BeTempered
BeTempered
BeTempered Episode 57 – From the Sidelines to the Frontlines of Education with Carl Rhinehart lll
What does it mean to run toward the fire instead of away from it?
For Carl Rhinehart III, that question became more than a metaphor—it became a mission. On this powerful episode of the BeTempered Podcast, Carl joins hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr to share his journey from insecurity and adversity to purpose and impact.
Growing up in Muncie, Indiana, Carl’s childhood was shaped by contradictions. He was the youngest of six in a home where love and trauma coexisted. While he faced domestic violence and his father’s struggles with addiction and absence, he was also surrounded by strong women of faith who prayed over him nightly. His father, despite his flaws, never missed a football game and often told him, “You’re going to be the first Black mayor of Muncie.” The tension between affirmation and chaos left Carl wrestling with identity, confidence, and belonging.
Football became both an escape and a proving ground. He admits he only played to please his dad, hating practice with a passion. But during his senior year of college, something changed. He asked himself, “What if I just tuned everything else out and gave it everything I had?” That mental shift changed how he showed up—not just in the game, but in life. He sprinted sideline to sideline, determined to give every ounce of effort. “If I die on this field,” he recalls thinking, “let them say I gave it my all.”
Today, Carl brings that same energy and intentionality into his role as a teacher at Richmond High School and as the founder of Future Achievers, a nonprofit organization focused on mentoring and developing young people in the community. Through birthdays, affirmations, and consistent presence, Carl ensures that every student knows they matter. In some cases, the birthday card he hands them may be the only acknowledgment they receive all year.
In one of the most emotional parts of the episode, Carl shares how the passing of his father in 2019 brought a moment of grace and growth. “How dare I make some of the same mistakes my dad made and still be shown grace—yet I couldn’t extend that same grace to him?” That moment of reflection reshaped Carl’s understanding of forgiveness, legacy, and leadership.
This episode is a powerful reminder that our deepest wounds can become our most profound sources of strength—and that showing up for others, especially youth, doesn’t require perfection, just presence.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a real difference in your community, this conversation is for you.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of the BeTempered Podcast featuring Carl Rhinehart III at:
https://www.betempered.com
🌟 Learn more about mentoring opportunities and the mission behind Carl’s nonprofit, Future Achievers, at:
https://futureachievers.org
Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt. This is my dad, Dan. He owns Catron's Glass.
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Speaker 3:Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, where we explore the art of finding balance in a chaotic world.
Speaker 4:Join us as we delve into insightful conversations, practical tips and inspiring stories to help you navigate life's ups and downs with grace and resilience.
Speaker 3:We're your hosts, Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr. Let's embark on a journey to live our best lives. This is Be Tempered. What's up everybody? Welcome to the Be Tempered podcast, episode number 57. 57? I feel like we just did 56. It's like yeah, like a minute ago.
Speaker 3:Hey, today we're honored to sit down with a man whose life is a living testimony to the idea that service is leadership and that impact starts right where you are. Carl Reinhart III is a husband, a father, a mentor, educator and community builder. A proud graduate of Earlham College with a degree in business and nonprofit management and an MBA to match. Carl has called Richmond, indiana, home since 1999. But more than just planting roots here, carl has poured into his community with a servant's heart and a vision for change.
Speaker 3:From his early work in behavioral mental health with youth and families to his current role as career and technical education teacher at Richmond High School, carl has always believed in lifting others up, especially the next generation. He co-founded Future Achievers, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering local youth with the tools, knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive. He also created CARE and opportunities they need to thrive. He also created CARE Child and Adult Resource and Education to help families overcome systematic challenges and stay connected. Whether he's serving on the board of Natco Credit Union, working as the chief doing officer of the Wayne County CARES, or opening the doors at Oak Park Pentecostals, where he leads the First Impressions team and Emergency Warming Center, carl lives by one simple but powerful belief Everyone deserves the opportunity to be their best self. Carl doesn't just talk about change, he builds it. One relationship, one program, one purpose-filled step at a time. Carl, welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast.
Speaker 5:Man appreciate it, man Appreciate it. Happy to be here, Honored.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we appreciate you taking the time out of your day and out of your summer vacation. You've got your daughter over there joining us and checking in on you, but we appreciate you taking the time to come in and share your story, cause I know it's a powerful one.
Speaker 5:Oh man, my pleasure, my pleasure, I just man hope and pray. Yeah, absolutely that it's, uh, it's, it's, uh, it has an effect, you know, on somebody. Somebody it's benefits, somebody, that's uh. That's the point of it all man For sure.
Speaker 3:every podcast learning about childhood where you grew up. So where did you grow up?
Speaker 5:Grew up in Muncie, indiana. So, and before I get too deep, man, I just I want to give honor to God, you know, for this opportunity. This is a tremendous blessing for me. I believe this podcast is a tremendous blessing for our community and for everyone that gets to hear it. I have just been man, just overjoyed.
Speaker 5:Every time I plug into another episode, whether I'm cutting grass or I'm at the gym, I'm listening to the podcast and hearing these stories, and I believe that this is exactly what people need to hear at this particular time. And so, to see you all doing this work, man, and just to hear the stories of faith and from people that we know but we don't always get to have this conversation and so, and just even you know, coming in here this morning and hearing a little bit of folks' backgrounds, man, it's just, it's powerful to see God moving, and that's the only reason why I'm sitting in this chair, that's the only reason why I do, uh, am able to do what I do is because of of God's grace, and so, um, and any takeaway from today, it's I want people to know that God's grace is enough.
Speaker 3:For sure. Yeah, amen to that, and thank you for saying that. We, you know that's our whole goal is to share these stories because, um, you know, we just did an interview here prior to you showing up, and a lot of people have been through a fire, right, and that's kind of the whole premise of be tempered. But it's amazing to me how almost every person that we interview chooses to go into the fire, which is amazing because, you know, a lot of people are afraid of failure. They're they're afraid of you know what's this person going to think of me? But once they go through those challenges and those those obstacles that come up in their life and they get through them, they're so much stronger for it, Absolutely so. Appreciate you saying that. So back to Muncie, Indiana, yep.
Speaker 5:Yep, muncie, indiana. Yeah, grew up, um there, uh, born and raised, graduated Muncie central high school. Uh, proud bear cat class of 1999. Man grew up with both parents, period of time that my dad wasn't in the home for a little bit. One of six kids from my family, so we got a baby of the group. So that might show itself at some point, so that might show itself at some point some of those characteristics of being the youngest in the family.
Speaker 5:But but, man, as I reflect back, a lot of good times. There were some struggles there, you know for sure. Just like you know, anybody you know dealt with some dysfunction in the home. My dad struggled with alcohol and drugs, and so, again, you know, there's a period of time he wasn't, he wasn't around for a little bit. Abuse, you know, in the home, domestic violence, those type of things you know have seen coming up, you know, but with that there's a lot of good and there was a lot of love. You know as well too, but with that there's a lot of good and there was a lot of love as well too.
Speaker 5:And again, man, just by the grace of God, and as you say, running people that run to the fire and I was thinking, as you were saying that that that's not always easy, and just because people are going to the fire, that doesn't mean they necessarily want to. You know, either I think it just for some people or at least for me it just came to a situation where there's there was just no other way to go. I mean, turning back and going the opposite direction just just really wasn't an option, didn't seem like the right thing to do. So it's to it's to push forward and I would say too, growing up, I've been blessed to be able to see both sides Right, and so I saw the struggles of my dad and others, you know, in the community or in my family, and some of the things that they struggled with but then also had a lot of.
Speaker 5:My mother was, is still, a great woman of faith. My grandmother grandmothers, you know, great women of faith prayed often and over us. I remember my mom coming in, you know, at night and praying over me as a child, you know, making sure that I went to church every Sunday. That was just. There was no negotiation about that. This is what you're going to do. So, you know, for me, coming up, I always had both vantage points right, I always, and just like all of us, but for me especially, god allows us to choose, you know, and so it wasn't always the straight and narrow for me. I went to the right little bit, went to the left and then came back, but again, you know, because of the grace of God and just his goodness, I mean, here I am today and I've got people that you know read beautiful intros and bios like, uh, like you did for me and and have gotten some accolades, but uh, but it's, it's not. It's not me, you know, it's, it's all him.
