Want To Make a Difference? Invest In a Child.

"He who opens a school door, closes a prison." - Victor Hugo

Have you ever been to prison? I have, several times. It was enough to scare me straight. I wish somehow everyone could experience prison. I think we would view life and our actions a lot differently.

Just to set the record straight, my adult league soccer team used to play the prisoners at the federal penitentiary at Shelby Farms. We had a lot of fun playing soccer but it was scary being on the inside even though I knew that once the game ended, I would be on the outside. I felt just like Boov did in the movie Home: "Can I come in to the out now?" Those games versus the prisoners confirmed in me that I was going to be a law abiding citizen and toe the line. I want to do as much good as I possibly can in my community. I don't want anybody going to prison.

I'm not going to quote studies and statistics about the correlation between a education and prison.  I'm just going to quote Victor Hugo again. "He who opens a school door, closes a prison."

Have you ever opened a school? I have and it was the best thing I have done professionally. It was second to none. Wish I could open a school every year. That would be my dream job; traveling around the country opening schools. Now, that's a life well lived. Since that isn't going to happen, I plan to stay right here in Memphis and do the best I can to keep the Jubilee Schools open.

Why am I staying in Memphis to help the Jubilee Schools? Memphis needs me just like it needs you! If you are reading this blog right now, we need your help. I love this city, and Memphis needs more people working to develop and promote excellence in education.

I'm sick and tired of the violence. We cannot watch the news without hearing about another senseless murder. Do you realize how many people were shot in the Mid-South this past weekend from Harbor Town to Southaven to Millington to Fox Meadows? Our neighborhoods are filled with the blue light police cameras. I hate that we need to have them but we need to have them. The busiest people in the city are our men and women in blue. If we give ALL our children an EXCELLENT education, our police officers can slow down and catch their breath.

If education leads to a drop in crime, we should be investing all the money we possibly can in education!

We need every single person in this city investing in education, and I'm not talking about just paying taxes. We need to go above and beyond the tax thing and fully fund every public, charter, private, and religious school in this city to ensure ALL children receive an EXCELLENT education.

As the development director for the Jubilee Schools, my job is to help as many people as possible invest in the children of the Jubilee Schools. The more people invest in the schools, the fewer prisons we need. The more people invest in the schools, the more jobs will come to Memphis. The more people invest in the schools, the better our community becomes.

At the Jubilee Schools, we are always coming up with ways to get people involved and investing in the children. There is no secret to this. You invest in a child and a child succeeds. Invest in a child and prison becomes a non-factor. Don't invest in a child, might as well open another prison.

We have a plethora of ways you can invest in the life of a child to ensure they receive the education necessary to succeed in life.

#GivingTuesday, #Jubileeis4me
http://jubileeschools.org/givingtuesday
Jubilee Schools serve over 1,500 students across nine schools located in urban Memphis areas by supplying low-income students with significant need-based scholarships. This year our goal is to meet the needs of the areas we serve by expanding enrollment capacity; minimizing wait lists and incorporating modern classroom technology to ensure the Jubilee schools have a bright future serving the Memphis community.

10x10 Challenge
http://jubileeschools.org/10x10
It’s time for Jubilee’s second ever 10x10 Challenge. This challenge is for all members of the Jubilee family: faculty, staff, friends, and families! Participating is easy, and prizes will be awarded to the top performing teacher and school. When you invest via the 10x10 Challenge, select a teacher and school you would like to honor.

Jubilee Christmas Card- On Sale Now
http://jubileeschools.org/christmas
When you purchase these Christmas cards designed by our students, you are supporting a child at one of the nine Jubilee Catholic Schools in the Memphis area.

Back to School Appeal
http://jubileeschools.org/invest
The unique mission of the Jubilee Catholic Schools opens doors to students who would not otherwise have the opportunity for a quality faith-based education. If you believe all children have value, unique gifts, and the right to a quality, faith-based education... If you believe in helping those that have less than others... If you believe in Memphis then we invite you to join us.

