Mike Smith Inspires Youth to be Leaders Not Followers

Mike Smith is Director of youth services at the YWCA in York. He’s also the founder of The Temple Guard Drill Team and helped coordinate York’s Guardian Angels group. Mike makes a positive difference in our community–helping young people in York County stay off the streets and out of trouble. A self-described meanest nice-guy in the world, kids are his passion!

As Director of the Y’s Quantum Opportunities Program his goal is to make sure inner city kids graduate and seek opportunities for higher education. The program empowers students to make a “Quantum Leap” towards the future. He’s consistently there for the kids he mentors–offering constant support, motivation and sometimes even a little tough love.

The Temple Guard Drill Team, under Mike’s direction, has become an inspirational youth program that has continued to grow over the past 14 years. Temple Guard is a mentoring program based on discipline and focus that trains young people in grades K-12 in military-style boot-camp marching and dance to the accompaniment of heart pounding drums.

Mike Smith serves as a mentor for youth of all ages, races, religions and economic backgrounds. He created the Guard to enrich the lives of students by teaching respect for elders in their neighborhood and respect for one another. Mike inspires students to: hold themselves to a higher standard… to settle for no less than a passing grade in all subjects… to become role models for others on the streets and in school… and most importantly to be leaders, not followers. Take a look–and a listen–to Mike and the Temple Guard Drill Team in the video below. WITF congratulates Mike Smith for his vital community service and commitment to education.

WITF’s American Graduate Day project is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is supported regionally by Orrstown Bank, by the Harrisburg, Mont Alto and York Campuses of Penn State, and by York College of Pennsylvania.