Meet Isaiah  

Hi my name is Isaiah Hubbard and I was born in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego California. I moved to San Diego when I was two years old. At the age of four I started playing basketball which was a major aspect in my life until the age of 17. During the time I played basketball I received multiple medals, awards, and trophies.

While playing I traveled to places such as Las Vegas, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and local areas around San Diego such as Alliant University Gym, The YMCA, and pretty much every high school in the South Bay and some in the San Diego Unified School District.
Another highlight of my life includes me always being involved in something to help shape who I am today. My Sophomore year of high school was a significant year to me because I participated in The AKA Debutante Ball as an escort.

Also, this is the year that I became a Blue Heart member, and my first day was at the 2018 signing day.

With my first day joining Blue Heart at the 2018 signing day, I experience Blue Heart at its finest. I say this because I saw a lot of leaders and young men who presented themselves in such an impressive way and the young men going off to college. 2018 is the year I joined blue heart and the year Kaori graduated.

Kaori is a former Blue Heart member and a big take away that I received from him was to never give up and push through any situation.

I related to this because we both played sports but stopped playing for different reasons. Even though he did not go to college for football like he would have liked he prevailed and now is at Morehouse College.

2019 is where I saw the most struggle and growth in myself. Blue Heart was a major contribution in helping me with my struggles. Even though there were many leaders in Blue Heart that helped me with my growth, I would say that Tracy was the most helpful. He was extremely hard on me whenever we got together as a group and never sugar coated anything.

Fast forwarding into 2020 I am getting ready to graduate and transition into a college, I am becoming more self-sufficient, making more decisions on my own, and most importantly becoming a young man.

With this said, Blue Heart has contributed to all four of those key points of my life. I would like to give thanks to Blue Heart for helping me get out of my comfort zone and giving me a place where I could relate to young black men like myself. I say this because before joining Blue Heart I never really hung out with a group of all black young men. I was always around mixed races or non-black.

Not saying that that is bad but it’s nothing like having a group of friends where everyone can relate, joke and talk about school the same.

So, in conclusion I would give my Blue Heart experience a ten out of ten.

About Edward Shenault

My name is Edward Shenault and I am the 2019-2020 Blue Heart President. I am 17 years old and attend High Tech High San Diego.

I was raised by a “village” so academics were never a big problem for me because I had so many people in my corner making sure that I was on top of my work. My grandfather was a Pastor before he passed. He was a huge part of my life, taking me to school for many years. He always asked me how I was doing in school and would say, “Don’t fool me now” when I responded. I knew this meant that he was expecting me to always do well, and I’ve worked hard to not disappoint him. So, when he passed, I told myself that I was not going to let him down.

I made sure I did the best I could to make him proud. While being raised in church I was around many different positive role models. Being around these prestigious men and women I have had a lot of time to take in wisdom that has been given to me throughout my entire life and add my own touch to it to fit my life. With the advice that was and is still being passed to me, by my grandmother, mother, father and others, I have been able to navigate my way through school and tough times. Aside from being raised in church, I was also very engaged in sports. For seven years I played football where I learned the basics of teamwork, becoming a leader and working in a community.

I joined Blue Heart about a year and a half ago. I did not join because my grades were low, I joined because I wanted to be a part of a brotherhood. I wanted to learn how to become a better leader and learn how to be a better young man for my community. Even still, I did not really understand the purpose of the organization, so I did not value my time in it. Initially, I was not very open to stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things.

After attending the monthly workshops and community service events, I have been able to slowly step out of my shell towards being the kind of leader that will bring my brothers together and create unity. The turning point for me was when I became President. When I became President, I realized that I had a bigger responsibility ahead of me than just showing up; it allowed me the opportunity to understand the history and purpose of Blue Heart.

“My favorite experience has been the step practices because I have been able to see how my brothers’ bonds feed off of each other’s energy and break out of my shell and bond with them.”

Blue Heart has basically opened my eyes to the real world. Blue Heart has taught me that as young black men growing up in this country, we have to carry ourselves properly because our every move is being watched in everything we do everywhere. Blue Heart has also taught me how to step up and take lead when no one else will and how to be a better man overall. My favorite experience has been the step practices because I have been able to see how my brothers’ bonds feed off of each other’s energy and break out of my shell and bond with them.

