What were you doing at the age of 13 years old? Don’t answer that question, but think about it and then consider the actions of this young man in North Texas.

Jhalen Spicer is the young man that decided to use his positive experience and support from his parents to create something for others. That something is a peer-to-peer mentoring group to help children overcome obstacles in their lives.

The newly found organization is called Gen Next 20-20 Peer-to-Peer Mentoring. It has all the elements to be something special. As we know, children are typically apprehensive of adults, but are more open to those around their age and have many similarities as them.

This is what makes the idea of a peer-to-peer mentoring program exciting. Children are mentored by children.

“I started an organization to help mentor underprivileged kids that maybe didn’t have all the same opportunities that we had,” said Spicer.

As you can imagine, his parents are very proud of the young man and wants everyone to know he is a normal kid, just cares about the health and welfare of others.

“We don’t come from a whole line of, you know, money,” said Spicer’s mom, Lakeisha Wilson. “He’s just a normal everyday kid and for him to want to just go and help other kids, his thing that he always tells me is it’s always someone worse off than you; it’s always someone in a worse situation than you.”

Wise beyond his years because that sounds just like life to me.

“I hope that I can create basically a bridge for these kids, you know, because, you know…I want to work with kids that, you know, have potential…but just kind of need that guidance to get to where they want to be,” said Spicer.

Like all great organizations, Gen Next 20-20 Peer-to-Peer Mentoring focuses on children between the ages of 5-12 years old. They also are partnering with Shared Housing of Dallas to assist to help locate children in need and to utilize their resources.

Hats off to you, young Jhalen Spicer for having the courage to start something you believe in and the compassion to do it for others. If this world had more people like you, indeed it would be a better place for everyone.