Speaker 3:So but yeah, that's it. That's amazing because, you're right, there's a lot of people that when they grow up, they've got they've got this guy on this side of their shoulder and this guy on this side of their shoulder and they've got a choice to make, right, and? And we all nobody's perfect right we all make mistakes and you learn from those mistakes, like you said. And, and a lot of times you learn from other people's mistakes, you know, and maybe those are family members and maybe those are friends, maybe maybe that's you, you know, and so, um, you know, thank you for sharing that about your family. So you kind of go through childhood, talk about high school a little bit, because sports became something for you that was impactful, right?
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, I played football, um, ever since football, ever since middle school. You know, I'd say too that the young years, I mean we're trying times. I don't remember a lot of it and I don't know if that's trauma related and just trying to repress some stuff. I don't know if it's. You know, 19, 20 year old activities, you know, kind of taking over and clouding some things. But a lot of my memories are just flashes. You know moments, kind of moments in times, little things here and there.
Speaker 5:But you know, one of the things I do remember is just, you know, growing up, for sure, I just was not sure of myself. You know really who I was or what I was doing, wasn't, didn't have a lot of confidence. I was always a big guy. I was a big kid man. I was too big to play Pop Warner, which was like our peewee football. You know his hub here, but you know, so I remember vividly as a kid in the barbershop. You know that's where I grew up. My dad worked there. My grandparents started it, you know, and I remember my dad made me call the YMCA to see if I could sign up for Pop Warner. So I used the pay phone in the corner and called myself.
Speaker 5:I'm elementary school, I don't even know what age, but young and I remember they asked me how much I weighed and I told them and they said no, you can't play, you're too big. They said you might fall on somebody and hurt them. So you know other guys that I came up playing with. They got to play, you know, but I didn't. I had to wait till middle school. So so yeah, it started in middle school. Man had a, had a great time, enjoyed it in the sense that you know, middle school we were very successful, I can proudly say Northside Titans, our seventh grade year we went undefeated and unscored on, oh, wow. And then, eighth grade year, we came back and went undefeated, wow. And then some years back, here I went, I was at the high school, I think it's 21. I made it to the middle school and they've got a football that has that commemorated on it in a trophy case. There was there in the lobby. So that was kind of cool, that's really cool.
Speaker 3:That's pretty cool. Do you remember when you made that phone? You obviously remember making the phone call. Do you remember how it made you feel?
Speaker 5:Oh, man, just less than, and just you know, because I didn't know, you know my size. I didn't pay any attention or realize I just ate. You know, I guess what was there. I didn't pay any attention or realize I just ate. You know, I guess what was there. And I remember, yeah, pleading with him on the phone like hey, ok, like, like, please, let me play, I can lose the weight, I'll lose the weight. But they were like no, no.
Speaker 5:The other thing in that I think that's important to my story is that I started out playing football because my dad played, and so my dad played high school football. He played a year of college at Ball State, but didn't finish, or at least attended but didn't finish. But I remember hearing his football stories all the time, all the time and guys would come in the barbershop man and he'd be telling these stories and they would co-sign him and talk just about how mean he was. And we, I remember watching football games with my dad and and it was, it was like he was in the game. I mean, next thing, you know, he'd jump up and he's going through different moves and here this is how you forearm shiver.
Speaker 1:He's punching walls and all kinds of stuff. I'm like what the heck.
Speaker 5:So so he was. You know he was into it and I had the size right and so I was big. So I'm like shoot you get, you know, you got to do something. You know, um, and I'm from type of family angle just sit around, you know, and do nothing. So, uh, you know, put this size to good use. And so football, you know, football was it? So um, but yeah, so, so I think you know it set me back a little bit, you know, because I wasn't 100 percent set on it at first. I was just kind of walk again. I mean this is I had never played. You know pop war. And then going into middle school, and then I hear this from somebody and then you know the pressure of my dad and feeling like I'm letting him down if I don't get to play, if I'm not able to play, you know and kind of what that means. Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, you know we coach youth sports and and you know so many kids well, even if you watch the high school, kids lack confidence. You know and, and you know I can't imagine being a kid making a phone call to I think I want to play football cause my dad did, and then they'd say, no, you're too big. You know and and how that would make you feel and what that would do to your confidence. But sounds like you were able to persevere through that. And then you guys kick some button and middle school and so you get through middle school. Were there any coaches along the way there that that really helped to influence you?
Speaker 5:in those young years, the way there that really helped to influence you in those young years. Oh man, you would say that. Oh man, coach Frank was our middle school coach and I can almost see him. He passed away, I believe, and man, but this is just, and I don't even know how old Coach was when we played man, but this guy was just tall and stocky and just well put together man, but he was just a great guy. And our assistant coach, I want to say Springer, comes to mind. Somebody's going to have to fact check me on this, but Springer is what's coming to mind. I hope that's his name.
Speaker 5:Apologize for forgetting, but again, just two great guys. I mean that really, I think, you know, really encouraged us and had great attitudes on the field, and we're just great guys you know to be around. And one thing I'll say too you mentioned, you know, players lacking confidence. You know I came from up in a time or from you know. I realize now that some of what I experienced, the negative I experienced, you know I was such that like for my dad, for instance, I mean he didn't grow up the greatest either, you know. And so some of what probably I received, or some of what kids are receiving is what's been passed down, and so I've learned this over the years and I even ask you know kids that I work with now, or tell them this when I work with them now, like hey, over the years. And I even ask you know kids that I work with now, or tell them this when I work with them now, like hey, if you feel like your parents or somebody in your life, an adult, is mistreating you or disrespecting you or being mean to you, imagine, can you imagine, like, what their childhood was like, who was there for them, who loved on them? You know, I mean, I remember, you know things like you know my dad, um, you know, saying coming up, you know, when he was a kid, like nobody ever told him they loved him. You know, and so that you know, and, and to hear him when he said that, like you can look at his face and you can see the pain or the struggle of what that you know going through. You don't, maybe you don't realize it, but later on in life you're like man, that that would have really meant something. You know, no, I never got that, and so I think that's important for us to remember and I think, too, with that.
Speaker 5:We have to speak life, you know, to people and I'm learning this with my own, with my own kids and with my daughter, who's sitting out outside the studio, and I've got two other two boys behind her. But I have to get better at speaking life to them, encouraging them as they struggle and, at seven years old, you know, having a hard time instead of saying all the time why don't you do this right? Why couldn't you do that right? Why are you upsetting me, you're hurting me, you're this, you're that man. I got to change it and say, hey, you know, why are you doing this? Because you're better than this, you know. You're a leader, you're important, you're loved. You're not supposed to behave, you know, in this way. I know you can do better. I'm proud of you. I want to see we're going to have a great day today, you know, and sometimes I think that takes energy. Yeah, you know, to do, you have to and in the classroom I've experienced this as well too Like that takes effort, you know, and energy.
Speaker 5:That sometimes, for you know, we don't feel like we have it to give right.
Speaker 5:And then again, thinking back, and I'm thinking of a whole generation of people who just came up the hard way, came up in hard times, and you're working a job trying to make ends meet. Ends aren't quite meeting. You've got these other struggles, you've got habits that you're dealing with. You just have life bearing down on you and you need or these souls in your home need this positivity from you, and you feel like you don't have it to give. There's just so much stress there's. There's your childhood trauma that you never overcame. You know that's that's affecting you as well too, and so, unfortunately, at that moment, you know you don't, you don't really have it to give. And so for me and I'll come back to this probably later, but that's where grace comes in, and for me, that's what I've learned is to extend this grace to people, to say, hey, I get it, and we're not excusing it or saying that it's okay, but we're saying that, man, I understand, you know, and I can empathize, you know, with it as well too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so important, and I think not only when you change how you say things to kids, but I think it's very important to be intentional, Absolutely. And how you say it, you know, don't just, don't just be encouraging, like truly mean it, like look them in the eyes and say, hey, you were born to do something great. So what are you going to do today to help to get you to the, to where you, where I know you can go and be intentional when you say that, because the kids are watching. You know if you've, if you're saying that while you're looking on your phone that's not being intentional, right so?
