The Growing Young Men (G.Y.M.) Program at East Laurens High School received a $1,000 donation from Morris Bank to help grow their mission of building personal character among their student leaders. Members of the Morris Bank staff met with program director, Will Smith, to learn more about the curriculum and to meet with a group of G.Y.M. student representatives. 

“We believe that character education and the development of life skills are vital to helping young men become good citizens and to further strengthen their personal character,” says Will Smith, G.Y.M. Program Director at East Laurens High School. “The G.Y.M. program offers a safe and caring environment to help these students build a foundation for academic growth and development of leadership skills to build the next generation of leaders.” Smith says it’s his passion to see these young men learn and grow to be productive and successful members of our society. 

Part of the program’s requirement is to dress for success. Each young man sports a special G.Y.M. blazer and is taught the basics of tying a tie, communicating professionally, and the proper etiquette for business settings. The program has aided in the academic enhancement of their participants and helps broaden their scope of educational and workforce opportunities after high school graduation. The program ends each year with a jacket ceremony for their graduating seniors and honors their achievements throughout their time in the program. 

Smith says that the support of local community members and businesses like Morris Bank is what allows them to make a stronger impact on their students. This year the program has served over 50 young men in the Laurens County school system, including 30 students at the Crossroads Alternative School. “We are very appreciative of the funding we receive each year from our community sponsors, and we hope to continue to build the program for our next generation.”