Past Participants

Testimonials

“The ideal person for Hood Corps is someone who wants to be great, no; they have a need to be great. An ideal Fellow has an understanding of what giving back really means. They want some sort of purpose in their life.” – Dominique Donette, Hood Corps Jr. Fellow Alum

“At first I thought working for Hood Corps would be just like any other job. But it’s not. I love it! I’ve gotten a chance to write and publish articles for the Pipeline and I even spoke in front of several hundred people. Hood Corps pushed me to succeed. Just from my work there I got offered an internship at the Capitol.” – Katy Hagstrum, Hood Corps Intern Alum

“Hood Corps gave me hope. I was so confused after high school—trying to go in so many different directions. If I hadn’t gotten this opportunity, who knows? Maybe I would have gotten tired of junior college or working. I could have been on the streets. I could even be locked up right now or dead. I’m not trying to sound dramatic or anything—I’m being honest.” –Jimmy Haynie, Hood Corps Jr. Fellow Alum

"After two years of college, Hood Corp helped me practically apply all that I had learned in the classroom.  I wrote a business plan, met with investors and was afforded the opportunity to open a barbershop.  The experience made my undergraduate studies more relevant, and prepared me for business school." –Ronnie West, Hood Corps Fellow Alum

“One of the main things I learned is how to conduct myself as a man rather than a young boy…the way I should be. Being in the program shows me that if it’s not hard, it’s not right. There are no shortcuts in life—there’s no easy way out. I chose to do this program because it’s a challenge. Now I’m prepared for anything.” – Charles Hudson, Hood Corps Jr. Fellow Alum

“I feel so happy because I know that I’m helping someone younger than me and they’re learning a lot more.” – Martin Martinez, Hood Corps Intern Alum

“In the beginning, all of us didn’t quite know what we wanted to do with our lives and hadn’t made a valiant effort to be our best. We thought taking a year off from school sounded like we were purposely putting ourselves behind our peers. As it turns out, we ended up ahead of them in many ways because we were given opportunities to explore life, leadership and business skills that will forever keep us ahead of the norm.” –Megan Caldwell-Meeks, Hood Corps Jr. Fellow Alum

Contact information

For more information about Hood Corps,
please contact Torry Winn at twinn@sthope.org or call 916-649-7900