Pride Month Spotlight: Leandros and Leslie on Mentorship, Authenticity, and Community Leadership
In honor of Pride Month, Valley Leadership is proud to spotlight an inspiring mentorship duo from the New Pathways program whose bond beautifully embodies the values of integrity, authenticity, and leadership. We recently sat down with recent high school graduate Leiandros and his mentor, Leslie, to discuss their journeys through personal growth, the power of supportive relationships, and what Pride truly means to them.
Empowering Youth Through Mindful Mentorship
New Pathways is a mentorship organization dedicated to guiding youth through meaningful, one-on-one relationships paired with a unique personal development curriculum. Through monthly workshops called “power ups,” the program focuses on essential life skills, character distinctions, and future planning. It provides teens with a safe space to navigate the complexities of growing up while building the confidence to shape their own futures.
Key Highlights From Our Conversation
In our full interview, Leiandros and Leslie reflect on:
- Learning to Be “Comfortable Being Uncomfortable”: Leiandros shares how this distinction helped him conquer his fear of public speaking, leading him to perform an original poem at a breakfast fundraiser that raised over $500,000 for the program.
- The Foundation of Trust and Integrity: Leslie emphasizes “honoring yourself as your word,” highlighting how building trust through absolute honesty and showing up authentically creates a life-changing foundation for youth.
- The True Meaning of Pride: Leiandros defines Pride as safely being yourself while honoring past and present trailblazers. Leslie adds that it serves as a vital reminder that everyone deserves equal respect, rights, and freedom.
- Designing a Visionary Future: Inspired by his high school engineering class, Leiandros will attend Northern Arizona University (NAU) to study Biomedical Engineering, aiming to design prosthetics for children or animals.
Whether you are a mentor, a young changemaker, or someone looking to understand how authentic connections forge stronger communities, Leiandros and Leslie’s story is a beautiful testament to resilience, bravery, and the impact of lifting as we climb.
Watch the full interview to experience Leiandros and Leslie’s complete story and their powerful closing declarations.