Speaker 3:I think that's important for all parents, for all leaders, for all coaches uh, anybody out there working with our youth and even as adults, right, I mean we all, we all struggle. You know we have good days and bad days, and so it's important to have those conversations and and be encouraging. So that's, that's a great message, man. For sure, for sure. So you, you're in high school. Talk about high school a little bit, yeah.
Speaker 5:High school, again one of those. But, man, I just the flash is here and there of high school, unfortunately, um struggled, I think, again with confidence issues. You know size, and I grew up in a strict home as well, so I didn't get to do a lot of things that other students, other young people, got to do, my friends got to do, you know. They'd go to parties or they'd hang out, you know, at night and things like that, and that just was not happening in the Reinhardt home. That kind of stuff was not allowed. So so I was a little, you know, disconnected. School, though, was my safe space, school was, although I didn't lock in on the books like I should have and could have. School is is where I felt safe home. Home was not it, unfortunately, and so, and even definitely like in elementary school years, man, I couldn't wait to get to school to be able to get away from and just get a break from some of the drama that was going on outside. But you know, looking back, it's funny. I was thinking about this man. Some years back I came across my yearbook from high school, my senior yearbook, and I'm reading, looking through the pages, man, and then you know, back then you know, we used to have, you know, our friends and everything, sign our yearbook and they, you know, all day, and I'm looking at it and I'm like man, I had quite a few signatures. You know, in this funny story I remember one time I think I looked, I was wondering like I wonder if she could still got this number, yeah, so I mean. So, looking back again, I mean so, you know, even though I didn't realize it in the moment, I could, yeah, it was there. You know I had people, you know, that cared about me and and friends and especially on the football team and guys that I played with and are cool to this day. If I was to see them we don't keep in touch, but if I was to see them, I know right now we'd shake up and embrace and how you doing, how's the family, this, that and the other, and that's awesome.
Speaker 5:We didn't win as much on the field as we had hoped to. And again, football, although it was tough for me again because I still played for my dad. It was a lot of him kind of pushing and talking it up, and so that's why I was really there. I hated football practice with a passion. I didn't like the sweat. So why are you playing a sport and you don't like to sweat, right? But no, I mean I just it. Just I just did not like that, right, it just got on my nerves, it was a pain and so.
Speaker 5:But what I've learned through this, and you know, it's about attitude and about how you approach thing and about and about your thoughts and how it has and the power that it has. And since then I've learned to overcome that and to change my thinking and to change my attitude. Because what I didn't know either, I see, I didn't know really how good I was or how good I could be as well too. And this question kind of got posed to me and I said the reason why is because sometimes you know, in the same breath or in the same conversation, I would get talked up but kind of getting torn down at the same time, and so and I can see that you know, with kids and with my kids, you know as well too. Again, how are you talking to them and being intentional, like what is your purpose? If I'm trying to build you up and let me build you up and let that be the conversation, but oftentimes I felt like there.
Speaker 5:I mean we would have games and we didn't win, you know. But during the game, or at a halftime or right at the end, you know my dad would come in hey, man, good, did a great job, man Y'all lost. Man, you played hard, you did great. Man, y'all had a loss, but man, you played hard, you did great. Well, then, by the time we get home and unfortunately you know he had a few more drinks, you know, then it was man, you know he'd talk about the loss and how bad that was.
Speaker 5:And I would just remember, just sitting there, they're standing, actually he's sitting down. I'm standing there and I'm listening to this and I'm in my head, I'm thinking what the heck is going on. Did I do good or did I not? Was this a good experience or was it not? Like I'm so confused right now, and so that was. That was hard, you know. But again, you know he tried. I mean, he wouldn't, man. I think about the movie Rocky, love, love that movie. It's one of the greatest ever inspirational movies. And I felt like Rocky sometimes when my dad would wake me up at six o'clock in the morning and be like let's go, we're going for a run, and I'm like what? Six am.
Speaker 5:I don't want to go for a run, I don't want to run, like I don't like running, but you know he'd get me up and man, and you know again, there was moments you know he would try but yeah, and so the confidence issue was a challenge, you know, for me, you know in high school, but definitely some good times Should have got involved in more things than what I did. I played in the band, played saxophone and was pretty decent. Played saxophone and was pretty decent. There again could have been better, but just didn't really know. You know how good I was in the moment and that right coaching and training and opportunities, you know are key as well too. And so, you know, felt like sometimes didn't quite have enough of that to really help me to really lock in and devote myself like I should have.
Speaker 3:Well, I think you made an important point there that I don't even know that you know you made where you talked about. You know how you'd come off the field and your dad would praise you and tell you how good you did, and then you know you get home after you had a couple of drinks and it would switch. I hope that there's parents out there because, again, we coach you sports and we see it where you can tell if a kid has struggled during the game or we lost. The first thing the parents doing is why'd you do this, why'd you do that, why'd you make that pass? Why didn't you shoot this or do that? Or what coach tell you to do here? What?
Speaker 5:you don't need any of that.
Speaker 3:Just be encouraging to those kids. You know, in our case we're talking about fourth graders. Yeah, you know talking about fifth graders, sixth graders. These kids just want to have fun. Yeah, it's okay to push them and and to try to encourage them to be better and and show them how to work and to do things. But, man, after the game, just be encouraging you know, hey, you did a great job.
Speaker 3:I'm proud of you. Can't wait to see what you do next week. Yeah, and so that's important because it's conflicting, right, and that's where, again, confidence is a huge thing for these young kids. And and look at where your confidence was. And if it would have been different if that second half of your dad wouldn't have came out and said, you know, started questioning things indifferent, if that second half of your dad wouldn't have came out and said, you know, started questioning things, um, maybe you'd have pushed a little harder. Maybe, you know you, you could have, could have been more than what you were, um, so that's an important point, yeah, yeah sure, absolutely.
Speaker 5:And I again, I think, the intentionality of things you know. So if, if you want them to be better, you know, provide those, you know, try to provide those opportunities, you know, be there for them. You know as well A lot, you know for me. You know a lot I did on my own, and it's a good thing. I mean you want to teach your kids to be independent, you want to teach them to be responsible, you want to teach them how to communicate, you know. But you know making that phone call, you know.
Speaker 5:As an elementary school student, you know elementary age and having to navigate those emotions, you know, on my own, I signed up for camps, you know. After that, you know, on my own, whereas, you know, other kids were going to these big name camps. They knew about them. You know I went to the local camps, I went to the free camps, you know, because that's what our means would allow us, you know, to afford, or that's all I knew about. I didn't have transportation, I couldn't get to, you know. And dad worked, I mean dad worked, you know he was a barber. My childhood Worked in a factory before that, and so you know, I mean so he had his responsibilities, you know. But I mean for him to answer. I guess really, you know, could he have done more, could have done it differently, but again, I'm not bashing him at all and love my dad and appreciate what he was able to do, you know, because I think that's the key. I mean, I think he did what he was able to do, I think he did what he knew to do and, to be quite honest and I've told this to kids too I think my dad probably did more for me than what his dad did for him or was able to do for him. And so, although we feel like in the moment, we feel beat down, we feel like, you know this, it's not getting any better. You know it actually is, and with every generation, and so I'm going to be able to do more, you know, you know for my kids, and so I'm going to be able to do more, you know, you know for my kids, as long as I stay, you know, on the right path and be intentional and learn from these things, and that's something that's key for me.
Speaker 5:I remember my grandma, my dad's mom and she is a man, she was a handful said what she meant and meant what she said, right or wrong. She was a handful, said what she meant and meant what she said, right or wrong. But I always remember talking to her or sometimes and complaining about my dad and just telling grandma man, dad did this and dad did that. And she'd tell me hey, wait a minute, hold up. First thing she says that's my son. You know you ain't gonna talk about my son like that. And then, second, you know I'd be like well, when I get old, I'm not going to do this, I'm not going to do that. She said well, you be careful. Saying what you're not going to do, she said that'll be the very thing you end up doing. And she was not lying.
