ORLANDO, Fla. — This week’s Everyday Hero Nick Solomon is working to change lives through his own special nonprofit by giving time and attention to youth when it is needed the most.
It all starts with prayer and the creed a message of courage to begin the afternoon at Evans High School with this group of special young men, Men of Royalty.
What You Need To Know
- Men of Royalty consists of more than 20 students who meet after school at several schools in Orange County. Evans and Bethune Cookman University alum Nick Solomon heads the effort through his nonprofit, King Solomon Foundation.
- The students have the opportunity to take part in community service activities and also learn life skills by way of mentors and other leaders in the community.
- This prevention program is also based at two middle schools and one other high school in Orange County.
The group meets after school and it’s one of the many community programs head up by the King Solomon Foundation, helping to stir young men away from criminal activity and prepare them for a successful future.
“My favorite part is wearing the suit,” K’nai Marshall said.
Marshall is in his first year of the program and the fit has already got him hooked. But it’s more than fashion, he says it’s about making them all better.
“This is one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I’m not going to lie,” he said. “Because it really taught me how to be myself more and push me out of my comfort zone because I was more shy, more closed off.”
And that is what Men of Royalty is all about, taking boys and shaping them into better young men.
Solomon said, “I’ve always had a passion for helping, motivating, and encouraging youth.”
The Evans High and Bethune Cookman graduate is the founder of King Solomon Foundation. He says he started the foundation 18 years ago to help guide youth in Central Florida communities. Men of Royalty help push that mission forward.
“We try to expose them to things that they wouldn’t necessarily be exposed to anything that we feel can help them grow and be successful in life,” Solomon said.
Success is exactly what Evans High School senior Jamal Joseph is striving to achieve. He started in the program years ago, and according to Solomon, he was very shy but has now risen through the ranks, leading Men of Royalty at Evans as president.
“It’s help me step out my comfort zone. It has help me speak to other people, speak to other organizations. Have professional attire and just create a brotherhood here for all these brothers I have a lot of love for,” Joseph said.
It is a love, Solomon says, and he hopes to continue inspiring other young men down the road.
“We have a lot of students who are dealing with a lot of things, you know? So that’s what we are here for to help them navigate through life and deal with those challenges,” Solomon said.
This prevention program is also based at two middle schools and one other high school in Orange County.