About Us

About The Organization

Gentlemen of Vision Rites of Passage Enterprises, Inc. (G.O.V.) was founded in 2009 by Mr. Marlon Wharton and the late Mr. Paul Albea on the campus of Riverview Gardens High School in St. Louis, Missouri.  Both Mr. Wharton and Mr. Albea saw an increasing and alarming need to address the issues and concerns of young socioeconomically disadvantaged males.  Mr. Wharton believes that there is a lack of counseling, academics, mentoring, and programs that specialize in fostering manhood among young males that would curtail the increasing dropout rate.

The Gentlemen of Vision Rites of Passage Enterprises, Inc. is a community-based program currently servicing males from various school districts within the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. The organization has an impeccable 100 percent high school graduation and college admission/retention rate.  Since 2009, every member has successfully completed high school and has been accepted into a college or university.  In addition to servicing high school members, G.O.V. has extended its services to middle school Y.M.O.V. members, Collegiate members, and the GOV/NJROTC Drill Team.

As the number of members and the demand of G.O.V. services increase, the organization has grown in staff and appointed a Board of Directors.

The Gentlemen of Vision Rites of Passage Enterprises, Inc. (GOV), a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, does not and shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin.

VISION

The vision of the Gentlemen of Vision Rites of Passage Enterprises, Inc. is to engage disadvantaged males in a positive program that holistically addresses the needs of its members to ensure successful completion of secondary education resulting in enrollment in a post-secondary educational institution.

MISSION

The mission of the Gentlemen of Vision Rites of Passage Enterprises, Inc is to prepare disadvantaged males to successfully complete high school through demonstrating superior leadership skills, academic excellence, community service, and career readiness in order to successfully transition into higher education or trade.

GOAL

The Gentlemen of Vision organization was created to curtail the dropout rate among “proven-risk” high school males.  In Missouri, the Black male graduation rate is 65.7%.  To date, G.O.V. members have maintained a 100% graduation rate since the organization’s inception in 2009.  Thus the motto “Changing the lives of young men, one statistic at a time”.

Gentlemen of Vision shapes and molds young men into positive, productive professionals through mentoring.”

-Marlon W.

ESTABLISHED

2009

# OF STUDENTS IMPACTED

5000+ Males

RESULTS

100% Graduation Rate

FOUNDERS

Mr. Marlon Wharton

Mr. Paul Albea

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