By Steve Dallape

Sophomore Donnell Flowers has faced hardship in his young life, but his positive attitude and eagerness to help others have helped to carry him through, and to lay the foundation for a fulfilling and successful life after high school.

Donnell spent his early life in Cairo, Illinois before moving to Chicago to live with his paternal grandmother.

She, however, was concerned that Donnell and his brother might be swept up in the violence so prevalent in the city. So at age twelve, Donnell was back in Mounds, where he lives with his father’s sister.

Donnell’s father died when he was just an infant, and he recently lost his mother as well, making him all the more appreciative of the love and support that his family can provide. His grandmother, in particular, continues to be an inspiration to him. He remembers that when he lived with her, even when things were most difficult, she always found a way to make the best of it. Her example showed him that “you’ve got to keep yourself motivated.”

That can-do attitude powers Donnell’s desire to help others. He knows that everyone has a different perspective, and others may be going through tough times that change their mindset and cause them to turn to violence and hatred. If he had a magic wand, and could make anything at all happen, Donnell would put an end to all the negativity in the world, do away with all the violence and inequality.

While that is a beautiful wish, Donnell knows that in the real world, real people need to take real action to affect change. That’s why he has charted out a course of service to others for his life.

His love of baseball has him hoping for a scholarship to play at the college level. But if that doesn’t come to pass, he plans to enlist in the Marines, where he would like to be a dog handler. After his time in the military is up, he wants to work in the emergency medical service field.

He says of his motivation, “All the stuff I’ve seen, like people in the streets, it just drove me to want to help them. That feeling you get when you get to help somebody – it just feels good.”

Donnell is a good student, whose favorite subjects are math and science. “Sometimes I struggle,” he says, “but I push through it.” He’s talking about his classes, but may just as well be speaking of life in general. And it is precisely this drive to push through when things get hard that will help Donnell make the best of every opportunity that comes his way.