Pay It Forward: Dequante Shockley of Troy
Dequante Shockley volunteers his spare time and resources for kids in the community.
“He mentors kids, volunteers his time, his own money. He does recreation with them, takes them places, he throws events that are free to the public. Everything counts for him,” said his mom, Zona Shockley.
In fact, the name of his program is called, “Everything Counts.” It aims to encourage kids to keep a positive attitude.
“You know, they start young. The kids are my passion. The kids in those programs, that’s my purpose. I just hope to keep working every day and one day I can have my own program and serve in my purpose. Everything counts, though it is the name of the program, but it’s also a mentality, you know, you got to look at the cup half full,” said Dequante.
Shockley knows first hand what it’s like to have good mentors in his life. After some challenges in high school, his mom sent him to a program to help get discipline in his own life. He was given a chance to turn his life around and even got a football scholarship to go to college.
For all he does for the kids in the community, Stewart Vance of the Vance Law firm is paying it forward to him.
“It couldn’t have come at a better place and a better time because I can go back to work with my head up. Oh, I just thank y’all,” said Dequante.
