ECU grad headed to Congress

John Gaines, a former Kinship Care Youth and current community leader for the Tacoma, Washington, area, has been selected to participate in the 2017 Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program. 

Gaines attended East Central University in 2011 where he also won a Lone Star North Championship In football. 

Next month, he will Shadow Congressman Dennis Heck (D - Washington) and be able to speak with members of Congress. He will facilitate a workshop that he created for some of the nation’s youth leaders and also sit in on workshops to learn more about how to help less fortunate and Foster Care Youth in Washington State.  

Gaines, who went to the New York Stock Exchange last year to ring the opening bell on Wall Street, has another unique opportunity to represent Tacoma and Washington State at a national level. Gaines was born on the Hilltop of Tacoma when crime was at an all-time high. He was born a crack baby, he could not read as a child, had a speech impediment and found his mother dead at the age of 7.

The story has taken a turn for the better. Gaines is now a D.B. A candidate, set to graduate with a doctorate in business early next year and has dedicated his life to helping the “less fortunate and at risk. “He has made his life’s purpose to help as many young people as possible. His goal is to help them realize regardless of the adversity or obstacles they may face, they can still push to be the great human they were created to be. 

As a young male from a crime- and drug-heavy environment, he never imagined he would be able to go to Congress at such a critical time in our nation and make an impact for many of the organizations that helped him achieve his dreams and become who he is today. He wants to help others realize they are not defined by their circumstances but rather by how they respond to the adversity they face.