Speaker 5:And so you know, one of my struggles later in life is that I had this moment where I looked at myself in the mirror and I said the person that my dad was and all the things that I said I didn't like about him. I ended up following in those same footsteps and the problem is is because when you have that wrong attitude and you've got that wrong mindset, you focus on the negative and all you're doing is you're pointing the finger at that person and you're looking. Well, you shouldn't do that and you shouldn't do this, and this is bad and it's bad, but you don't take any time to learn. Ok, then, what's on the other side of that coin? No-transcript muscle memory kind of that you have, and that's you know what you end up doing until, hopefully, you wake up and realize you're in the wrong spot and then so you then start this journey of self-discovery to chart a new path for yourself.
Speaker 4:That's all I was about to say. The self-discovery, self-reflection type thing, cause you know you think about it. I know you said your dad wasn't there for a little while but let's say 15, 14 years of your life. If he was there, that's 14 years that you were sitting there and that's what you saw. That's, that's what's in your mind, that's how you know you react. So if you don't have that self-reflection, you know you're just going to turn into it absolutely.
Speaker 5:Oh, and right or wrong I mean right or wrong I know my dad. If my dad wasn't there, oh man, I had to try to run all over my mom right now. She, she was no pushover, she, she had some moments where she switch flipped in her and she went from nice sweet church mom, sunday school teacher to, oh my God, I'm terrified of this other person. I'm not going to cross her. But yeah, he provided. He provided all the structure you know, in the home, a lot of the discipline, you know, but, but he kept me, you know, in the straight and narrow and a lot of that was, you know, to. His message was I don't want you to make the same mistakes that I did, and that's the right thing to say. You know, I don't, I don't want you to go down the same path that I did. And even in the midst of of some of his, you know, darkest moments, it's like you see what I'm doing, you're not going to do this same thing. And that's one thing that I relish about him and about his character and what he did for me and what, as we talk about other kids, maybe, what they're not getting, I mean adults, parents. We make mistakes. We have our own issues, our demons, our habits, but we have to be telling our kids you are going to be better than me, You're not going to make the same mistakes that I made. Instead of, I think sometimes what we have is we have adults that are looking at kids and tell them hey, I'm not anything important, I didn't make it in life and so you're not going to make it either. You're not going to go far. And that was not my dad at all. Uh, man, he, he talked me up. Uh, I had a moment he used to tell me when I was as a kid and, you know, even older, he's like, man, you're gonna be the first black mayor of Muncie. That's what he kept telling me. You'll be the first black mayor of Muncie. And I'm like whatever, whatever, you know and you know. And then I had a moment I ran for city council in 2024. And so I thought, man, and I cried and I thank God. I was like because I didn't win. I said, but had I have won? You know, dad, talking that up, and I could have done that, I didn't make it. Not the first black mayor of Muncie, but hey, I'm on city council, you know, or who knows, you know, maybe I'll be the first black mayor at Richmond. I don't know, you know.
Speaker 5:But but just in in, in realizing you know what that positivity does for the soul and for me, I had to unlock that part of my brain. I had to unlock those memories and soak that up and kind of and close off the negative, uh, memories that tried to flood me and keep me bound up. Because that man, man, he spoke life to me a lot of times as well too. He used to teach me or he used to tell me. He said, man, reach for the stars, he said, because even if you miss, or excuse me, he said reach for the moon, I apologize, reach for the moon, he said, because even if you miss, you'll still be amongst the stars, you know. And then, um and crazy, I heard, I believe I heard Les Brown say the same thing. So Les Brown is a motivational speaker. Um, and and, and I believe he said the same thing, uh, and I'm like, well, wait a minute.
Speaker 5:My dad said that. How did he know that? Where did he get that from? Like he didn't make that up, you know himself. Um, you know, he had to hear that somewhere. I'll say my dad too. He used to joke and say he couldn't read or write. He said that you know he just you know he didn't do well in school, wasn't very smart this or that the other. But my dad had a library in our house and so, like that was his office, we had a den and it had a bookshelf and he had books those are his books all on the shelf. And so as I got, I got older, I'm talking to myself dad, wait a minute, you can't read or write. What are you doing all these books? You know?
Speaker 5:and he would sit and he had a desk and he would open up the Bible and he would have the Bible there and he would read it from time to time and he would have highlights. And so I'm thinking like dad, nah, you know, you are more than what you think, you know, even for him. Maybe he struggled with some self-confidence issues. You know, have no idea. But, dad, a person that can't read or write shouldn't have a library in their house. You know, they shouldn't value books, you know.
Speaker 5:But he did, and I know for me too. He created other opportunities for me. Where he could. He would trade haircuts for services for me. So I remember he got me tutoring from a Ball State professor. He met him at the barbershop. Guy came in for a haircut. He starts talking to him. Guys like, yeah, I'm a phd, blah, blah, whatever. Dad be like, all right, my son's at home. But you know, uh, man, can you, can you help him out? Yeah, so dad would trade. He would give him free haircuts if the guy would come and tutor me or would show me things like he, you know, show me how to use a computer. You know, back in the day before they were really, you know, really hitting, and then we had the tech that we have now. So, um, those things I remember as well too is how he did try. He did his best to give me what he could, and he used the tools at his disposal to try to make a way for me.
Speaker 3:Yeah that's awesome, that's great, great advice that he did give you and lots of lessons learned for sure. So you get through high school. What's next for you? So?
Speaker 5:high school, come here to Richmond, attend Earlham College to play football. At this point in time, football was it? That's all I knew, really, because, again, I didn't lock in like I should have in school. I didn't make the worst grades, but I didn't make the best grades either. I didn't do as well as I could have. I didn't make the worst grades, but I didn't make the best grades either. I didn't do as well as I could have.
Speaker 5:So again, I'm still in the mindset of now I'm 18. I got to get out of the house. Man, I cannot stay in this house. I know if I stay in Muncie, even if I go to Ball State, my dad's going to try to talk me into staying at home. He's going to tell me all over, you know you stay here. Nope, not spend another day in this house. Got to go. So, but at the same time, in my mind too, I thought I want to get just far enough away that I know they're not going to try to come and see me every day, but just close enough that if I need them, I know they'll be there. And that's where I landed, and that's exactly what, what happened for me. And then even surprise, I mean even, you know, going to El Paso, texas. You know my parents made it, you know, out there, made it to Houston, actually went to a bowl game. So they made it to the Houston Bowl for me, you know as well too.
Speaker 5:So, but came to Earlham, played football, was recruited, had the opportunity to go to, you know, several different schools, went to Butler's campus. I remember that trip and checked them out. You know Ball State, you know, was an option, possibly as a walk-on or something like that. And so for me I kind of, you know, thought about it and kind of weighed my options and it came down to, you know, ability to play. So where can I come in and where can I play versus? Where do I come in and where do I sit, you know, for the next, you know, one, two years, you know, and maybe hopefully play junior, senior year, something like that.
Speaker 5:And so Earlham worked out for me small campus, you know, small class size, which would have been a lot better If I'd have went to a big school. Man, I'd have got lost in the numbers and who knows if I'd have finished or not. But Earlham provided me with a lot of skills, a lot of resources as well too. I mean, it's the reason why I came back, really and made Richmond my home and I'm still here today is because a lot of what I gained from my experience there what position were you in? Defensive tackle? So I played defensive line. I was about to ask it.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I go between tackle and uh and and defensive end. I wasn't quite fast enough to be on the end so I'd slide down that. The coach put me down to tackle often times and I I did well there, man, and I'll tell you. Um, football, and so again, you know, coming practice, hated practice again, didn't, didn't like going two a days. Uh, and man, just uh, I remember too coming coming in.
Speaker 5:So football, you guys know you know you come in earlier than everybody else. Uh, you know you got training camp. You got two a days and all that. It's, it's hot. Um, there's no water on the on the grass dirt field. It's like you're playing on rocks and the grass cuts like glass.
Speaker 5:And my coach shout out to Kevin Hanley, who was my position coach when I played at Earlham and he's an Earlham alum, but I think he and the other coaches forgot we didn't have pads on, so we would do like pass rush drills and things like that, with the offensive line with no pads. And I'm like it's kind of funny too, because I'm like man, I just laugh at myself, I'm all sensitive and like, oh, you know, no, I don't like that, my jersey, you know, I mean, but you know, but it's like it's football and the other guys be like, you know, like nah, man back up, like don't touch me, give me some space, you know. But man, it was just, it was wild, but man, I just, I was around a bunch of good guys though, good guys from all walks of life. I learned something. You know a little bit from everybody.
