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Young Man Finds Path To Success

Written by Leon B. Crews, FL Sentinel - Monday, 29 September 2008

Kewon Foster is not unlike a lot of young men. He grew up in a single parent home with a brother and sister.

Although Foster’s brother is older, he made some bad decisions in his life, and has been incarcerated a few times.

Despite the distractions, Foster knew he needed to make a critical decision about his life.

“In the summer of 1999 entering my junior year at Leto, my GPA was 1.2. I knew to play football or just to graduate, I needed to attend summer school and night school.”

Foster said he had no direction or male mentoring in his life at that time. He credits his mother, Katherine Dula, with staying on him and telling him it was time for him to step up and decide what he was going to do with the rest of his life.

“I improved my grades at Leto, joined the football team as a senior, and sacrificed the lifestyle that was bringing me down.

“To my surprise as a first time football player, I received a lot of awards as an athlete and a student. The Social Studies Department gave out scholarship awards, and I was fortunate to get one. I also was voted Prom and Homecoming King, and won Leto’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes award.”

Foster said everything was going good, but the real turning point came December 27, 1999 when he became a Christian and gave his life to Jesus Christ.

“I met Tyrone Keys in November, he said he knew about me and some other athletes at Leto. He along with Nate Peoples called us out of class one day, we met in the principal’s office and they talked to us about All Sports and how they could help us if we helped ourselves.”

After the football season, Foster said he got no offers from any colleges.

“That’s when Mr. Keys and Nate Peoples promised us we would go to college if we took their advice.”

Foster made a highlight tape, Keys sent it to Itawamba Junior College in Mississippi, and the school’s football coach, Jay Miller, offered him a scholarship.

“That was the only call I got. I talked to my mom about it, and she was very excited.”

Foster said for the first time in his life, he had to leave his family.

“My wife, Idalmis, was my high school sweetheart, and played a significant role in my life at that time.

“My first year in college was a big learning experience, and I was going to quit football, because it was nothing like what I experienced in high school. Mr. Keys talked to me a lot during that time and encouraged me not to quit. I turned things around and got another scholarship to attend Tennessee Tech University.”

Foster graduated in May of this year with a Master’s degree in Instructional Leadership.

“The religious part of my life began when I was in Mississippi. I realized I was being called into the ministry and I preached my first sermon at the age of 18.

“Last February, I talked to my wife about attending Seminary School, and she thought that was great. I got accepted into MacAfee School of Theology where I will receive my Masters in Divinity.”

Foster preaches at Stevens Street Baptist Church in Tennessee. The church is predominately white, and has a congregation of over 1,500 members.

“The entire experience has been wonderful. Since 2005, I’ve been working with Enterprise Rental Car, and I will start Seminary School in Atlanta August 18th.”

Foster and his wife are now the proud parents of a daughter, Saniah, and they are together in Tennessee.

“If there’s one thing I’ll always remember, it’s Mr. Keys telling me to make sure I share my journey with others.”