The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Nonprofit motivates students despite pandemic uncertainty
NEW MILFORD — Wayne Winsley was living as an orphaned Black boy in Cleveland when he’d chosen to give up on school. Then one day, he overheard a friend’s father say three words that forever changed his life: “strive for excellence.” Today, Winsley is dedicated to inspiring young people and faced with a different challenge, keeping his New Milford nonprofit viable amid the pandemic’s
looming uncertainty.
Brave Enough to Fail, Winsley’s educational organization started in 2015, gives motivational presentations and awards scholarships to high school students in the area and beyond.
The program consists of motivational speeches and the “Boss Academy,” a 12-week course designed to help students cultivate life skills, goal setting, time management, public speaking and more.
Wayne Winsley, the organization’s founder, said the group’s goal lies in assisting students to “move forward and achieve those dreams we encourage them to pursue.”
The nonprofit, known as BETF, has reached about 15,000 students and awarded about $50,000 in scholarship money across numerous districts, including Danbury, New Milford and Bridgeport, with intentions to expand, Winsley said.
Bridgeport principals requested Winsley work with their students in early 2020, but the pandemic disrupted their plans. Winsley adopted a virtual platform to continue engaging youngsters, but their lack of funding posed an obstacle.
“Just like every other nonprofit, we’ve been struggling in the face of COVID unable to fundraise,” Winsley said. “We weren’t sure if we were even going to be able to stay in business.”
BETF launched an online fundraiser and received a $15,000 donation from an anonymous donor.
“It’s going to help inspire a lot more students,” Winsley said. “That $15,000 is going to translate to us being able to reach another couple thousand students.”
Mikayla Hill, a current Western Connecticut State University junior said Winsley’s foundation shaped her perspective.
“The scholarship has helped me financially and is a reminder that I can pursue and overcome my failures,” Hill said. “If you can be brave enough to fail, then you can overcome anything.”
Hill’s impression is similar to the outlook Winsley developed when he was 14. Winsley said he was raised by his great-grandmother until she could no longer support him and he wound up in the welfare system. Faced with different challenges, Winsley withdrew from school and failed the eighth grade.
“Second time around in eighth grade, I’m now in the system and I gave up on school,” he said. “If you took the days I went to school that second time around, stayed all day without skipping any classes, realistically it would add up to about two weeks.”
“I was this 14-year-old Black kid wandering around the streets of Cleveland, no direction,” he added. “Statistically, I was going to wind up in one of two places, prison or the cemetery.”
However, Winsley vividly recalled the moment he decided to change his situation. His buddy was being scolded over his report card and he overheard his friend’s father tell his son to “strive for excellence.”
“Excellence will overcome poverty, prejudice and adversity every time,” the man said.
Winsley chose to return to school and work toward his own excellence. Although he didn’t automatically become a straight-A student, his life’s direction changed. He still walks around thinking of those exact words.
He went on to graduate high school, serve in the U.S. Navy, made a career in radio broadcasting and eventually ran for Congress in Connecticut.
“I’m living proof that a message can change the trajectory of a child’s life. I’m dedicating the rest of my life to bringing that message to as many young people as possible,” Winsley said.