HOMETOWN LIVING AT I TS BEST 73
learned to play on. Even though she died two weeks
before I was born, I feel like I’ve met her in spirit
through that piece of music.”
What could have been stumbling blocks in
Michael’s life became stepping stones that lead him
into positions of leadership in the community. In
the spring of 2017, he joined Alpha Phi Alpha Inc.
Pi Eta Lambda seated in Dublin, Georgia, and Dr.
Jameson Travick was assigned as his mentor. “We
were both in education and had a lot in common,”
said Michael. “He became much more than a
mentor. We became great friends.”
Michael graduated with a Masters in
Curriculum and Instruction in the summer of
2017. Following his completion of the Toombs-
Montgomery Leadership class of 2018-2019, he
was elected to serve on the executive board of the
Toombs-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.
On July 25, 2018, Michael’s biological
mother passed away. During that time, he found
professional counseling an important tool in the
process of his journey forward. “Counseling helped
me see that God had a plan from the beginning
for me,” he said, “which made me appreciate my
biological mother’s decision to let me go. It had to
have been difficult. But I never heard her speak ill
of the aunt who raised me. In a sense, her death
brought healing to me. I was able to look back and
see the sacrifice she made for me.”
Engaging the Community To help keep the community informed about COVID-19, Community Men in Action hosted
over six Zoom and Facebook virtual sessions with information concerning the pandemic. Members from the faith community, health
community, Chamber of Commerce, city government, and education community were all invited to participate. The first segment
engaged over 800 viewers from all over Southeast Georgia.