More Than Football: KJ’s Journey From Mentee to Mentor
- Kut Different
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
Public speaking wasn’t the hardest part for KJ. Regulating his anger was. Learning to trust people was. Believing he could be more than what he saw around him? That was the real test.
Before Kut Different, KJ’s future felt written: play football or get lost trying. That was the only “option” echoed in his neighborhood and for a while, he believed it. But beneath the surface, KJ was battling something deeper.
“I was easy to anger. I’d lash out over little things. That could’ve led me somewhere bad.”
But that’s not who he is anymore.
From Mentee to Junior Mentor
KJ joined Kut Different four years ago. He was young, guarded, and often on edge. But something changed... not overnight, not in one class, but over time.
He learned to pause before reacting
He learned to see opportunity outside of the streets and the field
He learned that his story wasn’t just about overcoming, it was about leading
Today, KJ isn’t just a participant. He’s a junior mentor standing in the same rooms he once sat quietly in, now helping other boys walk a similar path with more clarity than he had at their age.
Shifting the Mindset: Football Isn’t the Only Dream
“All I thought I could be was a football player.”
That line says everything.
KJ’s breakthrough came not on a field, but during an exposure trip to Fort Lauderdale, where Kut Different introduced him to a law firm. He didn’t just tour the building, he earned an internship.
It was his first taste of something bigger:That he could lead, influence, and build a future not just with strength but with strategy.
“That internship showed me there’s more out there. Now I know better. I’m wiser.”
The Strength It Takes to Stay
It’s easy to write off mentorship as “just positive influence.” But KJ is living proof that real mentorship rewrites identities.
He went from isolated to influential.From reactive to responsible.From mentee… to role model.
And that didn’t happen by chance, it happened because someone made space for him.
Now, KJ’s doing the same for others.
What KJ Proves
KJ’s story reminds us:
Anger doesn’t make you broken but it must be guided
Leadership isn’t loud, it’s consistent
Every young man deserves more than just one dream
See KJ’s Full Testimonial
How to Support the Next KJ
Your support builds more than programs, it builds men.
Become a Mentor
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Help us create more journeys like KJ’s. Not just out of football, but toward purpose.
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