When a young boy sought to escape the bullying he routinely endured in school, Darryl A. Stuckey Sr. stepped in to help the youth gain not only a sense of purpose, but a stronger sense of self.

Mr. Stuckey, vice chair of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Beta Gamma Lambda Education Foundation, learned that the youngster, who attended alocal public school, longed to transfer to a private Catholic school in Richmond. Mr. Stuckey is a mentor at the school, which provides young people of limited economic means a rigorous college prep education blended with faith, purpose and service.

When Mr. Stuckey’s mentee graduated from his new school, he did so as class president armed with a full scholarship to college.

For Mr. Stuckey, his work with such young men further fulfills the fraternity’s mission:

“To develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.”

“We want them to start off on a good foot,” Mr. Stuckey says. “If you invest the time in these kids, they will flourish and they will blossom.”

Mr. Stuckey, who previously was the Richmond chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha’s treasurer and vice president, continues to wear several hats for the organization, which is the oldest Black fraternity in the United States. He also is chair of the organization’s Young Achievers and Making Men groups.

Yet, Mr. Stuckey views his position as vice chair of the Alpha’s education foundation as a chance to offer engaging activities and programs to which the boys otherwise may not be exposed. He often sees and hears from his mentees and their parents about the challenges youths face today, including mental health struggles, poverty, exposure to crime and other dangers.

Rather than run from such challenges, Mr. Stuckey meets them head on.

“I love kids,” Mr. Stuckey replies when asked why he took on the role as vice chair and other leadership positions. “I think that we have to invest in the generation of kids coming up.”

For Mr. Stuckey and the BGLEF, that investment is focused on preparing young men from the ninth through 12th grades for higher education, whether by providing scholarships for college or tailored suits for job interviews and other professional events.

Helping youths reach new academic heights regardless of who they are or where they come from, however, remains a point of pride for Mr. Stuckey.

“That’s the part that is nearest and dearest to my heart, is to help these kids goto college,” Mr. Stuckey says. “I’m proud of things like that. To me, that’s impressive and I want to do more of that.”

Mr. Stuckey hopes to continue working with Alpha Phi Alpha’s education foundation or the fraternity’s community and mentorship services committees after his term as vice chair ends.

“Maybe as we elect a new president (and) a new chair, they (will) consider that my work is valuable and will continue to keep me on, because I really love doing what I’m doing.”

Meet a volunteer who is committed to providing guidance and resources to Richmond area youths and this week’s Personality, Darryl A. Stuckey Sr.:

Volunteer position(s): Vice chair, Alpha Phi Alpha Beta Gamma Lambda Education Foundation, chair Young Achievers, Making Men and STEM.

Occupation: COO, The Urban Group DMV Corp.

Date and place of birth: Jan. 25 in Chicago.

Where I live now: Richmond.

Education: Virginia State University, bachelor’s in accounting and finance.

Family: Wife, Delisa Hills-Stuckey, four children.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is: The oldest African-American fraternity, founded Dec. 4, 1906.

Why founded: By seven college students at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate Greek letter fraternity established for African-American men.

Founders: Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy.

Mission: To develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.

Membership: 100-plus members locally.

Civic service and our chapter: The chapter’s primary objective is to shape the lives of young people by helping them become more of who they already are.

Beta Gamma Lambda Education Foundation is: A separate branch of the Beta Gamma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity that strives to provide mentorships, aid and scholarships to young African-Americans in Richmond, with a major focus on its annual scholar-

ship banquet held on the third Sunday in May.

My titles and roles are: Past treasurer, past vice president, current mentorship chair.

No. 1 goal or projects I am leading: Mentorship of young African-American men, both locally and nationally through affiliate chapters.

Strategy for achieving goals: To show and introduce role models that look like them that they can identify with.

No. 1 challenge: Continue to keep them engaged and financial support for the programs. We do not charge the kids to come our programs. One of the things that I do is when I have graduating seniors is provide customized suits for them every year. We’re constantly raising money for these young men. We want them to start off on a good foot. We used to rent tuxedos for them for our scholarship gala. Now it’s to the point that I think for a young man to be able to get his first custom

suit is huge. We start them off on the right foot. When he has his first interview, he has a suit, whether it’s for a job placement, or to get into the college. So usually when you do things like that, that’s a lasting impression on the young man coming out of high school. If you invest the time in these kids, they will flourish and they will blossom.

Upcoming events:Young Achievers, a program for young people in the suburbs to interact and form relationships with inner-city youths, who are found via Making Men. It takes place every third Saturday at Virginia Union University.BGLEF Educational Scholarship Ball, May 18, 2024.

Ways to become involved with our projects: Volunteer and support. We encourage everybody in the community to volunteer. We mentor over 100 kids from K-12 through high school. But to do all that, it costs money to run these programs. So I raise money through donors, other

brothers that sponsor kids, and organizations like the Urban League.”

How I start the day: Spiritual meditation. What I can do to be a better husband, father, brother and advocate for my community.

The three words that best describe me: Caring, loving and supportive.

My dream dinner party guest would be: My grandmother, who was an astute business woman. She grew up in Tulsa, Okla., was a land owner and kept all the rights to every piece of real estate she ever owned.

Best late-night snack: Any type of fruit.

Music I listen to most: All genres of music. I’m a music nut, I love music.”

Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I bring my wife breakfast in bed every Sunday.

A quote that inspires me: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela

At the top of my “to-do” list: Retire completely and get old with my wife and wake up to the ocean every day.

The best thing my parents ever taught me: Always do your best.

The person who influenced me the most: My father and mother.

Book that influenced me the most and how: “The Souls of Black Folk” by W.E.B. Du Bois.

What I’m reading now: Currently studying books on AI and the impact it will have on the economy.

Next goal: To continue the work with young men and women and to help every young person I can so that I can have a positive impact in our community.