As the age old saying goes, every person has a different journey in life. In a large metropolis such as San Francisco, a plethora of individuals on different paths makes up one of the nation's most dynamic cities.
 
Within these different paths are unique individuals, including folks from a variety of genders, ethnicities, backgrounds and much more.
 
Tucked away in the middle of the City by the Bay, the University of San Francisco prides itself on its tagline: "Change the World From Here".
 
For former Don Jerome Gumbs, CEO/Founder of Empower ME Academy (EMA), his journey to the Hilltop was one of turbulence and triumph – a story worthy to be passed down through the ages.
 
Born on Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gumbs grew up in a household of women – six sisters specifically. While his mom - Ann, who was a housekeeper at a Marriott for 40 years - served in the disciplinary role, his father - Wilbert, who built houses for a living and was often out working, taught him his work ethic. As a family, the Gumbs' were devoutly religious.
 
For those who are not aware, the Virgin Islands once was regarded as the most dangerous location in the Caribbean and at one time was considered one of the top five most dangerous locations in the world.
 
"I grew up in an environment where my mom wouldn't sleep at night if I was out late," said Gumbs. "When I tell people that I grew up in a war zone, I don't think people grasp that because living in a place of crime in the United States is a lot different. When you have beef on the island, you die – you either kill or get killed." 
 
Without any brothers to hang around, it became easy for Gumbs to turn to the streets. Recalling back on those years, one quote still rings true from his mother's advice: "Don't follow people".
 
Not really into sports as a child, Gumbs started in the athletic world at a later age. Around 8 or 9, he began suiting up to play football and basketball, but was especially focused on improving on the hardwood.
 
Providing support for her kids no matter their age, Ann was not always a fan of him picking up a basketball. 
 
"She used to say basketball is the devil," said Gumbs. "She said that because you have to play basketball on Sundays since that is when the tournaments were."
 
As Gumbs continued to grow his skillset on the court, Ann began to see the habits and values that the game was instilling in him and how the sport was forming him into a better person.
 
By the time Gumbs was a sophomore in high school, he had won a championship in the Virgin Islands and was beginning to draw recruiting interest from universities around the United States.

Through all of this newfound success, Gumbs still had ties to his upbringings, some of which were attempting to pull him back into old habits. When Gumbs began pursuing the game of basketball more seriously, his best friend Jahbob simultaneously began a different journey, growing to become one of the biggest gangsters on Saint Thomas.
 
"He would rob people, come in your house and do it even if he knew you," said Gumbs. "I remember going home and all the OG's telling me you need to stay away from him."
 
As middle school best friends, Gumbs couldn't immediately grasp why he needed to avoid contact with Jahbob.
 
Fast forward a few years to his freshman year at USF. Gumbs is walking from the cafeteria when he got a call from back home.
 
"I picked up the phone and it was his mom crying," said Gumbs. "Couldn't even make out the words she was saying…I didn't even know it was her and she said 'They got him…they killed him'."
 
As he began processing the news, Gumbs learned that his best friend had been shot nine times as his killers aimed to prove a point in their execution.
 
"It was one of the most eye-opening experiences that put me on this path and a reminder that I was on the right path," said Gumbs. "He was my best friend…I was with him every single day and from then, I just took basketball more seriously."
 
Reflecting on his motivation, Gumbs also had a near-death experience himself at age 13 that changed his outlook on life.
 
With another boyhood friend, Gumbs raced street bikes as did his friend Jabari Brown, who also was a Division I student-athlete and played basketball on two Final Four teams under Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma.
 
"We were racing bikes and my bike wasn't well put together because I couldn't afford anything better," said Gumbs. "We were racing…I had the worst bike and I was actually winning the race…Then I fell off, landed on my head and slid directly on my head on the concrete."
 
Attempting to play it cool, Gumbs attempted to get up and shake it off, but quickly realized he was in trouble.
 
"I got up trying to be tough and it felt like someone was pouring a bucket of blood out of my head," said Gumbs.
 
With a medical center nearby, he attempted to walk to get help himself, but passed out unconscious on the way there and ultimately woke up in the hospital, only to see his mom crying next to the bed.
 
"That was the first time I had ever seen my mom cry," said Gumbs.

After being taken to Puerto Rico, he received care from the Caribbean's best doctors. Soon, Gumbs realized that while his injuries had been treated from the bike accident, he had also experienced a seizure on the way home. To describe it simply, Gumbs had put a dent in his head, which was then subsequently pressing directly on his brain and causing the seizures.
 
At that time, Gumbs had been getting into so much trouble that his mom and him were not on speaking terms. Physically, the doctors had to wait for the swelling from the accident to subside so they could safely operate on his head. 
 
As he laid in the hospital bed with his mother physically emotional at his side, he begged for another shot at life.
 