Speaker 5:One of my memories I remember Kyle Strobel punching me in the stomach during a scrimmage, and he was a senior, I think, when I was maybe a freshman, and I remember I'm going up against him he's offensive tackle, I believe and I go up against him and I'm trying to block a pass, and they always tell you you know, don't jump, don't jump, you just put your hands up. Well, I see, I see the ball, I see the quarterback, he's got the ball in his hands. I'm like I'm gonna knock this down.
Speaker 5:So I jump, kyle, man just sticks me a good one man in the stomach doubles me over, you know, and it was. It was moments like that again, just just the hardship. I didn't understand it, I didn't understand the benefit of the struggle, and so so at the time, I mean I find myself kind of cowering down and kind of and kind of going inside myself and and and getting upset, getting emotional, you know, sometimes wanting to quit, you know, give up type of thing. But but luckily too, my dad never let me quit anything. I wrestled one year in middle school. It was the worst thing ever. Wrestling is the worst sport. No, I'm just kidding, I do not like it's tough, it is too much one-on-one. I mean it's just you and that other person and I mean, and you are as close as you ever want to be with another individual when you wrestle. And I just did not enjoy it. I'm like, at least on the line I got two or three other people I can bump into, or maybe a throw you into. Uh. But my dad said you're not quitting, you know you're going to finish out the season, you agreed to do this and so you're going to go all the way with it. And so I'm like, all right, cool. So so I did that, you know. So I, I, I never, although I struggled a lot of times emotionally, mentally, I never had that give up, I never had that quit. I never had that. I'm just going to throw in the towel. It's like, man, I take a minute kind of go inside myself, have my little moment and it's like all right, come back. Okay, let's try it again. How do we do this?
Speaker 5:Football was tough. Earlham they've closed up their program since. We had a lot of losing seasons, unfortunately. Sophomore year, though, we had a great winning season. We went six and four I think that was the last winning season that we had did. That was? We stayed at school over the summer, we stayed together, we worked out together, um, and we came in that next year and and we were the strongest, you know, and the most together that that we had ever been uh, man, if we could have, just, you know, stuck with that and duplicated that for the next, you know, two more years, it would have been an awesome ride.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't think. I mean I may be a little biased, but I don't think there's any better sport out there where you can learn more about sacrifice, about camaraderie, about trusting your teammates. You know I'm like you. There's many guys I played with high school and college. You know that I may have I may not have talked to in 15 or 20 years, but I could go, I can make a phone call tomorrow and we'd be, we'd pick up right where we left off.
Speaker 3:And it's through that, the blood, sweat and tears. You know the two days of, uh, I mean I I similar to you as you're, as you're talking about your experience in college, especially with me being in the same position. So when I was at Dayton, we played on the old AstroTurf at Welcome Stadium. That was our. We were on the old AstroTurf, but they had my freshman year. They just replaced the old turf, which was like matted carpet, with new AstroTurf, not field turf, astroturf and it was like needles.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And so you would. It was so sharp that you would take a knee at the end of practice and you'd get up and your knee was bleeding. That's how sharp it was. You can imagine what it did to your skin as you skidded across it. So I don't think there's any better sport out there. Tougher wrestling is very difficult. I did it one year as well and I wanted to quit. My dad would not let me. Um, it was it was too much close quarters with another man who was trying to choke me out and, uh, get me in positions. I didn't know I could go in Um, but what? What an amazing sport. What amazing life lessons that I learned. It sounds like you did too.
Speaker 5:Yeah most definitely, you know, one of the biggest things for me my senior year at Earlham and it took me a while to get there, but it was my senior year. I might be going into my junior, out of my junior into my senior, but anyway, it was this thought. I just had this revelation one day and I'm like, what am I here doing? Like I've been playing this game ever since I've been in middle school and I've been playing for my dad. I've been hating every minute of it. Like what if I go out here and give it my all? What if I go out here and just, you know, forget about all the outside noise and I just do the very best I can? What if I just lock in? And you know what? What then? And you know what? What then?
Speaker 5:And a switch, you know, flipped for me and I had a great season and what I enjoyed. I started to enjoy the struggle, I started to enjoy practice. I started to enjoy getting beat up and jumping back up again and getting back out there and realizing that I'm learning something every time I fail or I miss a tackle or I get blocked by the offensive lineman. Like I'm learning and I'm calculating. I'm like, ok, next time I'm coming back, man, and I'm coming back harder, and I'm doing it differently. I remember, you know, in thinking like what can I actually do to be successful? And one of the things that I said is I'm running from sideline to sideline, I don't care what the play is, I'm running all over this field. And I thought to myself like what's the worst thing that could happen? Truly, what's the worst thing that could happen? And I'm like, oh my God, I could die. And I'm like how cool would that be to die on the football field.
Speaker 5:You know what I'm saying. Because then then, like, no, there would be no doubt that this guy gave everything he had to the sport, he gave everything he had in this game, and that's how I wanted to feel and that's what I wanted to do. And so I went out and did that and it was such that, um, I remember my middle linebacker, rodney gunn, best friend, um, you know to this day, man, we would. He would be right behind me, ball would snap, we go in. Uh, somehow, sometimes I would get there first, sometimes he would get there first. And it was funny because my dad so it was my dad and my uncle they would tell this story my uncle was the outside linebacker, my dad was the middle linebacker, and my dad would say my uncle was faster, and so he would tell my uncle he's hey, harv, you go get him, you go chase him down, you catch him but you hold him up for me and my dad would come clean him up and they, they, these two guys, they get together.
Speaker 5:They love telling that and that's exactly how I was with rodney. I tell rodney, go get him man, hold him up. I tell everybody, hold him up. I remember running sometimes and I'd see the pot hold him up, don't take him down. I'm coming. And I'd come and clean it, man, to the point that we get back to the huddle and rodney would look at me and say, hey, man, if you hit me in my back one more time, he'd be like, why, every time I get up off the pot, why are you on top of me? I'm like I have no idea. I'm coming, like I'm. I just said I'm not gonna be putting in all this effort anymore for nothing. Like I'm gonna put in some work, I'm going to get some stats. You know, and I'm not.
Speaker 5:I didn't even count the stats. I can't remember scores. I can't, never. I don't remember necessarily wins or losses or anything like that. I don't remember personal stats, but I do remember when I was in. I was in the, I was in the game, I was in the play. I'm getting in that play. That's what I wanted and I realized the benefits of this and so after I graduate, I coached for a little bit.
Speaker 5:I coached at Earlham. I coached at UTEP as a graduate assistant and I remember coaching at Earlham one time I don't remember the game, don't remember the coach, but I remember after a game I'm on the field and we're shaking hands with the other team and I go over to shake a coach's hand and the coach stops me and says man, reinhardt, and I said yeah, and he said man. He said he said man. I remember he said we had to plan our offense around you when we played you.
Speaker 5:When you played, he was like man, you were tough, he's like we had. We had to work our offense around you, the nose tackle. You know, man. You know, and in the moment, like thinking back, like I I don't think I realized the gravity of that moment, like what that really meant, but I was like man, like that's, that's pretty cool, that's pretty awesome. You know what I'm saying understanding and learning, having these moments and learning from the hard times and then relishing and taking pride in these moments where you know somebody acknowledges you and says, hey, you did good, hey, you're having an impact out here, yeah, that's what it's all about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, what a great feeling. And do you ever regret that that switch didn't happen earlier? Oh, most definitely Most definitely.
Speaker 5:I look at a lot of things, several things I've done, whether it be, you know, playing an instrument, whether it be my studies, whether it be football. Yeah, if I would have locked in, if I would have known sooner and would have locked in sooner, I could have gone so much further. Going to UTEP University of Texas, el Paso, I remember walking in there as a grad assistant I'm 22, I think, years old, a year out of college. So I stayed. I graduated in 03. I stayed and coached football for that season, that 03, 04 season.
Speaker 5:And then the head coach, lawrence Livingston, that we had at Earlham. He coached with Mike Price, uh, in previous years, and played for him, uh, in previous years. And so when Mike Price got the job at UTEP, um, lawrence went and followed him. He got the call, so he went to be the assistant head coach uh, office line, uh, coach. And then he calls me and says, hey, do you want to coach an opportunity? I'm like sure. And they put me on a plane and fly me out.
