56 | Summer 2018 ALUMNISTORIES Arturo McKie ’03 and Gerard Truesdale ’03 wanted to find a way to give back and make an impact on those in the Greensboro community, a community which gave them both much. Attending Greensboro Day School made Gerard and Arturo understand the importance of attending college and realizing that preparation in high school was the first step to a path of success. Having teachers and role models who instilled quality understanding of the importance of education throughout middle and high school inspired Gerard and Arturo to pass that message to future generations. Now, thriving in their careers, their commitment to community remains intact. As they brainstormed their options of ways to give back, they decided to start with the youth. They wanted to establish a role in the Greensboro community as educational motivators and role models for this community’s future leaders. To do this, they created a measured path to success, which the students in their program follow far beyond the completion of the program. In 2009, Crossroads: Pathways to Success, Inc., was founded as an educational based non-profit developed to help high school males achieve success both inside and outside the classroom. That first year, they started with only four students at James B. Dudley High School. GDS Alumni, Gerard Truesdale ’03 and Arturo McKie ’03 mentor young men in Greensboro to help show them the way. Pay It Forward Every other Saturday for 24 weeks, Crossroads exposes its participants to unique experiences such as formal restaurant dining, etiquette lessons, visits to museums including the International Civil Rights Museum, the Natural Science Center, and the Charlotte Hawkins-Brown Memorial. Each summer, Crossroads holds an empowerment camp where they invite guest speakers such as Duke basketball legend, Gene Banks, David Fraccaro from FaithWorks Ministries, and an etiquette coach, Greg Scott. The theme of last year’s camp was “Leadership and Etiquette, a Key to Success.” This past year, GDS Middle School Director, Barry Davis, spoke to the program’s students. Mr. Davis stated, “At one time or another, we all need someone to support us, teach us, and to give us confidence during challenging times. Arturo and Gerard are two such people. Through their organization, Crossroads: Pathways to Success, they are committed to being the shining light, guiding the way for many young men in the city of Greensboro. You only have to spend a few minutes with them to see how passionate they are about developing these future leaders.” The program includes tutoring, guest speakers, exercise, lunch and conversation. The curriculum focuses on topics related to education, with some of the programming geared to all the students, and some of it tailored to each high-school grade. Freshmen learn communication skills, including effective writing and proper speech, while sophomores learn about preparing for college, and juniors and seniors work on preparing their college applications and obtaining advice on how to be successful in college. Students also volunteer for community-service projects, in part to help build their resumes, and they participate in college tours. In anticipation for the program’s 10th anniversary in 2019, Crossroads is beginning to shift their focus to fundraising and program development. Gerard and Arturo have an ultimate goal of being fixtures in the community in providing young men from all backgrounds the opportunity to experience aspects of quality education. Through measured performance benchmarks and feedback from parents and students, Gerard and Arturo have designed a flexible curriculum that has proven to yield successful results within high school students. They look forward to growing Crossroads in order to reach more students in the Greensboro community. After graduating from UNC Charlotte in 2008, Arturo founded a video surveillance company, Oculus Technology, while working for a healthcare provider. Currently he works as a Litigation Specialist with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Gerard graduated from Morehouse College in 2008 and obtained a Masters in Information Systems and Information Science in 2012. After working at Lenovo in Raleigh, he went to law school and obtained a Juris Doctorate from Elon University in 2017. He currently works at a small law firm in Reidsville. To learn more about Crossroads, please contact Gerard Truesdale’03 at 336-509-0073, gerardtruesdale@gmail.com or by visiting crossroadspts.org