SUCCESS STORIES
Deavondre Jones Deavondre Jones witnessed his brother being shot, critically wounded and changed forever. He became his brother’s primary caretaker only to suffer loss again at his brother’s unexpected passing. “Deavondre came to us a very angry eighth-grader,” remarks Bonita Mitchell, founder of Thread of Hope Records, I’m Saving Myself (ISM) program. “But,” she continued, “He loved to dance. When we uncovered that, I knew we could turn this kid around. You see, we are not a music organization. We are a behavioral health organization. We help build self-esteem which can help prevent mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Music and the performing arts are just the vehicles we use to administer our healing. The music is what draws the kids.” Deavondre thrived. He went from being homeless to graduating from a junior college to attending Columbia College in Chicago on a President’s scholarship and representing the student body on Columbia’s board of Trustees. Most impressively, in 2013, he introduced the concept of DanceSpire which mixes performance art and motivational speaking to deliver inspirational messages. Through live performances and online videos, DanceSpire promotes the values of fearlessness, consistency and education. As it states on the homepage of the website, “DanceSpire challenges categorical thinking and believes that any idea, regardless of someone’s age is possible. We just happen to express it in a really cool way.”
Deavondre Jones - High School Staff Thread of Hope Records After-School Programming
Deavondre Jones - College Graduate Thread of Hope Records In-School Programming
18
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software