Speaker 5:And I get there and I remember walking around the stadium in the complex there and some of the players, you know, when they realized that I was a coach, I was a graduate assistant. They was like, oh man, like man, we thought you were a player, you know, we thought you was coming for our position or something. And I was like, wow, like that's pretty cool to think, because I'm looking at these guys and I'm looking at this facility and I'm like, oh my gosh, like am I in the pros, like Division I football, division I sports is nuts, and I mean. And you know, it was just amazing to see and these guys and their stature. I was just whew, I was like I was really taken, taken back by it. But you know, to, to, but I felt, you know, really respected.
Speaker 5:I thought to again, you know, if I had put in the effort, if, if that yeah if that switch had flipped sooner, you know, yeah, I could have went a lot farther with it. But God's got a plan, though, you know, and God will work it out, you know, for our good, you know. So, um missed an opportunity there, but I'm happy. You know where I am now and I'm loving life and and, uh, uh, the benefits now is that I'm, I'm, I'm opening up my eyes more to see, uh, you know, god working, and that's that's where I want to be.
Speaker 3:Well, and there's a reason that that switch didn't get flipped until you're going into your senior year. You know now, you know you're more mature and you recognize that everything that you do, whether it's from raising your family or working or giving back all the things that you're doing, you know you're going to give it max effort. You're going to be the best you can be. Oh, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 5:And and two.
Speaker 5:I think, as you're saying, that I'm thinking like, yeah, because I could have. I could have been more successful then, and then I would have taken all the credit for myself, or I would have ran off and thought, oh, look what I did, okay, and I would have been selfish with money or with opportunities or with whatever, and not have given back. And so and so much of what I've done in my adult life, and what I am going to continue to do, is about service, is about serving others and giving you know to others, and to stay humble is where I want to be. And so I know you know that you know God looked at me, probably at one point and said man, I can't bless you with these, with this money or with this right now, because you're not ready, you're not in the right mindset. You take this money and squander it. You'd run off and you'd forget all about me. And I need you to, I need you to lock in, I need you to devote yourself, you know, to me, and that's that's where I'm at, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you're, you're UTEP. Uh, life's pretty good, enjoying life.
Speaker 5:Yeah, man, utep was hard, Um, and not UTEP itself, but I just, I was young, I was immature, I didn't know what I was doing, I was a fish out of water, I was far from home, had never been that far, I never left home really before ever. I went to Philadelphia for a semester in college but I went with two other friends, two other football players, and so to be out in El Paso, you know, kind of on my own. I had my coach, livingston, but he had a family, his wife and kids, and I probably could have leaned into them more and I know they would have opened up their doors to me and would have brought me in. But you know, at the same time I'm like, but I'm grown and I want to kind of live my own life and do my own thing and have fun and see some things. And so I, man, got into some things I shouldn't have gotten into and created some habits for myself that I shouldn't have done and ended up leaving after a season I realized football is not where I wanted to be.
Speaker 5:Division one sports is a lot of work, sports in general is a lot of work, but D1, nuts, I mean just the work ethic that these coaches have and the time and the effort and the energy that they put in. And then the uncertainty as well too. And what I saw is, you know, if your head coach loses a job, you know potentially the whole coaching staff, you know, gets shaken up and may have to go as well too. And I'm like I don't like the uncertainty of that and having to move. So after a year, after that first season, I left.
Speaker 5:But I got to enjoy a bowl game. I got to meet a lot of great players, several of them who went on to play in the NFL, and it's kind of cool to be able to watch Quentin Demps, you know, play for the New England Patriots and see him on the, and I'm like, wait a minute watching TV. I know him like that's Demps, you know, man, that's to have those moments. I got a bowl ring. You, you know, went to the Houston Bowl. Parents came up and saw that game and good memories you know from that. But I knew if I didn't get out of El Paso I was going to die. Just some dumb stuff that I was doing, making poor choices, crossing the border into Mexico, and you know what is not where I should have been.
Speaker 3:Sure, Sure. So you're mature enough to recognize all right, I need to make change in my life. Oh, definitely so where'd?
Speaker 5:you go, came back, came back to Richmond so I said, well, you know, again, didn't want to go home to Muncie just because I didn't want to go to the house. But I thought, you know, so where can I go? I've been raised to you, know value, relationships and people and connections, and so I went back where I felt connected. I went back to where I had people and that was here in Richmond. Benita Washington, lacey, longtime employee of Earlham College mentor, no-transcript forth, and so you know, did that, so came back here and ended up landing a job at the state hospital actually. So I started with the summer position working with youth at the state hospital doing recreation. Patrick Piper another football coach, great guy, mentor was working out there at the time and he was able to get me on in a summer position which then turned into a full-time position, which then turned into, I think I was there for like five years and left in a supervisory position when I left that job.
Speaker 3:So what were you doing specifically at the state hospital? Working with youth.
Speaker 5:So state hospital was a residential facility. It is a residential facility. At the time they had kids, adolescent males, on their campus and so I would. When I was in the rec position. I would just prepare like recreational activities for him. So I take him out you know a group of them, we go to the playground, we play kickball, maybe we take him on trips, you know, out into the community to the parks or the pool or something like that, and do different things.
Speaker 5:And then it grew into you know kind of direct care staff. So hands on, you know caring for them on-to-day, making sure they get to school, making sure they get meals, breaking up fights, you know kind of keep them in the building, chasing them down if they run away. You know those kinds of things. And then again, like I said, you know landing in a supervisory position where I finished up. So then at that point I'm overseeing the direct care staff you know in the operation of the unit, so making sure that you know services are being offered, kids are getting what they need, staff is getting what they need and they're understanding you know their responsibilities creating schedules, programming. You know writing curriculum, you know all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3:Okay, so giving back to troubled kids basically.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, absolutely. And that was something that was real big and early on again instilled in me and something that I wanted to do. You know, even as an Earlham student, me and the guys, we formed a group called Black Men United and part of that was to, you know, break down and the stigma of black men in the community and so we wanted to show young black men doing something positive, and so things that we would do, you know we would bring. We had a field day where we brought kids from, you know, like Townsend Boys and Girls Club, you know, like Townsend Boys and Girls Club, you know, onto Earlham's campus. We, you know, had a cookout for them, played football, you know, ran around that kind of thing, you know, just to they could see us in a different light and we show them the campus and, you know, show them that somebody cares, you know, a little bit. And so there was always that element of you know wanting to give back.
Speaker 5:And when I saw the kids at the state hospital, it was about, you know, wanting to, you know, be for them what I didn't have, you know, coming up, but then also wanting to provide them with what I did have, you know, coming up and that was, you know, a positive individual, you know saying, you know uplifting things. You know, to me, when I was younger and these kids a lot of them didn't have, and I looked at them and their situations and you know they have traumatic backgrounds. They dealt with parents that you know were addicted to drugs and they suffered abuse and so similar stories maybe not the same, but some similarities there and I'm looking like I mean this could have been me. You know, if the tables were turned, if things would have worked out differently, you know I could have been one of these kids you know were turned. If things would have worked out differently, you know I could have been one of these kids, you know, in these rooms versus.
Speaker 3:You know being where I was. So that foundation now you're continuing to build to help the community, to help the youth. What's after State Hospital?
Speaker 5:State Hospital man shoot, where did I go? Left State Hospital, got into banking for a little bit, worked for Chase Bank here in town, did some insurance sales as well too. So got to learn that for me it was about, you know, working with youth and young people. I enjoy that, but at the same time I've got this degree in business and nonprofit management, so like let's go see the business side of things and how that works. And so the bank opened up that door for me.
Speaker 5:So I got to experience that, you know, and then for me it's been a it's kind of been this teeter-totter between the two, you know, kind of career paths, because I keep getting drawn back to to youth and working with them and giving back and trying to help raise up the next generation, just because I understand, you know just how crucial is. I mean, these kids are going to be caring for me, you know when I'm old and so, hey, I want them to be productive, you know, citizens, and focused and hardworking and driven. So that way, hey, when I need the care, you know you're in the right position. You know to take care of me, but more so for them, because they deserve it right, I mean they deserve that opportunity and I realized too the power of opportunities, what opportunities can do, how it can open up doors, how it can change, help change our mindset. And again I want to be a part of. You know all of that, you know for them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's amazing. So at some point in time throughout your career you decide to to give back even more and start some, some specific programs, right? Can you kind of talk about some of those?