Blue Streak 1,000 Club
https://bluestreakmemphis.net/1000-club
Make a difference in a child's life by partnering with BlueStreak Scholarship Fund today. The purpose of the 1K Club is to grow our membership and encourage long term annual support and recurring giving throughout donor base. By partnering with Blue Streak, we can continue to provide a Catholic education to Memphis families most in financial need.

If you would like to discuss other ways to help, please feel free to contact me at didier.aur@jso.cdom.org or 901-373-1226

Together, let's make a difference in the life of a child.

God bless you,
Didier Aur
http://didieraur.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/didieraur

Enjoy the Challenge

“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.” - Nate Berkus

From an early age, I learned the importance of being a team player. As a kid, I used to love playing baseball. I played baseball up through my junior high days at Richland Junior High (now White Station Middle School). What I really liked about playing for Richland was that I became the utility fielder. Every game I played a different position, and got the opportunity to play all nine positions. My coach put me where the team needed me most and I enjoyed the challenge.

When I was sixteen, I got a job at The Loft Restaurant. I became the utility worker. One day I was washing dishes, the next I was bussing tables, the next I was grilling steaks. When I turned eighteen, I added bartending to that rotation. I did everything from scrubbing pots and pans to waiting tables. My bosses put me where the team needed me most and I enjoyed the challenge.

 

Fast forward to my career in education. I have become the utility educator. I started off as a P.E. teacher and coach, moved from there to classroom teacher to director of admissions to principal to president back to principal to head of school and now the development director of the Jubilee Schools. My bosses put me where the team needs me most and I still enjoy the challenge.

Call it a sense of adventure or lack of sense; I enjoy doing what I need to do to help the team succeed. The desire to succeed is in my blood not for some sense of pride or an inflated ego. My desire to succeed is for the good of all team members from students to teachers to support staff to our donors.  I have a passion for the Jubilee School and all those involved.

“The challenge of the unknown future is so much more exciting than the stories of the accomplished past.” - Simon Sinek

The Jubilee Schools have an exciting future and a huge challenge ahead of us. Ugly rumors about our future have surfaced over the past year and they are just that; ugly rumors. We have over 1,500 students and roughly 200 staff members in our 9 Jubilee Schools.  We are going nowhere but up. We continue to improve classroom instruction, our test scores continue to rise, and our graduation and college attendance rates are at 99%, and most importantly, we are doing all this in areas of Memphis where children are given little hope for success.

The next challenge is for us to find ways to continue funding our growth. We want to continue building a solid future for our children and our community. We want to give every parent the opportunity to enroll their child(ren) in a Catholic School; to receive an education strong in academics and Christian values, all within a structured and nurturing environment.

As the development director, I not only want to help the students and community, I also want to help donors achieve their philanthropic goals.

In a speech given to the Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce, Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal compared Memphis to other cities such as San Francisco and New York.  In those cities, it is what you can take from those cities.  You are really not making a difference there.  “In Memphis, you can make an impact.”

Memphians are making an impact. Memphis is the 2^nd most philanthropic city in the country and has been for years. Memphians support non-profits of all kinds especially those that help the children.

At the Jubilee Schools, we need your continued support to help our children succeed. Without you investing in our students and their future, the work we do cannot take place. With you, the future becomes that much more exciting. Those who support the Jubilee Schools are passionate about helping the youth of our community in providing them a brighter future. In providing our youth a brighter future, it also helps make our community a better place for all.

My challenge to you is to make an impact. If you currently support the Jubilee Schools; THANK YOU! If you would like to join us in supporting the Jubilee Schools, please accept my challenge in building a brighter future for our students and community. And together, let’s make an impact.

In the words of Conor McGregor, “Why go through life if you're not going to challenge yourself?”

Click Here to SUPPORTthe Jubilee Schools

Click Here to LEARN more about the Jubilee Schools.

Thanks and God bless you,

Didier Aur

Thank You Blue Streak!

