Denver Urban Scholars Walk of Fame, 20 Years in the Making: Tom Kimball, Youth Opportunity Foundation

It’s hard for us to believe that Denver Urban Scholars is celebrating 20 years this year. We’ve been so blessed to have so many “stars” involved in our organization, especially Tom Kimball, executive director of Youth Opportunity Foundation. Not only has Tom inspired us to be a better organization, but for more than a decade he has helped lead the way as one of our board members. It doesn’t stop there, though. Tom has mentored several students in our program, helping them achieve a brighter path for their future and for their families. Our short interview with Tom is one that inspired and reminded us just how lucky we are to have such amazing people involved in DUS. Thank you, Tom, for always inspiring us and showing us the light.

How did you become involved in Denver Urban Scholars? How long has it been and why have you stayed involved in the organization for as long as you have?

I got involved with DUS approximately 16 years ago when I started mentoring a young man named Sean Limberhand. Not long after that I started a non-profit called Youth Opportunity Foundation, which threw an event called Mustache4Cash. For many years DUS was our primary beneficiary. About 10 years ago, Patrick asked me to be on the board and I have served in that capacity ever since. There are two primary reasons why I have stayed involved for so long; first, is the tremendous work that DUS does for our community—they are a force of good and I want to be involved in their success; second, I love all the people involved in the organization, from Larry and Margaret, to the board, to the staff—they inspire me.

Can you share a little about the Youth Opportunity Foundation and why/how the two organizations work together to support the Denver community?

The two organizations have essentially the same mission: to better the lives of Denver’s underserved youth. When we started hitting some big fundraising numbers we needed a strong partner that had similar values and a strong name in the community. The Byrne Foundation (now Denver Urban Scholars) was a perfect fit.

Why have you felt that it’s important to support Denver Urban Scholars both personally and through your role with Youth Opportunity Foundation?

We have a saying over at YOF that has been our guiding principal from the onset: to whom much is given, much is required. I have been blessed with so much in my life, for which I am very grateful. But gratitude is not enough. I feel compelled to take action, and to use whatever talents, contacts, and leverage I have to help better my community. It pains me to see young kids born into a life of constant obstacles. If I can remove a few of them and help contribute to their success, then it will be a life well lived, for all of us.

What do you see as the largest impact Denver Urban Scholars has on the community?

The tremendous results DUS has with the students is powerful; the numbers speak for themselves. But what the numbers don’t show is the ripple effect DUS has in the community. When that oldest sibling is the first to graduate from high school, the younger ones see it and want to follow in those footsteps. When a DUS student has a strong mentor and gets to do cool activities with them, their friends pay attention and want a similar experience. I used the term “force of good” earlier and I really believe that is the energy that DUS puts into our community. And they are putting it our there in abundance!

How has being a DUS mentor impacted your life?

How much time do you have? I’d say it’s one of the top two or three most important experiences I have had, and there is a pretty long list of awesome experiences behind it. I’ve met some of my closest friends, including my mentee Sean; I’ve developed amazing leadership skills; the compassion and empathy I feel for our community burns brighter than ever; and I discovered a small skill set in auctioneering which all started with a DUS dinner about seven years ago.

As a past mentor can you share some words of advice for future mentors?

First of all, what you are doing is huge, don’t take this responsibility or experience lightly. Your mentee will enjoy a lot of the activities you like, which is cool, but discover some new interests together. And get to know their friends and family as well, include them in some experiences. The more of a positive impact you make on their circle of influence, the higher likelihood that student will succeed.

Any fun – or impactful - memories of your involvement as a mentor with Denver Urban Scholars?

Oh, I have some real good stories of Patrick Byrne, but you’ll have to stick around at the DUS after party to hear those!