#FonzoFiles: Mathew Popo - Higher Heights!




Good Evening Warlocks!! :)


I wanted to write this Fonzo file introducing an article from someone I went to school with some years ago. Recently I've been in somewhat of a tailspin and have been prioritizing and re-evaluating a lot of my life choices past, present and future. Part of this has been looking at furthering my education and re-embarking on study. Today I came across an inspirational article from Matthew Popo which has evoked positivity. Hence forth I want to share with y'all a good read as I'm very proud of the brother. A good message to young black males and an example of positivity that deserves to be highlighted in conditions where negativity is so often heightened in the media and minds of people. I wish Mathew all the best and kudos for his success. Enjoy !

P
__________________________________________

Matthew Popo


BA (Hons) Criminology
Through my early years I was a very active and some would say clever child but as I got older I began to adopt a much more laid back attitude and my focus on what was positive would begin to decrease. While I would still at times keep my head in my books, I was soon spending more time going out, enjoying myself and often getting up to no good with my friends; we didn’t get into any serious trouble, but we did as we pleased and at no time attempted to follow the letter of the law. It was in the second year of college that my life and most importantly my mentality began to change because one of my closest friends was sent to prison.
I took a gap year after college as I decided that I needed time to focus on what was important and in what direction I wanted to take my life; as unfortunate as it was that my friend had gone to prison, I quickly realised that it could have easily been me or any one of my peers. I found myself a full-time job and started slowly taking myself away from the life I had previously known. I got to a point where I could see what was going on around me; more of my friends were going to prison while other young people from my local area had been shot, stabbed and even killed. At this point I began to search and strive towards a life of fulfillment, a life that my family and I could be proud of and most importantly a life that could maybe one day change the lives of others for the better.
While I knew that I wanted to study I was still unsure about what course I wanted to undertake. It wasn’t until I looked back on my own life and observed the life of my peers that I realised the most substantial problem within young people within the inner city was crime. Through a lack of positive role models, resources, education, stable family units or personal determination many young people would and do turn to lives of crime and define themselves through the sub-cultures they create, including gang culture. I chose to enter university and study Criminology, to further study recognised theories into why young people fell into certain groups and how they can move away from crime and deviant lifestyles through education and getting the right help and advice.
My initial plan when starting university was to simply arrive at my lectures and seminars, get my education and then leave; at no point was I interested in socialising or take part in any other activities. However, as my education progressed, university also taught me lessons outside of the lecture theatre – I began to meet new people, explore new cultures and simply allow myself to learn from those I would have most likely never has spoken to away from university. I became more relaxed around people that would usually have had me on edge or left me with a feeling of discomfort.
Within my university experience I have also been given some priceless opportunities, including a work placement with the Young Offenders Service where my role was to work on what’s known as “Youth Offender Panel Work”. This programme allows young offenders to sit and talk about their crimes with criminal justice workers and even the victims of the crimes they have committed. This is a chance for young offenders to confront and take responsibility for their actions, apologise for their behaviour and suggest why they committed their crime, which allows them to avoid simply being sent to prison. This was the first year that the University had run the scheme and I believe it to be a brilliant addition to the course.
I also took part in a life-changing outing to HMP Grendon as part of a student/prisoner debate. This experience was especially memorable for me as, firstly I took part in the debate itself and secondly, as a result of my performance, I was then recruited to take part in a prison management scheme by the General Manager of the National Offender Management Service for the South East/West of England. The management schemes offered will officially train me to one day become a prison governor. Becoming a prison governor wasn’t something I had previously considered as I am not the strongest advocate of how the Prison Service is run at present, with too much emphasis on incarceration and not enough on rehabilitation, but I realised that the best way to change the system was from the inside, putting ideas into practice which, if successful, could then be used in other prisons. I would like to say to young people who are in prison that it needn’t define the rest of their life, and concentrate on providing them with the right support and education to progress and integrate back into society.
My active educational life has led to me being positively active in my social life. I stand strong in the belief of giving back to the community, young people in particular, as they will be the adults of tomorrow. Young people need positive role models; otherwise the only big characters they will see are those which will take them on the wrong path. I have recently begun coaching an under-12s football team with a local charity club named Continental Stars. Continental Stars focuses on providing young males and females from the ages of 10 and upwards, with not only the skills to make them better footballers, but also life skills, while providing positive role models through the use of sport.
I have also been working with young people in schools for the past seven months using seminars/workshops I created that promote confidence, self esteem and purpose. One of my beliefs is that many young people who decide to move away from society or bracket themselves within certain groups do so because they genuinely feel they do not belong. These young people feel as if there voice is never heard or taken seriously; they lack the confidence to stand strong in their individual beliefs and instead choose to define themselves through their social groups. I use music and poetry to allow young people to express themselves and how they are feeling. The response to my work has been positive with schools continually asking for my services and young people continually letting me know they enjoy my workshops. I have been doing this work through a performing arts agency but hope to register my own business later this year.
I came to university as a young male seeking further education and I am leaving as a young man that has not only succeeded and completed his degree but also a young man that now has the world at his feet. I will use my degree to help people, young people in particular and simply be an example to many that with hard work and determination all things are possible. I will continually encourage young people to gain an education, not just for the qualification but also for the life lessons that it will offer you along the way.
Source

Comments