Mentorship helps South Seattle teen pursue his dreams

Teen credits mentorship for life-changing guidance

A teen in South Seattle says without the nonprofit group Urban Family, he would have taken a different path in life.

SEATTLE - Mentorship can be a powerful tool in shaping lives and communities. This was certainly the case for one South Seattle teen who says without Urban Family, a nonprofit filling the gaps, he would have taken a different path.

For Israel Gebremariam, mentorship has made all the difference. Now 19 years old and studying computer science at the University of Washington, Israel reflects on how a nonprofit program helped him stay on track and strive for success.

"I met Paul when I was in fourth grade going into fifth grade. I used to live around here," Gebremariam said. He was drawn to Paul and the group of kids he saw, which led him to join Urban Family.

"It’s really inspiring. They believe in you; they see something in you," Gebremariam added.

Paul Patu and his wife Chantelle, co-founders of Urban Family, played a significant role in Israel’s development.

"Paul and Chantelle used to tell us, ‘You’re going to be a CEO.’ We used to write a book about what we wanted to be," said Gebremariam. "‘You’re going to be a CEO, a director.’ That stuck with me, so I really believed in myself when someone believed in me."

Despite growing up in a challenging environment marred by poverty and violence, Paul and Chantelle’s guidance was a beacon of hope. Entering high school was challenging. His mom feared for his safety.

"They told me to go to Renton because of the neighborhood here. They were scared for me," Gebremariam recalled. "Poverty, violence, struggle, people trying to make it out, people trying to survive."

Gebremariam credits the support he received for helping him avoid negative influences.

"Your environment doesn't dictate who you are or who you’re going to become, and I let it motivate me to become a better person and make it out, instead of holding me down," said Gebremariam.

Urban Family provided a supportive community for Israel and about 40-50 other kids. However, only five persevered in their neighborhood. Israel is a testament to the work Urban Family does, he's part of their 85% success rate and making a difference in teens.

"If they weren’t there, I’d be on a different path, for sure," Gebremariam said.

Gebremariam says the rest of his peers took that different path.

"Five out of 50 [finishing the program] is crazy. They still hit me up," said Gebremariam. "The other path they took is violence, making money the wrong way, scamming, robbing, doing things you shouldn’t do. In their view, they’re just trying to feed their family, but I know there’s a different way of feeding your family."

Tragically, Israel lost a couple of friends to gun violence.

"I have a couple of friends who are in jail right now. It hurts; they’re the same age as me. They still haven't gotten sentenced or a hearing. They call me and tell me to stay out of the way, ‘Don’t do this.’ Hearing it from them tells me not to get into that life," said Gebremariam.

Now, he wants to give back by mentoring younger kids. "I went through some tough patches, some things I want kids not to go through. If I put those mentor shoes on, I can guide the kids to go my direction, to show them the path I went through to get them to do better," said Gebremariam. "There’s always something better out there; just open your eyes. If I hadn’t opened my eyes, I would’ve never gone to school."

Gebremariam is now following in Paul's footsteps.

"My goal and dream now is opening up my own nonprofit and getting into the tech field to help my community," he said.

Reflecting on Israel’s journey, Paul said, "It's a dream come true. Anytime you work with a kid as long as you have with Issy [Israel], they become exactly what you envision every kid would become in the neighborhood. He’s family."

Paul emphasized the importance of investing in communities.

"This community has been through a lot—being undervalued, nothing for years, no real investment for this neighborhood. Public safety issues are always the result of a lack of investment in communities," said Paul. "Building a web of support around kids—the vision of having a neighborhood and community where it's safe for kids to play on the streets, where elders can watch kids play safely—is what inspires me."

Gebremariam is hopeful for the future. "I feel like I'm going in the direction I want to go," he said. "Hopefully, I get my real estate license by the end of the summer." As he continues to strive toward his goals, he remains committed to helping his community and proving that mentorship can truly change lives.