Dear Blue Streak Members,

"We know that all things work for the good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

Jubilee School Students

As followers of Christ, we are asked to have faith in God’s plan for us. He is leading us to where He needs us. Following God’s plan is never easy, but when we take the road less traveled, God recognizes our efforts and gives us the strength to persevere.

I want to use this opportunity to simply say thank you for responding to His call in support of those who greatly benefit from your love. Your dedication in making a difference in the lives of the Jubilee students is greatly appreciated.

As you have probably figured out by now, I constantly use quotes to emphasize key ideas and why stop now. This next quote to me perfectly describes the work of the Blue Streak Scholarship Fund.

Pope Francis

“Growth can only occur if we respond to God’s grace through constant acts of love, acts of kindness that become ever more frequent, intense, generous, tender and cheerful.” — Pope Francis

Thank you for being a supporter of Blue Streak.  Thank you for your response to God’s grace through your constant acts of love and kindness. 

St. John Baptist de La Salle

As we rapidly approach Thanksgiving and the season of Advent, let us please continue to respond to God’s grace in support of the children of the Jubilee Schools.

As St. John Baptist de La Salle once said, “Let the way you live be that of the Gospel.”

God bless you and love,

Didier Aur

Click above for more information about the Blue Streak Scholarship Fund

Bringing Us Together Through Golf

Every year, many of us participate in a number of charity golf scrambles. I usually team up with my brothers and some close friends. I like to play golf, but what I really appreciate is spending time on the golf course with my brothers and friends while playing golf. Golf is what brings us together. Any chance I get to participate in a golf scramble, I'll do my best to be there if for no other reason than just to get together with family and friends.

Last week, we hosted the 13th Annual Memphis Catholic/Education That Works Golf Tournament at Irene Golf and Country Club. Instead of playing this year, I had the privilege of driving a beverage and snack cart around the course. I enjoyed it because I got the opportunity to meet everyone who participated in the tournament and to see some good and sometimes comical golf.

We host this event because it is a Fun-Raiser; it is a fun way of raising funds for Memphis Catholic. We need to raise money in order to do the best we can in providing our students the best education possible.

Our sponsors bring in the bulk of the funds raised. We focused this year on bringing in new sponsors to this event instead of soliciting our usual donors. We can drink from the same well too often. Don't want the wells to go dry. We were able to bring in many new sponsors for the tournament plus eight restaurants that provided all the prizes.

The company that probably sponsors more of our events than any other is Greystone. Billy Posey is a proud graduate of Catholic High as well as a Hall of Fame member. Greystone is also a supporter and promoter of the Education That Works program at Memphis Catholic. Every year, four Memphis Catholic students intern at Greystone. Billy and Greystone are improving the lives of many of our students as well is making our community a better place to live. We are all better for having Greystone's support.

Pediatric Dental Group (PDG) is another local business that supports everything we do including the 5K, golf tournament, and Education That Works.  John and Terry Acosta (Terry is a Memphis Catholic graduate) sponsor through PDG and personally. You would be hard pressed to find two nicer people. The Acosta and Aur families have been very close since the 90's with our kids started playing soccer together.

Health Choice has once again stepped up to sponsor our golf tournament. They also sponsored the Memphis Catholic 5K. We are very grateful to Mitch Graves and his team at Health Choice for investing in our students.

Michael and Silvia Hecht have been supporting the Jubilee Schools since 2002 when I was the principal of Holy Names. If there is a Jubilee event, Michael and Silvia are there to help. Wish we all had hearts as big as their's. I have known Michael since our teenage years out on the soccer field.

Neil Heins, owner of Neil's Grille and Bar and a member of the Memphis Catholic Hall of Fame, is always there to support the school be it the 5K, Wings of Jubilee, or golf tournament. He is proud of his alma mater and wants to invest in the future of our students.

Some of our newest sponsors include:

Danny Burke of Crye-Leike Realtors: Danny and I were classmates at CBHS. His father was a member of Catholic High Class of 1950. He sponsored because he wants to pay back the good he received while growing up. We could all use some help and Danny wants to provide the help we sometime need.

