M.O.C.Q.

MEN OF CHARACTER AND QUALITY

M.O.C.Q is a weekly lunch club that meets once a week with our middle school and junior high young men. Bridging the gap by providing mentors, developing healthy relationships, discussing real-life issues.

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Community men joining our STEP UP STEP IN campaign to mentor young men teaching life skills. 

Thanks to using some of his retirement hours two times a week. 

Here teaching young men the art of tying a tie.

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Learning to change a tire. Josh Riley from Sure Stop and Juan Auto Center giving their time Stepping Up n Stepping In. Juan: (501) 697-2513 Josh : (501) 932-0952

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MOCQs:Men of Character and Quality
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In MOCQ I learned to be a generous man and not to treat women bad, and how to be a man really.
— JW
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Archie Kern: director of M.O.C.Q & t4p

Archie Kern is a native of Sallis, Mississippi and currently living and working in Conway, Arkansas. I grew up in a family where dropping out of high school solely to work seemed to be normal, along with having children out of wedlock. My great grandmother has 10 children, only two of which graduated from high school.  I knew I wanted to break this cycle and always aspire for more. It was my personal goal to graduate college and set an example for cousins, brothers, friends, and those that I would touch in the community.  I am a firm believer that our communities are only as great as the leaders willing to give back. 

Graduating high school allowed me to attend Holmes Community College, where I satisfied all credits required and graduated with an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN).  Satisfying this milestone propelled me to receiving my Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Education at Mississippi University.  Balancing the responsibility of being a student athlete, football allowed me to stay focused and steadfast while pursuing my Masters in Human Performance at the University of Alabama. My cultural background and focus on youth, sports, and community led to my current position as Director of Youth Initiatives with Choosing to Excel. I began working full time with Excel and before I knew it, success had found me in the form of a wife and a beautiful daughter. 

I had never heard of the ‘Success Sequence’ but, but now that I am a product of a millennial phenomenon, it has shown me why continuing to do things the right way is so important. Operating in this sequence has allowed me to force a new paradigm and break such a vicious cycle that could have relegated me to a statistic.  I have surpassed many of the goals and milestones I set for myself, and those depending on me will motivate me to shatter more glass ceilings. None of these things would have been possible if it wasn’t for the first step and that was GRADUATING high school, as I mentioned, seemed to be a lost art in my family.  I am humbled and grateful for my position with C2E, while constantly being reminded each day that my testimony is an example to those tasked with bettering the world after my work is done.  I chose to excel.

-Archie