My Heart for Mentorship
For decades, mentorship has been the heartbeat of my life. My journey began on the streets of Chicago, walking through some of the toughest neighborhoods, including Cabrini Green, sitting with gang members and young men in what many came to call Godly Street Talk. I showed up with honesty, compassion, and a spiritual grounding that allowed real conversations to take place with young people who rarely felt seen. Those street corners became classrooms, and out of that trust the young men started calling me “Revy D,” a name that meant more to me than any title I have ever held.
My mentoring eventually moved into the church, where I transformed an old fellowship hall into a safe and vibrant community space. Every week more than 350 youth came through our doors for basketball, meals, music, and conversations that lifted them up and pushed them to grow. For nearly a decade, that space became a sanctuary where young people felt they belonged and believed their dreams mattered.
My calling also led me behind locked doors. For 18 years I volunteered in Division 10 of Cook County Jail, offering hope, spiritual guidance, and a listening ear to men who longed for a second chance. For 13 years I served at the Juvenile Detention Center, speaking to over 7,000 youth each year on the Victim Impact Panel, helping them face their choices and reconnect with their own worth.
Later, I served as a Restorative Practices Coach, mentoring both staff and students across some of Chicago’s most inner-city schools. My presence became so familiar and trusted that whenever I walked into a hallway or classroom, students would shout, “It’s Mr. Stevens!” with excitement. In those moments I modeled healing, emotional safety, conflict resolution, and the power of seeing people with dignity.
From Cabrini Green to church basements, from jail cells to gym floors, from school hallways to detention centers, I have devoted my life to walking beside the young people and communities the world often overlooks. Mentorship for me has never been a program. It is presence. It is compassion. It is truth. And it is the belief that no soul is beyond redemption.
The Story This Picture Tells
This picture holds a story that lives deep in my heart. Joe walked into my basketball outreach when he was just fifteen, fighting the same pull of the inner city streets that so many young men faced. I have walked with Joe since 1996, watching him grow, stumble, rise, and become the man he is today.
Nathan came into my life in 2005 when his family moved next door to me on Chicago’s west side. From the moment we became neighbors, I stepped into the role of a big brother for him and his older brother, Troy. Nathan was a natural born football player, full of talent and determination. Joe was the same way. So I connected the two of them, and something beautiful happened. The young man I had mentored for years began mentoring another. Joe, who once needed guidance, was now offering it to someone walking the same path he had walked.
Today, Joe is a co-owner of a construction company, and Nathan is a defense coach in the NFL. When I look at this picture, I do not just see faces. I see years of struggle, prayer, laughter, tears, and triumph. I see young men who refused to be defined by their circumstances. I see the blessing of having played even a small part in their journeys.
This picture brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes because it represents what mentorship is supposed to be. One life lifting another. One story inspiring the next. And love passing from generation to generation.