Moise Honored for Mentoring Area Children

Marvin Moise

By Jayla Wilson
Outlook Writer

Marvin Moise, coordinator of a special mentorship organization for boys from sixth through ninth grades called the Alpha Leadership Program, has been recognized by Bethel Missionary Baptist Church as one of the 2015 Heritage Day Honorees.

Moise said that while it feels great to be recognized by his church home, he really loves what he does with the organization and he is very passionate about it.

“I know that it’s a major need for older males to reach out to younger males especially in the society that we live in today,” Moise said.

Moise, originally from Miami, received his bachelor’s degree in health science at Florida A&M University. He said that growing with his three siblings, two sisters and one brother, he had very strict parents.

His father was very strict but fair and his mother was strict but very nurturing. Moise says that he learned a lot of skills from both his parents that helped as he got older and went off to college.

From his mother, he learned how to cook and clean and to always be responsible. And from his father, he learned things like how a man is supposed to dress – simple skills like how to tie a tie. Moise says that these simple skills are some of the things that he teaches and mentors to his young male students

The Alpha Leadership Program is a program designed to target young African-American males. Through the program the boys are mentored on the importance of becoming successful black leaders in their community.
Students in this program develop and enhance their skills and grades through three regular module sessions: Math/Analytical, Communication, and Leadership. Students compete throughout the sessions with the goal of being awarded scholarship monies to be applied towards their college/technical school education.

Throughout the year, the Alpha Leadership Program reaches out to the Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at Florida A&M University and Iota Delta Chapter at Florida State University to speak and mentor to the students as well.

Brothers of the Alpha Leadership Program posed with the
winning participants of the oratorical contest.

“We bring all those people in to help assist us with preparing the kids and motivate them to do well,” said Moise.

Frantzley Moise, who serves as the Coordinator for the Alpha Millennium Academy, an Alpha program that mentors kids from grades 10th-12th, and is also Marvin’s older brother says that being a part of this program and working alongside his brother has been great.

“We work together as a brotherhood ensuring that our next generation is prepared to handle some of the challenges that they may have to face,” Frantzley said.

James Saylor who has served as the director of education for the Alpha Leadership Program since 1996 has known Moise 10 years.

Saylor says that Moise is dependable, positive and an energetic person who is very dedicated to the program.

“He is very compassionate and he brings out the best in the young men that he teaches. He does it with a smile and great enthusiasm,” Saylor said.

Frantzley went on to say that in the next five years he hopes that the program starts to reach out more to the young men in elementary school.

“When I first joined the program, the initial focus was on middle and high school males,” said Frantzley.

“More and more of our society is showing us that young men in elementary school are now having issues.”
In the next five years, the goal of the program is to not only reach out to the young males in elementary schools but to also expand the number of males who join the program as a whole.

Moise tries to be a role model to the students the best way he can.

“I just continue to be who I am. I try to be upfront and as transparent as I can with them so they can relate to me and I can relate to them as well,” he said.

He added that in the next five years, he hopes that some of the males that he mentored throughout the years would come back and mentor to a younger generation and maybe even become a part of the program.

“It’s good to know that I’m passing some knowledge to them so they would then pass it on to the kids that are coming up behind them,” said Moise.