John Snyder, Managing Director of SVN/Investec Realty Services: John and I have spent many hours on the soccer field together; John was refereeing and I was getting yellow carded. John currently serves as the president of the Tennessee State Soccer Association and is a member of the East Memphis Rotary Club.



Richard Piretti, Jr of Piretti Home and Garden: Richard is a former student and soccer player of mine at CBHS. It is great seeing him support the education of our students. He is a fantastic young man.

Bryan Shaver, Vice President of Sales for Insurance Consulting Group, Inc.: If there is a Catholic (not just Memphis Catholic) event going on, you will find Bryan there in support. Thanks Bryan for supporting Memphis Catholic and Blue Streak Scholarship Fund.


Dr. Carl Schulter of Dental Implant Aesthetic Center: Dr. Schulter appeared out of the blue to support our golf tournament. We sent him a letter and he said yes. Dr. Schulter could not have been any nicer.

Dr. Bill Terrell of Memphis & Shelby County Pediatric Group: Dr. Terrell is also a member of the Memphis Catholic Hall of Fame. He could not participate in the tournament this year so he decided to sponsor it instead.

We received a special treat this year from Jerry Melton at Principle Toyota. He sponsored three hole-in-ones at the event including the chance to win a brand new Toyota Camry for the person who could sink a hole-in-one on number 4 at Irene. One person came within 10-feet but unfortunately, no one won the car.

Here is a great example of non-profit organizations helping each other. We have four students in the ETW program interning at JA. As a thanks to Memphis Catholic, JA has helped sponsor our golf tournament. We have a great relationship with JA, which will only continue to grow even stronger.

The team prizes for the tournament are all restaurant gift certificates.  We receive great support from the wonderful, hard-working restaurant folks. Our go-to restaurants are Bangkok Alley, Celtic Crossing, and Dino's Grill.

Thara & Dottie (Cull) Burana are owners of Bangkok Alley. Dottie is a graduate of Immaculate Conception. Her brothers are all graduates of Catholic High. Bangkok Alley has supported every Jubilee School event I can think of. They want what's best for the children and our community. My wife and I enjoy their outdoor dining at Brookhaven Circle. Great place to go to relax and unwind.

D.J. & Jamie Naylor are owners of Celtic Crossing. In my opinion, they serve
up the best fish and chips in town. Just like the Buranas, the Naylors support everything we do for the Jubilee Schools. They are very philanthropic folks and great friends to all. If you want to learn more about D.J. and Jamie, listen to them on cityCURRENT radio show. http://citycurrent.com/blogdetails/408/Radio-Show-Celtic-Crossing

Rudy Grisanti, owner of Dino's Grill, is a graduate of Catholic High. Rudy and his son, Mario, help us at all of our events. Mario is also a former student and soccer player of mine at CBHS. Dino's has some of the best lunch specials you will find in Mid-Town. Mario makes the best Tiramisu you'll ever eat!

Edward Cabigao, operating partner and co-owner of Interim, S.O.B. (South of Beale), and Zaka Bowl provided gift certificates from these three restaurants. I'm looking forward to dining at Zaka Bowl because I have not been there yet. Interim and SOB are both awesome restaurants

Our neighbors around the corner from Memphis Catholic, Frank,
Hazel, and Eric Vernon at The Bar-B-Q Shop also provided gift certificates for the winners. You've got to try their barbecue spaghetti but don't wear a white dress shirt when you do. I've made that mistake before. It was worth it.

Scott Smith at Holiday Deli & Ham Co. on Erin Drive also stepped up to support the golf tournament. Most of my planning meetings take place at that location so it was a nice way for Scott to thank us for the business we bring his way.

Our golf tournament not only brought together a lot of golfers but also a lot of local businesses in support of the work we do at Memphis Catholic. It takes a lot of great folks coming together to make our community better. Golf is just one means of bringing us together.

