“SEI is about helping kids have a positive future…”

Andre Lawrence came from a tough background. His dad was in and out of his life until Andre was in his late teens, and his mom struggled just to get by. Andre joined Self Enhancement Inc. when he was seven years old and found stability and support, making it all the way through graduation from Oregon Institute of Technology.

A turning point came when Andre came to SEI CEO Tony Hopson asking for advice. He was in college full time, held down a job working from 12 to 5 in the morning, and struggled to pay all his bills. Tony helped Andre get through the crunch. Afterwards, he told Andre that it was time for him to start giving back what he had received. “I realized that SEI isn’t just about getting you through — it’s about developing your values, helping kids have a positive future.” He began volunteering at SEI, and this spring Andre joined the SEI staff.

Now Andre gives back to a new generation of seven year olds, helping them catch up to their peers in school, resolve conflicts, and bond with fun experiences, like a game of rock, paper, scissors. He says, “I’ll keep doing whatever they need me to do.”

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