Charles joined a gang when he was 10 years old. By the time he was 15, he had left the gang and was mentoring kids at his neighborhood elementary school, volunteering to clean up graffiti for local businesses, and rallying peers at his high school to drop out of gangs. Charles and his Y.A.G.A. friends are spreading a positive message throughout the Eastside to effectively battle the negative message of gangs, drugs and violence. Charles is an athlete and a good student, and his peers listen when he speaks.

The actions and words of Charles and his friends are making a difference at their high schools and at the middle and elementary schools where they serve as role models.