Thank you to all those who supported our 13th Annual Memphis Catholic/Education That Works Golf Tournament. Please support those great folks who support us. Together, our students learn and our community grows.

If you missed out on the tournament but want to support Memphis Catholic and Education that Works, click below to go to our donation page. You are the reason we can offer our students a better tomorrow.

Support Memphis Catholic

God bless you,
Didier Aur

Wings, Wings, and More Wings of Jubilee!

Teams Setting Up for Competition

Nineteen teams competed for the title of Holiest Hot Wings in Memphis at the 2017 Wings of Jubilee.

The Northwestern Mutual team led by Bill Drennan took home the top prize. I have a feeling the good folks at NM are going to enter a few more wings contest now that they have won the Wings of Jubilee. Rumor has it that Drennan is going to cook wings full-time.

Frank & Teddi Niedzwiedz with Team Skrydetka Kurczaka (Polish for chicken wings) came in second.  I noticed Frank eyeing the specialized cookers from some of the other teams (especially the Fat Head BBQ cooker). I believe next year, he will use his engineering and computer skills to design and build his own specialized wing/bbq cooking trailer. That will raise their game a notch or two.

Philip Schulte

Craig Blondis and Central BBQ, the big boys in the competition, came home in third. Who doesn't love Central BBQ wings! Central BBQ had the largest cooking trailer in the competition. Very impressive.

Most importantly, Team Blue Streak (my team), under the guidance of grill master Philip Schulte, took fourth place! Team Blue Streak was so happy not to finish in last place again. Schulte has been perfecting his special dry rub ever since last year's last place finish. He came all the way from Jefferson City, MO to help Blue Streak compete. Wouldn't surprise me if he started bottling his secret dry rub and we see Blue Streak Dry Rub in grocery stores.

Here' a little about each of the competing teams:

Coach/Chef Wood

-Ryan Trimm from Sweet Grass prepared wings with blue cheese. Doesn't get much better than that.

Mike Callahan

-James Shelton, principal at Resurrection, had the hottest wings in the competition. He claims they weren't hot but boy were they ever hot.
-Coach/Chef James Wood, representing Memphis Catholic, claims his wings were so good that they were all consumed before the judges got to sample.
-Mike Callahan was representing the cooking talents of all the Callahans with his secret Purple Haze sauce.
-The Knights of Columbus showed up in full force representing the area Catholics. Amen!
-901Q brought their monster mobile cooker/kitchen (a tiny house on steroids) representing Arlington.

901Q

New Wing Order

-Duncan Williams, led by grill master Kyle Gowen, had the best party area set-up. This wasn't their first rodeo.
-The youngest team to compete was led by Jonathan & Brittany Aur and Dustin & Kelly Jones. Their wings didn't quite make it to the top of the list, but they had the biggest/best party including a game of beer pong. Oh to be young again.
-New Wing Order was one of the new teams competing this year. Don't know much about them except they had the best shirts and banner.
-Mariko and Tiffany Wiley from Riko's Kickin Chicken (they serve up my favorite at their restaurant: Jerk Chicken with a side of broccoli and cheese) made the WOJ their first wings competition. Bet you it won't be their last. Their restaurant is located at 1329 Madison. It is worth the visit.
- Wings of Fire were a first time entry into the Wings of Jubilee. Thank you for your support.
-Neil's Music Room entered a team as well. Neil Heins is a graduate of Memphis Catholic and a fantastic supporter of all things Memphis Catholic.

Riko's Kickin Chicken

-R.J. Young, last year's winner, participated for a second year in a row. They had to defend their title and glad they did so.

Fat Head BBQ

-Wingy Dingy is another two time entry.  We hope to have them as a three time entry next year.
-Fat Head BBQ was the last team to enter the competition. It was great having them participate in the WOJ. I also want a cooker just like theirs.

A special thank you to our main sponsor for the second year in a row, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. We had three new sponsors as well: Christian Brothers High School, Paulo and Jeanne Aur, and Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck. Thank you to all the sponsors for investing in the Jubilee Schools.

