The world must have looked small to Jesse Bryson, growing up in the low-income Dunbar community in Fort Myers, where his single mom worked multiple jobs and college was not presented as an option.
He made his world big, regardless: 20 years in the U.S. Army, a doctorate, a stint in the White House Communications Agency and a second career as a JROTC instructor at Fort Myers High School where his work won him the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.
He’s also making the world big—no, huge—for local kids whose lives are limited. In 2015, Jesse founded the “I Will” Mentorship Foundation (IWMF), alarmed by a surge in community violence and acutely aware of the need to provide young people with the skills, opportunities and hope that can shatter generational poverty.
IWMF focuses on “E-STEM” education: environment, science, technology, engineering and math. With such training, Jesse says students can land good jobs, whether they pursue college degrees or industry certifications.
IWMF students build robots and electric vehicles and compete against other teens (the robotics team won the 2022 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship). They learn to operate drones and work on fabrication machines. They’re introduced to welding, a trade in high demand. Jesse and his cadre of mentors (all of whom, including Jesse, are unpaid) take students on campus tours, offer SAT and ACT exam preparation, and help with college applications.
The mentoring doesn’t stop when high school ends. IWMF offers young adults training in E-STEM-related trades. “We’re not just an afterschool enrichment program; we become your extended family. No matter how old you get, you can always come back,” Jesse says.
Jesse had left Washington because he felt the tug of home and a longing to give back. He uses another IWMF initiative, the Urban Community Farm in Dunbar, to instill a civic spirit in his young charges. The foundation’s students grow produce to donate to human service organizations. Some adult men also work the farm in exchange for contributions to their children’s college savings accounts. In the process, they learn about nutrition, home gardening and green technology (the garden operates using biofuels, solar panels and hydroponic techniques). While Hurricane Ian destroyed much of the farm and its structures, Jesse is hopeful that they can rebuild. “A root doesn’t have a single stem, it spreads out, and the more the roots spread out, the stronger the plant becomes,” he says. “The stronger the stem becomes rooted in a community, the greater the harvest will be for the community.” —J.R.