A guidance counselor saw something in me that I didn't see in myself." That single moment transformed Deontre L. Clayton from a high school student on the verge of failing into an honors graduate from North Carolina A&T and a national education leader. In this episode of Service Titans, Tre shares his journey from rural Roxboro, NC, to directing AmeriCorps early literacy and numeracy initiatives. Host Anton Taylor dives deep with Tre into relational leadership, overcoming systemic bias, and the life-changing power of mentorship.

Key Highlights

• The Graduation Saver: How high school counselor Helen Johnson stepped in to rewrite Tre's future when he was on the brink of dropping out.

• The A&T Turnaround: Bouncing back from academic probation to graduate with honors in just three years.

• The Law School Pivot: Discovering his true calling through an AmeriCorps tutoring role and Teach For America in Opa-locka, Miami.

• Relational Leadership: Navigating the realities of national service pay, representation challenges, and leading with authenticity.

• Honoring Titans: A moving tribute to Bertrand Poole, founder of Men of Distinction.

Connect & Resource LinksGuest:

• Deontre L. Clayton (LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook)

• Host: Anton Taylor (LinkedIn)
• Community: Follow the ⁠Service Titans LinkedIn Page⁠ and subscribe to our podcast on Spotify

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – Welcome & Origins

• 02:08 – High School Struggles & The Counselor Who Saved Graduation

• 04:47 – NC A&T Fresh Start: From Probation to Honors

• 06:49 – The Spark: AmeriCorps Tutoring & Rethinking Law School

• 09:07 – Teach For America Miami (Opa-locka)

• 10:20 – Full-Circle Leadership as Program Director

• 12:33 – Relational Leadership & Authentic Growth

• 15:14 – Advice for Black Men in Service

• 17:37 – Navigating Representation and Bias

• 21:00 – Legacy & Impact Stories

• 24:58 – Honoring Service Titan Bertrand Poole

• 28:10 – Closing & Where to Connect

  #ServiceTitans #AmeriCorps #BlackMenInEducation #MentorshipMatters #EducationEquity #RelationalLeadership