Our in-kind sponsors were Little Caesars Pizza Pizza (donated pizzas, of course), Ledbetter Meats (donated hamburgers), Jonathan and Brittany Aur (donated beer for the VIP tent), Central BBQ (donated food for the VIP tent), and Jeremy Park & cityCURRENT (advertised the event). Thanks for helping to make Wings of Jubilee a success.

Bishop Emeritus J. Terry Steib

Everyone was thrilled to see Bishop Emeritus J. Terry Steib. Not only did he make an appearance, he also visited all the tents. Bishop Steib created the vision of the Jubilee Schools and we thank him for his dedication to the students of the Jubilee Schools.

Br. Chris Englert

Br. Chris Englert, president of CBHS, was also present. The Christian Brothers are huge supporters of the Jubilee Schools and sponsor De La Salle at Blessed Sacrament, the Jubilee School in Binghampton. We thank the Christian Brothers for their support and the thousands of volunteer hours CBHS students perform at the Jubilee Schools every year.

None of this would have been possible if it were not for the leadership of Angela Fox. Angela is the director of marketing and events for the Jubilee Schools. The Wings of Jubilee is her brain-child and she works tirelessly to make sure all Jubilee events are a success.  Thank you Angela for your leadership and strength. You have a special touch and I'm thrilled to be able to work with you.

Thank you to the many, many, many volunteers, including the students of Memphis Catholic and Jubilee School staff members, who gave of their time and energy to make this happen. A special shout out to Richard Jones, Lolita Miller, David Justice, Jeff Justice, Joe Fox, Philip Schulte, Mercedes Durham, and Kelley Aur for going above and beyond in setting up, working the event, and breaking down after the event was over. These folks are the super-volunteers we cannot do without. They did the same thing last year at the Wings of Jubilee and earlier this spring at the Tails of Jubilee. These events just don't happen and it takes a lot of effort to make the events fantastic.

We are already working on 2018 Wings of Jubilee. Our goal is to have forty wing teams competing for the title of Holiest Hot Wings in Memphis.

Our next event is the Memphis Catholic/Education That Works Golf Tournament on Friday, September 29th at Greens of Irene with a shotgun start at 8:00 am.  If you are interested in participating, volunteering, or sponsoring, please call me at 901-373-1226 or click on http://www.memphiscatholic.org/news-events/golf/ to sign up.

God bless you,
Didier Aur

Monte Flowers, Memphis Catholic Class of 2008

Senior Portrait

I met this young man last year when he started donating to Memphis Catholic and the Jubilee Schools. I thought it was so cool that this young alum was already giving back to his alma mater to help others receive the same opportunity he received. Even though I had spoken with him several times, I really didn't know much about him besides being a fantastic young man, a graduate of Memphis Catholic, and somehow associated with the Wharton Family.

I like to learn about people, who they are and what makes them tick. I wanted to learn more about Monte Flowers. So, he agreed to be the subject of this blog.

Monte was born in Memphis on July 4, 1989 to Cheryl Flowers and Wilbur Walton. He grew up in a very Catholic family as a member of St. Augustine Parish going to church every Sunday. His grandfather, Walter Flowers, Jr. made sure of it. Monte said that his grandfather was the rock of the family and instrumental in making sure the family attended church. Monte was baptized and received first communion at St. Augustine, and was confirmed at Immaculate Conception.

Life changed for Monte when he joined Boy Scout Troop 143 at St. Augustine. That's when he met Scout Master Ruby Wharton. From that time on, Monte became part of the Wharton Family. From age eleven to thirteen, he spent the summers with the Whartons. Monte believes scouting was essential to his development. He learned to respect himself and his community through this organization. He also developed a special fondness for the Boy Scouts of America as a result.

