Oak Hill Academy. The same hallways where Kevin Durant learned to be great. Where Carmelo Anthony found his game. Where generational talent becomes something even greater. On April 9, 2026 our son Sekou received his acceptance letter. He is going. Now we need your help to get him there.
If you know Sekou, you already know. And if you don't, let us introduce you to one of the most remarkable young men we have ever had the privilege of watching grow up.
Sekou was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up between two of America's most vibrant and culturally rich cities, Boston and New York, before putting down roots in Roxbury, a neighborhood with deep history, fierce community pride, and an unshakeable spirit that has shaped him into who he is today. Roxbury raised him tough, curious, compassionate, and connected to something bigger than himself.
And Roxbury tested him too.
But before that test came, Sekou went on an adventure that would change him forever. In 5th grade his mother made the bold decision to bring him to his father's homeland in West Africa for an entire school year. Sekou didn't just survive the transition. He thrived. He immersed himself fully in his father's culture, learning a tribal language and conversational French alongside English. He came home to Boston bigger, more grounded, and more connected to who he is than most adults ever manage to become.
Back in Boston in 6th grade he walked straight into his school science fair and won it. Built a solar powered battery circuit from scratch. Just like that.
Then in 7th grade Roxbury tested him. One morning he was walking to school wearing a brand new pair of sneakers, a gift from his father, the first time he had ever worn them, when a boy approached him with a knife and demanded them.
Sekou did not run.
He looked at the boy and said come with me to my house, it is right there on the corner, I will get you more shoes. And he walked the boy home. The entire way there, twelve year old Sekou talked to him. Asked him what was going on. Why he was making this choice. By the time they arrived the boy had not taken a thing. Sekou had given him something no one could steal. His time. His compassion. His attention.
Then Sekou went inside, told his family, and they called the police.
In 8th grade he went back to science and made history. His project studied a plant native to his father's homeland in West Africa, a tribute to the roots that shaped him. He won first place at the Boston City Science Fair and advanced to the state level, becoming the first student in the entire history of Dearborn STEM Academy to ever do so. That same year he earned a spot on the JV basketball team at his school, playing up against older players without hesitation.
Then in 9th grade Sekou joined the METCO program and transferred to Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School, one of the most competitive Division 1 basketball programs in Massachusetts. They did not put him on the freshman team. He bypassed it entirely and made JV. As a freshman. At a brand new school. Against players who had been there for years.
He earned it anyway. He always does.
Oak Hill already believes in Sekou. They have awarded him a $7,000 annual merit scholarship. The school is already investing in him.
Now we are asking you to join them.
Three years of tuition, travel home for breaks, basketball uniforms and gear, academic supplies, living expenses, and an emergency fund so that nothing, not one single unexpected cost, stands between Sekou and his graduation day. That is what your contribution does.
Sekou was born in Boston. Raised between two great cities. Rooted in Roxbury. Shaped by Africa. Tested by life. And chosen by Oak Hill.
He has been earning this his entire life.
Help us make sure he gets there.
Any amount helps. And if you cannot give right now, sharing this page is just as powerful.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
