"If we wanted to broaden our horizons, SEI was the place for us...”

Eleven-year-old Terrell Brandon prayed his ball wouldn’t bounce off the rim. There were too many boys and not enough slots - some would stay and some would have to go. The free-throw decided your fate.

“There was so much pressure on that one shot. We were very excited for the first SEI camp. We knew who (SEI leaders) Tony and Ray were, and we knew the competition was going to be the best in the city, but then we found out we were going to get a pair of Nike Trailblazer shoes. That sealed it — that was a huge incentive.”

Terrell made that free-throw and many after it, heading off to the NBA ten years later as a first round draft pick after winning seasons at Grant High School and the University of Oregon. SEI had helped him every step of the way. “It went from those free shoes to learning about music and drama to working on the SATs and earning scholarships.”

Thirteen years with the NBA didn’t make Terrell forget the summers he played with the best competitors Portland had to offer. “Right from the beginning we knew it wasn’t just a camp. It was a program, a continuation of what our parents were already teaching us. SEI taught us that we had to crawl before we could walk, and if we wanted to broaden our horizons, SEI was the place for us.” Now Terrell is a successful entrepreneur, teaching young men who work at and come into his barbershop the values he learned at SEI.

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