Speaker 5:Yeah, so start a future achievers, which is a nonprofit that works with teens, high school students, primarily in the community. That was about, well, at the time I was in and I and I think that was about 2012, and I was in a leadership program and Future Achievers was basically our final project. And there were three of us myself, erica Butler, who is the wife of my best friend, monton Butler, football player. We were in the program together. And then Rachel Ulrich, who at the time, was a high school student and were in the program together, and then Rachel Ulrich, who at the time, was a high school student and was in this program with a bunch of adults, right, and so we formed a group and we had this idea to create a program that's going to teach skills to high school students. And we thought about, like, what are those skills that were lacking, that we didn't get when we were in high school? What is the things that we wish we had known that we didn't? And you know, financial literacy and issues with money was a big one, and so that's where we started and we partnered with Townsend Community Center, got a grant from the Stam Coachline Family Foundation to be able to offer this program to youth, and that was the start, the launch we probably had at you know, upwards of 10 students participate in that program. It went really well.
Speaker 5:And then it was, you know, for me it was like okay, man, I got a taste of this. I really like this. I think we can do more. You know, what else can we do? How, how? How can we formalize things and create our own organization to where we can have more control of what we're doing and really grow this? And so that was that's the path I took, and grow to where we are now.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so where are you now? So now we are actually right now. So we're doing some, some, some rebuilding, kind of coming back. We've had a couple of resurgence Twenty, nineteen was one of those and now in a phase where I feel like I've, for you know, way beyond, way beyond my years and so with me to kind of getting into different areas and I'm teaching now full time, and so it's it's kind of challenging to do the work full time, and so it's it's kind of challenging to do the work full time. It's it's been me, you know, for a lot of it, you know, as I've developed programs and then a part of developing the program was me actually running the program and trying it out and then tweaking it. You know, as I'm learning and so now I feel like we we have some good things together that it's time to to scale this, you know, get some other folks involved, put these programs out there and let this grow and flourish, and to really get out and help these kids.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's awesome. So you mentioned briefly there you're teaching now. So you're teaching at Richmond High School, yes, so talk about that a little bit, because that's kind of interesting.
Speaker 5:Yeah, man, teaching at Richmond High School. This is my first year as a teacher, so looking forward to the summer and then getting back and getting back into the classroom and working with these teens again. But in this was, you know, a long time, you know, coming and I feel like for me to make I just been showing me so much like just about paying dues, one thing I didn't want to do right, coming up as being a youngster, you got to pay your dues. You got to start at the bottom and you got to work your way up. You got to prove yourself and I didn't. I didn't want to do that, you know, early on. But the high school I feel like I've worked with several of these folks, several of the administrators at the high school and teachers, over the over a number of years, and they've seen the work that I've done. And Future Achievers was in Richmond, richmond High School as well too, and so we were providing mentoring services to the high school students there, and so it was really as far as getting in it was. It was really a seamless transition. Almost it's like it was. You know, hey, we've seen your, your work ethic, we've seen your care for, for, for, for youth and and what you're capable of doing, relationship building, we, we want you, you know, in the classroom, um, and so that was that was great. Um, you know, a great feeling uh, to to be able to, to do that, um, being with these teens, um, all day, uh, for seven, six periods. Man, different.
Speaker 5:I at first I'm in my first weekend there and I thought to myself, oh shoot, like, what did I get myself into? Like I was already in the school and mentoring students, right, but I'd pull them out of class. I'd keep them for 30 minutes tops and then go put them back, like we'd have a strong 30 minute conversation. I'd send them back, like that was cake. Then I looked around the room and I almost thought, like I was locked up or something. I'm like I can't get out of this place. I can't leave the building if I want. I got another period. I can't just walk out and just go get something to eat or go whatever. You know that I was used to doing, and so that was that was that was a shock, you know, for me. But the students are great, the students are great and they've taught me a lot and I'm grateful that, that I've been open, I believe, to their educating me, you know, letting me know where I'm making mistakes and what I can do better, and that's fuel for me just to come back and knock it out of the park. Because, again, you know, to have that impact is what I want. And so I was blessed to have a couple students you know didn't have to, they wrote me notes or would send me an email. Hey, mr Reinhart, you know I really appreciate, you know, what you've done for me, or appreciate, you know what you did you're a great teacher. You know kind of thing really made me feel good. You know what you did, you're a great teacher. You know kind of thing really made me feel good.
Speaker 5:One moment that I had was one of the things that God gave me was to celebrate birthdays in class, and so I'm not typically high energy, fun type of person. When I worked in behavioral health, I would tell the kids that I worked with like I'm not the fun counselor, I'm not the fun staff member, like that's not why they put you with me. All right, I'm here to get work done, we're going to get the job done and let's move on. But now I'm realizing, in order to educate, in order to, to to really shape you know, help shape these kids. You gotta be a little more lively, you gotta be a little more fun and easy going, and so one of the things that we did was we celebrated birthdays. And so it's cool because when we do attendance, when it comes up on the computer it shows like a little birthday cake. So you know, you click on it, you see when their birthday is, and so, as I'm going through, I click on a cake and I'm like, oh shoot, wait a minute, this big to do about it the whole class.
Speaker 5:I'd ask them to sing. I would sing happy birthday to the student, and then I had some snacks that I would store up and I would let them pick a snack that would be their birthday present. Right, not all the kids liked it. Some kids really hated it and tried to hide underneath the table, but I had a student, you know, who told me that they really appreciated that and what that meant for them to be recognized like, even though that they were shy and it looked like they didn't enjoy it. Like, deep down, they did.
Speaker 5:You know, and it really makes you wonder, like you don't know who gets, you know, a birthday celebrated around here and who doesn't, you know? And that's one of the things that I learned about these kids too, like I've got a new respect and appreciation for them because some of their background where they're coming from, a new respect and appreciation for them because some of their backgrounds where they're coming from. I mean, I had to learn over the years working with students like man. We got to calm down a little bit, you know. We, you know, just be happy. That kid came to school. All right, if you would have known, if you knew what this child had to go through to even walk through the door today, you know you would cut them a little bit of slack, you would give them a little bit of grace. And so you know, I'm reminded, you know of that. And so to be able to do that for that student and again for it to impact them in a positive way, that's what it's all about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that's pretty awesome. I mean, a lot of times it's just those little things right. And it can be a recognition of a birthday that they may not have been recognized for their birthday for years, even from their family. I mean, you just don't know, right, you don't know those stories, you don't know what those kids are going through. So there's no doubt I'm sure you're having a major impact on that school and, uh, that's pretty awesome.
Speaker 5:By the grace of God, I'm trying. That that's it. I'm just trying to be obedient and and uh and go where go, obedient, and and uh and go where, go where he leads me.
Speaker 3:So you're doing good. All right, we're going to finish this with two questions. If you could sit on a park bench and have a conversation with someone living or deceased. Who would it be, and why?
Speaker 5:Man, I wasn't ready for that one, and I've seen that in the other episodes.
Speaker 5:You know, first thought that comes to my mind, man, and it was First thought. First first thing that came to mind was my dad. He passed away in 2019 in a house fire, actually the house I grew up in and I've talked about and a house fire, actually the house I grew up in, and I've talked about grace. I've mentioned that a few times and that's so important to me and, again, that's the takeaway. If there's one that would be, it is grace and I believe my dad taught me that. Uh, through through his passing, um, I struggled at first, you know, with it early on again, you know, I I told you some of the bad side, you know some of the good side, and then when he died, you know, I reflected a lot on the bad stuff and and and was trying to hold him accountable or judge him. You know, for that, and I really believe that, you know, god told me in that moment again like, hey, you're not perfect either. You know. Hey, wait a minute. Yeah, you've made the same mistakes that he has made. You know, it was also in that moment.
