Faces of Metro Atlanta's Dropout Rate: Jean Hudley

Back in 2004, Jean Hudley created a non-profit organization in Reynoldstown called "Boys to Men." It serves the male youth in the neighborhood.

Every day she offers GED classes and teaches life skills to 16 young men between 18 and 23.  Others show up on an irregular basis. 

Jean herself is a high school drop-out.  She stopped going to William Howard Taft high school in  the Bronx in 1964 when she was 16 years old.  That’ one of the reasons she started her organization.

In our on-going series profiling high school drop outs here is part one of Jean’s story. 

Jean was a single parent when she dropped out. She went on to work in the court system, where she frequently saw young men fall through the cracks. Jean finally got fed up and started advocating for kids from the other side of the bench.

Even from that side, Jean became disenchanted by the system she worked within. Jean decided her only option was to set an example: to start a community organization called Boys to Men.  It  serves 18 to 23 year-old male youth in her own backyard, Reynoldstown.

Here is part two of her story.

Jean told her story to producer Jenny Ament. Our American Graduate drop-out prevention coverage is supported by grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rita Allen Foundation, and The National Black Programming Consortium.