BAY MINETTE, Alabama — From attending ballet performances to working at local events, the 17 members of the new Daphne Kappa League are learning to invest in themselves and their communities.

The Daphne Kappa League is comprised of ninth through 11^th grade students from Baldwin County, Daphne and Spanish Fort high schools. The group is sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and is part of its National Guide Right Program. The fraternity also collaborates with the Baldwin County Board of Education through the office of Drop Out and Prevention.

Advisor Abdoul K. Sanogo said they simply want to offer Kappa League members the opportunities to expand their horizons and open doors of possibilities.

“We want to teach them to invest in themselves,” Sanogo said. “We want to expose them to different things that they have not been exposed to, to be a part of the community that they serve, to be an active participant in the community and not just a by-stander.”

Sanogo said it’s all about helping them to realize their full potential. “We are hoping it will lead to the building of relationships, to acquire some soft skills that are needed, and to fine-tune their leadership qualities. That is what we are all about: developing leaders.”

According to its mission statement, the purpose of the program is training young men for “leadership achievement and service by providing exposure to tangible examples of achievement while cultivating the potential of each of its members in a powerful, personal and intentional way.”

To that end, the League has become entrenched in community service and enrichment opportunities. They have traveled as a group to outings such as the Senior Bowl, Mobile Ballet, Jags games and local church services. They have also volunteered at charity events including the Heritage Junior Women’s Club annual Chili Cook-Off, the Classic 5K sponsored by the SEEDS Foundation and the annual MLK Day Program.

Member Lance Smith said being a part of the organization has definitely had an impact. “I knew if I joined the Kappa League that it would make me a better person in life; not just for myself but for the community and the people around me,” Smith said. “Being in the Kappa League, I've done so much for the community and it makes me and the other members feel like we made a difference in life. Being a part of the League has been a great experience.”

League members enjoy a full calendar of activities and meets each month to talk and plan their next adventures. Sanogo said the adults offer input but the student officers guide the meetings.

“An agenda is created and they follow parliamentary procedures. They look at things in the community they might want to take part in or something that is important to them as youth,” Sanogo said. “We just provide the platform for them and they have to find out how each event is best suited for their platform.”

This spring the group will also embark on a tour of colleges in the New Orleans area. Sanogo said many of these kids would be the first members of their family to attend post-secondary schools and they want to help the students become college or career ready.

“Some of these young men think they may not be college material. They have a lack of belief in themselves and we want to take them to these colleges. Maybe they will see ‘You know what, I can be a candidate here. I can go to school’,” Sanogo said.

One benefit of the Kappa League is the mentoring they receive from men in the sponsoring fraternity. The mentors serve as sounding boards, provide guidance and offer words of encouragement. “It’s not about me, it’s about them,” said Vinson Bradley, who serves as a mentor.

“I just listen to them when they need a listener. I encourage when they need encouraging. I simply say you can rather than you can’t. I hold them accountable for their actions and speak to them about thinking before they act in a manner that is not acceptable,” Bradley said. “We all set goals in life and my hope as a mentor is to help these young men achieve theirs one step at a time.”

Munyai Lawson, who serves as the group’s Historian, said he wanted to join because he knew it would “help me grow up as a great man” and said he has learned a lot from the mentors. “It feels really great to have mentors looking out for us. I feel very warm-hearted about them and I have a great time.”

Bay Minette Mayor Robert A. “Bob” Wills met the Kappa League members during one of its volunteer projects. He had high praise for both the students and the sponsors. “We are proud of the work that the Kappa League is doing. Adult mentoring is probably the most effective way to have a positive impact on the life of a young person,” Wills said. “I applaud both the mentors and the students for their work in bettering themselves and our community.”

The Kappa League is taking some “diamonds in the rough” and polishing them into the leaders they were always meant to become, Sanogo said. “These young men are seeking to invest in themselves, to be more well-rounded individuals and productive citizens in their community. And hopefully, once they come back from college, they can fill a leadership role that is needed in the community.”

Inaugural members of Kappa League are Jamerious Anderson, DeAndre Higgins, Treveiz “Munyai” Lawson, Christopher Robbins, Lance Smith, Tavoris Stanley, and Rashad Yelding, all from BCHS; Kendrick Buskey, Deonte Buskey, Cortez Gonzales, DeAndre Graves, Myles Henderson, Darian Jackson, Davon McMillan, Jalen Mitchell, Jasper Molden from Daphne High; and Terrence Watts, Spanish Fort High.

Officers are Darian Jackson, president; Cortez Gonzales, first vice president; Davon McMillan, second vice president; Jasper Molden, treasurer; Munyai Lawson, historian; and Jalen Mitchell, secretary.

For more information at the Daphne Kappa League, visit its Facebook page or website at daphnekappaleague.org.