplift those in my community and am looking forward to more opportunities to grow and connect with individuals wanting to make a difference.”