Gregory Carter

A personal story. A reason to give back.

I grew up as one of five children. My mother worked hard to provide for our family, and our basic needs were met, but there were things she simply could not afford. I was a strong student academically, yet I experienced judgment and bullying because of my appearance and the things I did not have.

As a young man, the pressure to fit in and the desire to have what I saw others enjoying contributed to my abandoning my studies and eventually making choices that led me into crime. I take responsibility for those decisions. I also understand how easily a young person with academic promise can lose sight of that promise when acceptance and appearance start to seem more important than education.

Those experiences stayed with me. I cannot change the decisions I made, but I can use what I learned to encourage another promising student to stay on a positive path.

I think about the student who makes the Honor Roll but cannot afford a good pair of shoes, a haircut, or the technology that others take for granted. What if we celebrated that student while they were already doing the right thing? What if we recognized their accomplishments and gave them another reason to keep going?

That is why I founded The Gear 4 Grades Foundation. I want students to know that their circumstances do not define their potential, that being smart is something to be proud of, and that their hard work matters.

“The Gear 4 Grades Foundation is my commitment to ensuring that young people who are already demonstrating academic excellence receive the recognition, encouragement, and opportunities they deserve. I want these students to understand that being smart is something to celebrate, that their circumstances do not determine their future, and that their achievements should never go unnoticed simply because their families face financial challenges.”