ETAMU Alum Leverages His Past to Guide Youth Toward Better Futures

East Texas A&M alum Leon Theodore is featured in a recent article by Spectrum News. The feature details Theodore's journey of overcoming a troubled past to become a social worker, nonprofit leader and adjunct professor.

Leon Theodore, dressed in dark clothing, sits outside of a white building. He is smiling as he looks into the distance with his fingers interlocked in front of him.
East Texas A&M alum Leon Theodore. Photo courtesy of Spectrum News.

A self-proclaimed hustler, Theodore began skirting the law in his early teen years. Although he later attended college, by his mid-thirties, he was continually in and out of jail. After a longer stint in jail, he finally resolved to break the pattern.

“That's what drove me. I just didn't want to be a criminal anymore,” Theodore said in the article. “It takes a lot to change how you've lived. Habits don't change right away.”

Theodore eventually moved to Texas, where he caught a break that helped him change direction. The opportunity enabled him to complete his bachelor's in social work in 2018 and a master's in social work in 2019, both from East Texas A&M (then A&M-Commerce).

Then, something unexpected happened.

“They offered me a job teaching, which is crazy to me,” he said. “Now, I'm an adjunct professor.”

Along with impacting youth through teaching, Theodore leverages his life experiences to help formerly incarcerated people re-integrate into society through his nonprofit Destination Known Academy, which helps youth discover their direction and set course for better futures.

“It's okay to know your faults,” he said. “But it's better to know that you can change from your past.”

Read the full article on the Spectrum News website.