I have grown a lot since I first joined Blue Heart. I want to thank Tracy for choosing me to be President. At first, I was unsure why he chose me because I had only been in the program for a few months, and I did not know if I was ready. However, he reassured me and with his guidance, and past president Amir Duke I was able to catch my groove and find my own way to lead my brothers. I am honored to be a member of Blue Heart and look forward to taking the tools that I have learned into the next phase of my educational journey.

About Jordan

Jordan was born in Fairfax, Virginia and raised in Alexandria where he attended elementary school. Jordan comes from a military family and in 2013, he and his family relocated to San Diego where he resides today. Jordan enjoys various activities and hobbies to include basketball, reading and volunteering in the community. As a senior, he served as the Olympian High School Black Student Union President.

Jordan has been a member of the Blue Heart Foundation for over a year and has benefited greatly from the mentoring and leadership opportunities provided. As a result of the Blue Heart experience, Jordan has gained more confidence in public speaking and engaging with mentors in the community. The community outreach, which is a part of the Blue Heart mission, has also been an important factor as Jordan recognizes “giving back” as a critical part of belonging to any community.

“He believes the HBCU experience aligns well with his personal values and the values that sees in the Blue Heart organization.”

Jordan has received acceptance letters from various colleges and universities to include Arizona State, Georgia State and LSU. All three schools have business programs that in the top 50 in the country. However, the importance of the Blue Heart impact on Jordan is best exemplified in his decision to attend [Blank] in the fall. He believes the HBCU experience aligns well with his personal values and the values that sees in the Blue Heart organization. His intention is to continue to serve as a community mentor and volunteer and intends to stay connected to Blue Heart moving forward.

Jordan will pursue a degree in business with an emphasis in entertainment and sports management. He is interested in attending law school following his undergraduate studies.

About Giordan Lee

My name is Giordan Lee, the 2019-2020 Student Vice President of The Blue Heart Foundation. I am a 17-year-old senior currently attending Olympian High School. I am a San Diego native with roots in Chula Vista.

With academics, most subjects were easy for me to grasp starting from preschool and up. Although I was involved in extracurricular activities like football and basketball, I was still able to maintain good grades. I have always had the support of my parents, whose discipline and leadership groomed me to be the person I am today. I learned the value of integrity and responsibility since my father was in the U.S. Navy and had to deploy often. Being of mixed race and changing schools frequently has always placed me in a diverse atmosphere. I have always been able to adapt to diversity and wanted to explore more of my black heritage and culture. Being a part of The Blue Heart Foundation allowed me the opportunity to experience African American brotherhood and community activism.

At Olympian High School, I am Vice President and step leader of the Black Student Union “Young Black Leaders of Excellence” (YBL). As Vice President of both Blue Heart and YBL, I am in a leadership position and have been able to develop my character, enforce ethics, and encourage teamwork for over 70 underclassmen. I have volunteered over 200 hours of community service and participated in a variety of workshops and events for the community. The workshops include character development, college preparedness, life skills, career paths, and opportunities to develop leadership. For 3 years I have participated in events such as local voter information meetings, the 2018 Democratic Convention, award ceremonies, March of Dimes Walk for Babies, and YMCA Community Christmas Events. Every time I leave a workshop, I think of all the possibilities the future holds. My participation in these events makes me want to dedicate my future to helping the next generation succeed and giving back to the community that helped shape me. I plan to continue to participate in community events while in college because the more knowledge I gain, I feel I should share with others.

“…my faith was strong and as much as I wanted Alana to beat this cancer, I wanted to beat it too along with all of the stereotypes placed on a young man like myself.”

In November 2018, my girlfriend Alana was diagnosed with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma Cancer. I was shocked, angry and could not understand why cancer had to happen to her. I did not know exactly what to do or how to handle the situation besides just being there showing love and support. My parents were concerned and thought this situation would send me into a deep depression, cause me to neglect my schoolwork, and give up on my dream of going to college. However, my faith was strong and as much as I wanted Alana to beat this cancer, I wanted to beat it too along with all of the stereotypes placed on a young man like myself. After a year of Alana’s chemotherapy and other cancer procedures, I have been able to meet my educational goals while encouraging and supporting her. I never want to take my wellness for granted and I vow to make every moment count, especially when it comes to my education.

As an inspired young man looking to increase my knowledge and further my educational goals, I am ready for the next journey that college has to offer. I have developed several skills in my youth that have prepared me for this moment. Growing up in a disciplined family, learning to be reliable and responsible at an early age…

being part of organizations that develop character and leadership, and being able to conquer adversity and emotional mishaps have all groomed me to be college ready.