"I remember being in that bed just saying 'I just want one more chance'…I remember telling my mom if I have one more chance, I will be better," said Gumbs. "I didn't change right away, but from that moment on, I started getting back on the right path because I was given a second opportunity to live."
 
Through all of these ups and downs, Gumbs consistently leaned on a mentor back home that always found the light in dark times - a man by the name of Cyril Benjamin.
 
"He was my mentor and my second dad," said Gumbs. "He was the one who empowered and gave me confidence, especially being a young black boy back in those days."
 
Growing up in the Caribbean, community was always important to Gumbs. Upon moving to the United States to complete his high school education, he learned the process of being a nationally-recognized college basketball recruit.
 
"Bill Hogan, the Athletic Director for USF at the time, knew my mentor Cyril because they had gone to school together," said Gumbs.
 
USF was lasered focused on recruiting Gumbs and started putting feelers out through the first few weeks of the school year.
 
"They started recruiting me before I even touched a basketball in Kentucky and they came to my high school five times," said Gumbs. "They wanted me to come to USF before they even saw me play."
 
While in high school in Kentucky, Gumbs bonded with one of the most important mentors in his life to this day – coach John Tinsley. Advocating on behalf of Gumbs, Tinsley helped the Saint Thomas native became the first student-athlete to make the Kentucky All-Star team that was not originally from the state as he finished top four in the state in rebounding and top ten in scoring.
 
As universities from around the country became familiar with Gumbs and his game, San Francisco continued to stand out from the rest. After flying to Saint Thomas to meet with Ann while Gumbs was at Cincinnati on his recruiting trip, Phil Matthews, head coach of the Dons at the time, got Gumbs to commit to the green and gold.
 
"It was the relationships that they created that made me feel comfortable coming here," said Gumbs.
 
At the time of Gumbs' arrival on the Hilltop, the Reverend Stephen Arena Privett, S.J. was president of the university. Upon learning of Gumbs' background, Privett told Gumbs that he was the first student from the Virgin Islands to attend the university.
 
"I took a lot of pride in that," said Gumbs. "It made me feel honored and humbled to be the first student from the Virgin Islands to attend the university."
 
Once he stepped foot in War Memorial Gym, Gumbs knew he had made the right decision. Playing in 116 total games for the Dons and starting 73 of them, Gumbs went on to win the Arthur C. Zief Jr. Award his sophomore and junior years, which was awarded annually to the team's most inspirational player. Additionally, he was also selected for the Bob Giron Coaches Award his sophomore year, which honored the student-athlete who consistently gave forth the best effort.
 
"It was a great opportunity for me to become a more holistic player, which paid dividends after my career," said Gumbs.
 
Fast forward past his professional playing career, Gumbs has made it his mission to use what he learned from his mom and USF to give back to the community he loves. Founded in 2013, EMA is a 501c3 nonprofit social enterprise that aims to unlock the leadership potential of children from all backgrounds, inspiring them to achieve greatness in sports and life. Through its safe haven and mindfulness-promoting programs, EMA serves as a catalyst for positive transformation in the community and society. By uplifting young people to reach for their dreams, EMA is making a meaningful impact on the world.
 
"The reason I got into working with children is because I believe your foundational upbringing is what shapes you," said Gumbs. "My mom raised us on one ideology that was very important - to love people - regardless of where they are from, regardless of their demographics, regardless of the neighborhoods they grew up in. The purpose of life is to be of service to others."
 
As he began building a business of his own, Gumbs continued to lean on the concepts that shaped his mother and their family.
 
"As you get older, you start reverting back to the life lessons that your parents taught you," said Gumbs. "I love people because that's how I was raised."
 
A transplant to San Francisco, Gumbs also has a personal motive for remaining in the area. Having personally experienced horrific events back home in the Virgin Islands, Gumbs did not want to raise his own offspring in that same environment.
 
"I knew my son would be safe here," said Gumbs. "So everything stems from where would I raise my son… There are many reasons why I started here, but there is one primary reason why I stay here.  I knew that I was going to raise my son here, so I really had to start building a foundation for him to stand on and a cocoon around him to protect him - so that he could develop into a better version, a better person, than I."
 
When all is said and done, Gumbs wants to leave a simple legacy behind: "I want my legacy to be that I left everywhere I went a better place," he said.
 
For those who are looking to follow in his footsteps, Gumbs also has a piece of wisdom to share: "Practice talking to everyone…Life and success are rarely about what you know and rather about who you know; that has stuck with me since my classes on this campus…Develop the ability to go into any room and be comfortable talking to anyone because you never who you can run into."
 
Hanging in his office is a reminder to himself each day, a quote he lives by, from Maya Angelou: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel".
 
If you would like to learn more, please visit Empower Me Academy's website or follow the academy on social media @empwermeacademy on Twitter and @empowermeacademy on Instagram. To get involved, kindly contact Coach Gumbs at coachgumbs@emaleaders.org or his team at Happytohelp@emaleaders.org