May 24, 2011

Lynn Magnum, the At-Promise Mentor Program Coordinator, Department of Community Justice, has known Alex Green for most of his 22 years.  He lived in her community, she was close friends of his family, and he sought her advice on more than one occasion.  She encouraged him to finish school and obtain his diploma at Benson High School.  Later, he struggled with short bouts of homelessness and nearly failed out of a Junior College in California. Then, he turned it all around.  He earned a football scholarship with the University of Hawaii which directly led to him being recruited two years later by the Green Bay Packers.  He returned to Multnomah County, redeemed by his success and anxious to give back.  He immediately called Lynn and asked if he could speak with her youth.

On Wednesday night, May 11th, Lynn Magnum introduced Alex Green as a surprise guest speaker for twelve high-risk young men and their community-based mentors in the At-Promise mentor program.  His messages reinforced the goals of the At-Risk program:

You need people in your life that care about you.  They will tell you the hard stuff.  You need your education.  If you have friends that think education is dumb – lose them. Your past mistakes don’t have to predict your future.     

He stayed and talked for over 45 minutes, answering their frequent questions.  Lynn reports that the group connected with Alex because he was local and he was very open about his past mistakes.  “You don’t need to be perfect to impact a young person’s life.  You just need to give them your time and your ear,” advises Lynn.  Alex Green hopes to also become a mentor for At-Promise.  If you are interested in becoming a mentor for a young person in need, please contact Lynn Magnum at 503-988-3878 ext. 229.