Javon Williams
"One thing I know for sure is that if the Club ever shut its doors in my community, I would be lost. The staff there never let me down. They are like family."
- Javon Williams, 2006 Genesis Clubhouse Youth of the Year
Walk into Madison's Genesis Clubhouse any day of the week and you're likely to see Javon Williams doing what he's famous for: helping others. Whether he's teaching budding artists how to papier mache, assisting members with homework or lending a hand to staff in need, Javon is always finding a way to give back to his Clubhouse.
Among Javon's many contributions to Genesis is the creation of the boys dance program. He started the group two years ago, and it has since mushroomed to 30 participants, ages 6 to 18. "It's a way of keeping the kids inside and out of trouble,"says Javon, who lives in the low-income housing complex where Genesis is located. "I never rest. I could be exhausted, but I do it almost everyday for the kids. I call them my little nieces and nephews."
And family is everything to Javon Williams. An aspiring dancer, singer and all-around entertainer, Javon says he's determined to fulfill the promise he made to his late grandmother to "follow his dreams and be the best he can be. "He also considers himself lucky to have the encouragement of his mother and father and the Club's staff – whom he calls "a second set of parents."
While Javon may be busy always helping others, he's found the time to reach the goals he's set for himself as well. A participant in Madison's college-bound program, Project Graduate, he maintains a GPA in the 80's and a commitment to a college education (he has his sites set on Julliard). Every day, Javon is living up to his motto: "Do your best and forget the rest."
"Javon's thought process and actions are wise beyond his years,"says Donna Dickerson, program director at Madison's Genesis and Help I Clubhouses. "Once he has his mind set on a goal, there is no stopping him."