Starting in 8th grade, he became a member of the Wharton household. AC (former mayor of Memphis) and Ruby Wharton (principal of The Wharton Law Firm) became Monte's parents. They made sure he attended Memphis Catholic, and held the same expectations for Monte as they did Alex, Andre, and AC III; their own biological children.

Ruby Wharton was there to make sure Monte succeeded academically and spiritually. Monte said that the Whartons encouraged him to participate in school and church, and that they were very hands on. His relationship with the Whartons strengthened his faith and desire to participate in activities such as being a member of the parish council at St. Augustine. His sense of duty has been strengthened through the example of the Whartons.

Law School Graduate

Monte graduated from Memphis Catholic in 2008 and was the class salutatorian. He went on to graduate from Hampton University, one of the top historically black universities in the world.  He earned a B.A. in History, a minor in Leadership Studies, and was ranked 10th in his graduating class. He graduated in 2012 and was accepted to the University of Tennessee School of Law in Knoxville. He graduated from law school in 2015. Upon graduation, he was employed through the US Federal Honors Program working with the EEOC. Since May of this year, he has been working at The Wharton Law Firm.

Starting in the 8th grade, Monte attended Memphis Catholic. His first day at Memphis Catholic was during the summer practicing for the upcoming football season. He was nervous about attending a new school and didn't think he would fit in or succeed. The first person he met that day was Devin Walker, another incoming 8th grader. Devin introduced himself to Monte and they have been good friends ever since. Funny how things work out.

Class of 2008

While at Memphis Catholic, Monte was very active participating in football, track, baseball, basketball, Knowledge Bowl, drama club, campus ministry, student government, and a member of the National Honor Society.

"A Life for Others" was his philosophy in high school. As president of Catholic Campus Ministry, he helped to raise funds for disaster relief victims and for annual food drives.

Education That Works program started at Memphis Catholic when Monte was entering his junior year. His first internship was at FedEx Express working in the human resources department. He enjoyed FedEx so much that he asked to return to FedEx Express for his senior year where he interned in the FedEx Express IT department.

Dani Ray Barton, former staff member at Memphis Catholic, had this to say about Monte. "With Monte, from the first time I met him, he had clear and definite plans for his future. With many teenagers, that changes weekly. Not with Monte. He always knew and maintained that target and as we know now, has achieved those goals and more. I also remember the hilarious phone calls we would get from Mrs. Wharton and the mayor because Monte would always manage to forget about some after school activity or event he needed to tell them he was attending."

Deacon Ted Schreck, Director of Education That Works, said this about Monte: "He lolly gagged around the school on his very first day of internship and missed the bus to go to FedEx Express. He was sent home to Mrs. Wharton with a make up day. Beside that event, I was so impressed by his passion for law, for family, for his faith. He would serve on the altar for Mass and carried himself so professionally and with genuine love and passion."

Dawn Rose, English Teacher at Memphis Catholic, said, "He was always polite, helpful, and had a smile on his face. He made friends easily and was always there to help out where needed. He liked a good joke or prank as well."

Monte Flowers is a proud graduate of Memphis Catholic. He is a fantastic young person and models the way we should all be academically, spiritually, and as a member of the community. Everything he has become he attributes to his faith and the Whartons. He said that he could never repay the Wharton Family for what they have done for him. They are his godparents, mentors, and supporters.

Future Lawyer

It is because of the Wharton Family that Monte works so hard to become well educated and to become a lawyer. He sees law and education as mighty tools for helping individuals and groups escape poverty and misery. He wants more for other generations than he initially received himself.

Monte is on a mission to make Memphis a better place for those most in need. Thanks to the Wharton Family, his own hard work, St. Augustine Parish, and Memphis Catholic, Monte Flowers has the ability to be the change he wants to see.

Fun fact about the Flowers Family:
Monte's mother, Cheryl Flowers, is a Memphis Catholic graduate from the Class of '72. His three uncles; Walter, Jr., Ronald, and Paul Flowers are graduates of Fr. Bertrand.

Thank you Monte Flowers for taking the time to share your story.

God bless you,
Didier Aur