Percy Hayles saw boys struggling and said ‘I gotta do something’
By Brianne S. Miers, Talking GOOD, September 11, 2014
Percy Hayles knew that he had something special. On a Saturday morning in Roxbury, Mass., nearly four years ago, he was able to draw nearly 50 area-teenagers away from their beds and video games to learn life management skills.
Percy’s long career in education included a brief stint in the public school system, which he says was long enough to determine that many schools operate as “failure factories”--perpetuating low standards for students, especially students of color, and leaving them ill-prepared for college and careers.
“One young man asked for help emailing a prospective employer,” he recalls, “And he couldn’t communicate professionally. I thought to myself, ‘I gotta do something.’ “
And so he did.
The Young Men’s Success Series (YMSS) engages vulnerable young men from some of Boston’s toughest neighborhoods by offering bi-monthly workshops on topics ranging from money management to community service to “People Skills 101,” as well as mentoring, academic advising, summer job placement services, and field trips to workplaces like Google’s Cambridge campus and MIT labs.
Above all, Percy and YMSS strive to instill in them the skills and qualities they will need for life-long success--like professionalism, leadership, and integrity--that often aren’t taught in schools.
To find workshop speakers, Percy doggedly pursues some of Boston’s most high-profile business, government, and community leaders. He’s secured an impressive roster to date, including Eastern Bank President Robert Rivers, attorney Wayne Budd, and journalist Liz Walker, who each have imparted their “wit and wisdom” on young men with whom many would not have an opportunity to interact in their daily lives.
When YMSS starts back up on Sept. 13, it will feature a new entrepreneurship program and enhanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum. And Percy will continue to serve as mentor, teacher, coach, father figure, and so much more to hundreds of young men (and women too).
The day I interviewed Percy, I had the pleasure of meeting Jahlissa, an incoming senior at Wellesley High School who has spent her summer working with YMSS. She credits Percy with helping her achieve academic success and encouraging her to pursue a career in medicine. He’s also taught her communication skills and how to think positively and make good choices.
“We’re teaching people how to live,” says Percy, “in addition to how to make a living.”
