THE HOUSTON PRESTIGE PROJECT

Unfortunately it is too often that our adolescents are expected to grow up to be successful young men while being surrounded by immense opportunities to make decisions that can negatively modify the trajectory of their lives. It is also disheartening to know that while those negative opportunities may be immense, the access and exposure to positive male role models for at-risk youth is scarce or non-existent.

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This is a story of circumstances shared by too many and a cycle that must be severed. This is also a story shared by the founder of The Houston Prestige Project, Jeremy Lahar. Jeremy was raised in an “at-risk” neighborhood and was the product of a single parent household. By default he was exposed to various opportunities to make decisions that would have allotted him another statistic of his circumstances. Rather than succumb to the norm of the neighborhood, he used his surroundings as motivation to overcome his shortcomings. He gained his work ethic by watching his mother work two to three jobs at a time via public transportation to provide for him and his sister. He then applied that work ethic towards becoming the first in his family to obtain his Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree and Teaching Certification in Communications.

Along the way he recognized his passion for working with youth as well as public speaking. He now works for the Houston Police Department’s Public Affairs Community Outreach Unit where he has been afforded the opportunity to do what he loves, connect with youth and the community. His passion for mentoring, guiding and helping youth avoid making the same mistakes he did and reach their full potential is what led to the creation of The Houston Prestige Project. Now Jeremy along with his partners Jeffery Thomas and Nelson Solomon work together to fulfill the mission of the organization. 

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Executive Board Members/Mentors Background

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Jeffery Thomas

Jeffery came from a single-parent household of four boys. He strongly believes that being the youngest in the family worked to his benefit. Jeffery had three older brothers he could go to for guidance but he understood that this was not the case for other boys his age. It’s been many times Jeffery was exposed to different opportunities, that could have led him to head down the wrong path. Jeffery saw past his despairing circumstances and used them as motivation to do better for himself. This drive led him to pursue a career in law enforcement.

In today's current climate Jeffery recognizes the increasing number of young men growing up in single-parent households absent of positive male guidance. Jeffery realizes the importance of making a positive connection with young men in these situations. Jeffery loves working with young men and he takes pride in helping them understand that just because their current situation is not the best, it does not mean it has to be that way in the future. Jeffery’s ultimate goal through the mission of The Houston Prestige Project is to expose the young men of today, an opportunity for a better life tomorrow.

Nelson Solomon II

Nelson is a proud Houston Native. As a kid, Nelson grew up in several different multicultural neighborhoods that had no shortage of diversity. With that being said, he was able to absorb several diverse experiences involving poverty, hostile environments and racism. His life lessons have molded him into a respectable individual that can represent his family, culture and his city with pride.

Nelson's outlook on life is one of love, prosperity and peace. His goal is to not just help these young men, but to evolve them into our future leaders of not just Houston but the world. He is a firm believer that the children that we invest in today will be our heroes and leaders of tomorrow. Nelson embraces opportunities to share his time and concerted efforts towards doing whatever is necessary to give our youth a better chance to be successful in life. 

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Mission Background

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It is the mission of The Houston Prestige Project to connect with at-risk youth and expose them to first generation college students, entrepreneurs and professionals who overcame similar or worse situations. By having speakers of all ages come in and share their testimonies, it will assist in providing the youth confirmation that they too can overcome their current and future circumstances. It is our belief that once each young man has been introduced to a progressive way of thinking about as well as planning for their future, the possibilities become endless.

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