Denver Urban Scholars Walk of Fame, 20 Years in the Making: Trent Peaker

For the last two years, Trent Peaker has not just mentored two brothers, born in Yemen and now being raised by their mother here in Denver, but he has changed their lives. He’s a star that will never fade.

The impact he’s had in helping Khaled and his brother, Saber, goes well beyond helping them with their history homework. It’s life lessons so pure as shaking a hand, writing a thank you note, to getting (and keeping) a job, opening a bank account, and learning how to be a leader in your community. Trent has gone above and beyond what we ask of our DUS mentors. It’s that extra mile he’s given that has gone the distance. Thank you, Trent.

Trent was featured in The Denver Post last year, and we encourage you to read more about his story with Khaled and Saber.

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?

Originally I sat on the Youth Opportunity Foundation board for seven years. During that time I got to know Patrick and Denver Urban Scholars, and once my time was through on the YOF board I wanted to get involved with DUS and mentoring. I’ve been mentoring through DUS for two years. I kind of feel as though I’m just getting started. Both of my mentees are just starting their freshman year of high school and I intend to be with them until they graduate from high school.

As a mentor your impact has been felt in the students’ lives, but what impacts have they had on your life? How has being involved in DUS impacted you?

Not having any kids, they certainly have reminded me of what it’s like to be a kid trying to get through middle school and on to high school. That is something I do not miss. They’ve both made me think about different points of view that I otherwise never would have. They’ve inspired me with their journey to get where they are today and how they’re growing into young adults. I see a lot of potential in both of them and know that it’s up to them whether they want to be great or not. I just hope to help them realize they can succeed at whatever it is they set out to accomplish.

Being around the case managers at DUS has been inspiring because they all care so much. I’ve enjoyed meeting other mentors and learning from them. I’d like to think I’ve become a better person because of this and that has been the main impact of being involved with DUS.

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

Don’t be afraid to get involved. There’s certainly a time commitment that prevented me from mentoring sooner but you just figure out a way to make it work. Pretty soon it’s part of your routine and you look forward to getting with your mentee. Know that you are making a difference in someone’s life and it’s important to give back to those who might not have the same opportunities that you were provided growing up. A little love goes a long way.

What are some of the impacts/results you think have been some of DUS’s biggest achievements?

I like being part of an organization that is always wanting to grow and get better. DUS has made a lot of improvements since I joined and am very excited about their mission statement and their definition of college and career readiness. Having this focused vision of what they want to accomplish will ensure they succeed. Proof of that can be found in their current mentor/mentee training.

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

I think the most impactful activity we have done so far is lining up leaf raking jobs last fall. The boys set a goal that they wanted to raise enough money to buy Elitches passes for the summer. The main benefit of setting this goal was to learn a little about being self-employed. They first had to go open up checking accounts at Young Americans Bank. We lined up the jobs for about 3-4 weekends in a row. They quickly learned that your word is your worth and if you say you’re going to show up to do a job, that’s what you do. In order to get repeat business or have clients refer you to others, you have to do a good job. At the end of each job I requested that the client write out checks to the mentees. This gave them the experience of keeping a ledger in their checkbook and let them experience what it is like to take checks to the bank and deposit them.

At the end of each day we would go get some food and they each wrote thank-you notes to their clients. They learned that it was important to thank the people who gave them work and money to achieve their goal. When it was over they had earned a few hundred dollars more than what their goal was and as part of the deal, they agreed to give back 10% of what they earned to charity.

In December we went to the Colfax Community Network Christmas party and helped serve food and hand out presents and they gave their 10% to this organization. I feel this led to the older mentee wanting to get a job this summer. He nailed the interview and worked at Elitches. This year they are wanting to make business cards.