Speaker 5:So, 2019, here I am, you know, in Richmond. Uh, been working, future achievers, done all these things. People know me in the community. People are speaking highly of me and I believe God said to me as well too like man, how dare you make this mistakes that you have made? And people still think highly of you. People still regard you, you know, with respect and speak to you kindly and offer positions to you and offer you to sit at tables and want to hear from you. They feel like you have something to say. How dare you take all of that right but then not extend that same grace over to somebody else? You think those people don't know who you are or what you did? And if they don't, it's only because of God's grace that that that that didn't come up and become an issue and that God was allowed, able to allow me to flourish and to thrive and to move forward. And so it was. You got to extend that same grace to your father as well, to again understanding that, hey, maybe he didn't grow up with some of these things. You know that, that he lacked to pass on and to share. Maybe he didn't, you know of these things. You know that he lacked to pass on and to share. Maybe he didn't, you know, recover from some of the trauma that he experienced, you know throughout childhood, but then on later you know into life. You know as well too.
Speaker 5:And how it happened, too, for me was it was looking at how he died. Right, it was what started to unpack it for me. So he died in a house fire. He was a smoker, like lifelong smoker, and we think we start it started from a cigarette that he had dropped, you know, on the carpet and um, but you know little things hearing from the investigator and seeing things like man, it just God's hand at work. I just kept seeing it over and over, like like that's God, who, who kept him, who, even in death, who protected him and was there with him. You know in that moment, and that's the thing, and it's like God, you were with him and I thought he was so bad. It's like, yeah, I was with him and I'm with you. You know as well too, and so you know if I can love him, you can too. If I can forgive him, you can too.
Speaker 5:And I would say too, forgiveness and grace is so important, because this is something that I think hurts a lot of relationships and hurts a lot of families. We talk a lot about kids here today, and and we can talk about adults, adults are. A lot of these adults out here walking around are are little kids at heart, right, they, they've never grown up. They're they're, they're eight, and nine and 12. And they're still stuck in that, in that, in that space, because they've never healed from that. And what we do, unfortunately, is we start to point the finger and we judge and we blame and we accuse, and then we destroy relationships by that. And then, once we destroy relationships, well then now we don't have anybody to turn to, we don't have a support, we don't have people in our corner who although, yes, they made mistakes, but they were my biggest cheerleader as well too.
Speaker 5:My dad was my biggest cheerleader. I mean, my dad went to every home football game. You know how many kids can say that, that their dad went to every football game, every home football game. My dad went to every home college football game. I mean he came to Richmond every Saturday. My dad was a barber. His money making day was Saturday, and he would tell the guys at work. He would say, hey, come Saturday. Hey, ryan, my son's playing. I got it. I'm working half a day. I got to get to this game. You know what I'm saying so, even in, in, in, in, in the midst of making mistakes, he was doing the right thing and he, he had man, he had me in my best interest, you know, on his mind as well too. And if we're not careful, we can get so jaded by the mistakes that people have made that we totally dismiss them, we totally write them off, and there's so much that we can learn from them, there's so much we can gain from that relationship.
Speaker 3:There's so much that I learned, you know, from my dad, you know, and so so for me, yeah, I think it would be just to sit and talk with him and to tell him how much I've learned, and to have conversations about you know how, how we've grown, and yeah, you know you started off the podcast kind of talking about how difficult it was growing up and some of the struggles you know, the addictions and domestic violence and things that that you saw as a kid and I didn't know where you were going to go with that, with your dad. But and I don't know that you even meant this, but I, I, I think what's came out from hearing your story is is this is a testament to your dad. I think what you, what you maybe you did it knowingly, maybe you didn't, but you know you went from where I. I didn't know where your story was going to go, but I knew where I thought it was going and it went the complete opposite way. That's pretty awesome, man.
Speaker 3:It's pretty it's pretty awesome. It's a testament to you, a testament to your dad, uh, even through all his struggles and I hope somebody out there hears that, because you know when, when you hold grudges, when you hold ill will towards people because of something they did to you or to someone you know, the only person that's hurting is you and you're the one that holds that resentment Right. So, to to let that go and to see the emotion on your face, um, and to see the emotion on your face, it's amazing, it's pretty awesome, pretty powerful. Last question Is there a quote, bible verse, something out there, when you're in a dark spot or when things are tough, that you lean on and you say, hey, this is what gets me through?
Speaker 5:Oh, man, got a whole sheet of them. Got a whole sheet of them. Got a whole sheet of them, man. I'll tell you y'all try to run through Psalms 91. And it's a good deal of information.
Speaker 5:But Psalms 91 is our family psalm, my grandmother, that was her scripture and just how I believe, as I was kind of thinking through, coming in and kind of looking back over my life, how Psalm 91 and her prayers carried me, you know, as a youngster, and coming up and protected us even through the hard stuff. Right, and God never promised us an easy life, the opposite. You know, man's days are going to be short and full of trouble, so we're going to have issues, but we're going to come out. You know, on the other side, we're going to come out all right, it's going to work out, you know, for our good. But as an adult Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, and trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto not own understanding. In all that ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your path.
Speaker 5:There was a time for me in my life where I looked back and I thought, man, I'm not going the right way. You know, I've got to change this up, I've got to do better. I know there's more out here for me. I'm destined for greatness, and that's what I want. I want everything God has for me, and Proverbs 3, 5 came to me, and so that was the turning point, and so that's why I fall back to is trusting in God with all my heart and not leaning into my own understanding and realizing God, I messed this all up. I have no idea what I'm doing, and so I'm giving it all to you. I got to acknowledge you, and I appreciate this opportunity to be here with you all today to do just that, and I pray that I did that, um, to speak the name of Jesus, uh, on this podcast and let people know, uh, what this is all about and where this really comes from, um, so that he will continue to direct my path, so that I can serve him.
Speaker 3:So it's awesome, man. How can people connect with you at social media? Um, if somebody to reach out and say thank you, how can they connect with you?
Speaker 5:Oh man, yeah, Everywhere I'm social media, my phone number is out there, but I'll throw it out 765-313-9670. I did that one time. Somebody's like you really want to give out your phone number. That's what I was just thinking. Yeah.
Speaker 5:Nah, it's all good, hit me up, shoot me a text message, but yeah, I'm on social media. Just Carl Reinhart, my face is out there, instagram everywhere, future Achievers is out there as well, too, and so if anybody wants to collaborate, you know, got any ideas on how we can better help these teens out here. Parents, if they want to get, you know, kiddos involved need a mentor. One of the big things, too, is I'm always on the hunt for entrepreneurs and business leaders and professionals, because I think it's important and I've told this to my high school students this year it's important for them to get out and have conversations.
Speaker 5:Again, I know the power of opportunities and I came up. I don't know what, I don't know Right, but how we can change things, and how I can change things is if I can create an opportunity for a young person to be able to sit down with somebody that is in the position that they're interested in and they can have a conversation, just simply hey, what time do you have to wake up to get to work? Do you like your job? You know, tell me about the best day and the worst day, you know, kind of thing.
Speaker 5:How much money do you make? That information will help these young people so much you know start to believe in themselves and to believe in the opportunities in the future and start to chart their path with more knowledge and understanding, especially more than what I had. You know going into it, and so you got a lot that are afraid of college debt and things like that and making the wrong decision. Well, the only way that you mitigate that is with knowledge, and so, although I want to enjoy summer and hopes it stays around for about 12 months, it's not going to, so winter's coming back. So if anybody wants to volunteer and get involved there, hit me up. We'll plug you in.
Speaker 3:But yeah, it's awesome man, great story, very powerful. I thank you again for coming in.
Speaker 5:I appreciate you, man, I appreciate the work you guys are doing. Again, this is awesome. This is awesome, and I tell you just to be surrounded by people of such great faith I mean and as a man, you know, we don't get this oftentimes to be able to sit with other men, and if folks I would encourage people get on here, watch the podcast and you're going to see guys break down to talking to Brian about, is it Sean?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Oh man, Sean, Sean, that guy's awesome. That guy's awesome and he is and you can see God's hand on him and how God is shaping him and changing and molding him and it's just amazing and inspiring to watch. And so, uh, please, yeah, check out the be temper podcast, this podcast. This is amazing work you guys are doing, thank you.
Speaker 3:Thank you, we appreciate it for sure. All right, everybody share. Like do all those things because somebody out there needs to hear this story. Absolutely Go out and be tempered.
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