Features
Brother 2 Brother
Life experiences, guest speakers and activities geared toward personal growth are all tools used to motivate the Brother to Brother participants to be leaders among their communities. Brother to Brother is a program for minorities to network and hold each other accountable to higher standards. These standards include a minimum 2.0 grade point average (G.P.A), no more than two behavior office referrals and 10 hours of community service.
Brothers that fall short of these requirements are either put on probation or excluded from the fraternity.
Science teacher Bill Proctor is the adviser of the Brother to Brother program and has made it his goal to see every participant graduate high school and pursue furthering their education.
“I enjoy that I can share my time and efforts toward developing each of our members into successful leaders,” Proctor said.
Two years ago Proctor approached Principal Doug Wheeler about establishing a similar program called Boys to Men, and talked to the superintendant about establishing Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) but the program was only for African Americans.
“I wanted to give the opportunity to other minorities,” Proctor said.
The Brother to Brother Program has done conventions at Drake University and Downtown at the district office. They just participated in the I’ll Make Me a World In Iowa motivational conference. On Sundays the group volunteers at Creative Visions by feeding the homeless.
“The kids involved in this program want an alternative from being in gangs or following the normal crowd,” Proctor said.
Junior Lester Mwirichia is a brother in the fraternity who fits the profile of someone looking for a different avenue.
“I like the togetherness and the diversity,” Mwirichia said.
Brother to Brother has helped Mwirichia be a better student. He is afraid of falling behind the requirements so Mwirichia always makes sure he gets his work done.
“Brother to Brother gives me a purpose and a motivation; it makes me want to be somebody,” Mwirichia said.
The program aims to surround the participants with individuals who are motivated and who will hold each other accountable.
Sophomore Osha Whitaker simply states that he is in the program to be successful.
“If I surround myself with people who are successful, then I will become successful. If I have a problem my brothers will help me with anything I need,” Whitaker said.
The sense of brotherhood is important to Whitaker
“It gives them a sense of purpose, it gives them a chance to give to something,” Whitaker said.