David & Mr. Riley

Scenario:

When David first walked into Jefferson Middle School, he wasn’t a troublemaker. He wasn’t a star student. He wasn’t even noticed.

​

He was just another quiet 6th grader, doing his best to navigate school while carrying the weight of not having a father in his life. His mom worked two jobs, and though she loved him deeply, she was stretched thin.

​

One day, the school social worker noticed something alarming—David’s name had appeared on the school’s homeless roster.

​

It turned out his family had been evicted.

For the past few weeks, David, his mom, and his little sister had been sleeping in their car.

​

His teachers were shocked.

He had never asked for help. He never let it show.

​

That’s when David’s math teacher, Mr. Riley, stepped in.

​

Mr. Riley wasn’t a counselor. He wasn’t a social worker. He was just a teacher who believed that kids needed someone who showed up consistently.

​

He signed up for the school’s mentorship program and personally requested David as his mentee.

​

At first, their conversations were simple.

​

“How’s your day?” “Fine.”

“What’s new?” “Nothing much.”

​

But week after week, Mr. Riley kept showing up.

• He sat with David at lunch.

• He brought him extra snacks after school, just in case.

• He never made him feel like a project—just a kid worth knowing.

​

Over time, David opened up.

• He loved engineering, but he never thought he’d be able to afford college.

• He had big ideas but didn’t believe in himself.

​

Mr. Riley saw potential that David didn’t yet see in himself.

​

By 8th grade, David was competing in STEM competitions.
By 10th grade, he was taking college-level math.
By 12th grade, he was applying for the Gates Scholarship—one of the most competitive in the country.

​

The day the acceptance email came in, David didn’t call his friends first.

He didn’t even call his mom first.

​

He called Mr. Riley.

​

"We did it," he said. "I got it."

​

Today, David is a successful entrepreneur, building technology to improve clean water access. He’s been featured in Forbes, spoken at conferences, and mentors students himself.

​

And to this day, he still calls Mr. Riley every month.

 

Not because he needs to.

But because one person—one mentor—changed the entire trajectory of his life.

​

Discussion Questions:

• What would have happened if Mr. Riley had tried to mentor dozens of kids instead of focusing deeply on just one?

​

• Why does depth of relationship matter more than breadth of reach?

​

• How can one consistent adult change the course of a young person’s future?