Student Stephren Ragler Mentors African American Youth in SF Public Housing

KALW-FM (SAN FRANCISCO) -- Williams is 29 with a neatly trimmed beard and today he’s wearing a purple T-shirt that says “School is My Hustle.” Ragler’s 23 with mellow energy. He sports stylish heavy-rimmed glasses and converse sneakers. He’s a student government vice president at San Francisco State University, too.

Williams and Ragler aren’t teachers. They work for a neighborhood nonprofit called 100% College Prep that partners with HOPE SF to support kids in public housing. The men are grassroots educational advocates. And they’re important, because even a great school can’t give these kids everything they need to succeed. It takes more: more attention, more knowledge of their home circumstances.