On Tuesday, April 15, the Heritage Palms community proudly hosted the graduation ceremony for the 2025 Boys2Men class, a mentorship program supporting 5th grade boys from Pottorf Elementary School in Fort Myers. 20 boys started the program, and 18 completed it, with many of them stepping up to speak about the experience at the graduation party.
Over the past three months, ten dedicated volunteers from Heritage Palms met weekly with the young men. The HP mentors were: Tom Power, Mike Bondy, Fred Cox, Leo Crowley, Ed Dickert, Tom Haire, Ed Klimas, Rick Larson, Steve Sergesketter, Jeff Sweeney, and me. Through classroom sessions and hands-on field trips, we worked with the students to develop character, confidence, and life skills with a focus on the Six Pillars of Integrity:
- Trustworthiness
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Fairness
- Caring
- Citizenship
Field trips included visits to the Six Mile Cypress firehouse, D1 Fitness, and even a special outing to the Minnesota Twins spring training stadium—an experience one student recalled fondly during graduation: “My favorite field trip was the Twins stadium. The lesson I will most remember is how they trusted each player. I am thankful for them teaching us how to be better men.”
Another student shared: “I believe everyone should be treated fairly. Fairness means treating everyone with kindness, respect, and equality. It means giving everyone a chance and making sure no one is left out. When people are treated fairly, they feel valued and happy.”
And perhaps most memorably, one young graduate summed up his learning with wisdom beyond his years: “I summarize what I’ve learned as the golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. What does the golden rule really mean? It means if you want kindness or fairness from others, you should give the same to them.”
As we celebrate this year’s success, we are already looking ahead to next year. The Boys2Men program will return from January to April 2026, continuing its mission to inspire and motivate these young men. Volunteers, sponsors, and community support are always welcome. For more info, please send an email to [email protected].
Click here to view our 2025 Commemorative Flipbook and videos highlighting field trips, classroom sessions, and the heartfelt graduation speeches.
