We were lucky to catch up with Jermel President recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jermel , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

The DAE Foundation was founded in 1999 to educate and train student-­athletes to become skilled, effective, and responsible citizens of their communities. We met the needs of student­-athletes in a holistic manner, combining innovative basketball skills training with an emphasis on moral character, academic progress, social competence, and overall physical and mental health. Over the years, we have heard time and again from parents of our student athletes that the social competence development has been one of the most rewarding and important parts of our programs.

Recently, we have heard from our community partners – parents, educators, employers – that the soft skills needed to be a successful citizen were lacking considerably in young people. This has been especially true since COVID, when the changes in children’s activities impacted their social skills development and learning how to navigate being around different kinds of people was disrupted.

In 2023, we expanded our training program to include all students in our social competency program. We introduce students to concepts like effective communication, attention to detail, goal setting, teamwork, and problem solving to help build a foundation in the social competencies that will help them be able to adjust to the situations they will face. While we still work with student athletes on their specific training needs, providing the social competency program to all students has been a really rewarding new addition to our services.

Jermel , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The DAE (Delores and Estelle) Foundation was founded by College of Charleston Hall of Famer, Jermel President, in 1999. As a former student-­athlete in the Charleston, SC Lowcountry, President understood the need for skill development programs in his community. Determined to educate and inform young basketball players on the opportunities and resources available to them, the DAE Foundation was born.

DAE’s mission is to educate and train student-­athletes to become skilled, effective and responsible citizens of their communities. DAE addresses the needs of student­-athletes in a holistic manner, combining innovative basketball skills training with an emphasis on moral character, academic progress, social competence, and overall physical and mental health. In 2023, the DAE Foundation expanded their social competency training program to provide that service to all students through schools and community programs.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Growing up, I always had the skill of being able to talk with people, and I was a good student. The other natural skill I had was athletic, and I was good at basketball. My thoughts of what work or a career looked like became primarily focused on that, and I looked at basketball as my career potential. There were people and programs in the community that were influential in shaping me.

As I entered middle school, more distractions were introduced, and I became a father at 15 years old. started working jobs like dishwashing at restaurants so that I could buy diapers and formula. My athletic career goals felt impossible. But again, my community rallied around me, and after graduating high school, I got a scholarship to play basketball at the College of Charleston with Coach John Kresse. After college, I had a professional basketball career and was coached by NBA Hall of Fame Forward Rick Barry.

I started the DAE Foundation so that I could help pass along all of the skills and training I’d received from so many important people in my life, and also what I’d learned from the experiences that I had. And as that mission expanded, I realized, all students should have this kind of access, not just the ones who excel at athletics. My passion is passing along the mental and emotional abilities that have allowed me to overcome the obstacles I have faced and thrive.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have had opportunities in the past that didn’t work out, and I felt discouraged about it. In the end, things have a way of working out how they were supposed to. Every moment of struggle has led to a moment of success. When I look back, I see that the things I thought were “the answer” were actually just a stepping stone to where I was really supposed to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.daefoundation.org/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jermelpresident
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daefoundation
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jermel-president/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/daechanges
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC19fO_ArzAK8s1L7VCKN_gw