Mike Gibson
Growing up in East Oakland, Michael Gibson’s childhood was marred by drug related violence in his community and in his family. Caught up in the streets and entangled at a young age, he was serving a sentence in a youth correctional facility when he was introduced to the African American Males Transition Program there. That positive influence spurred Michael to read and to write about his experiences, and in time led to an early parole. After his release in an attempt to keep out of trouble, Michael joined Alive & Free/ Omega Boys Club.
At Alive & Free, Michael learned the value of his life. When asked about what he wanted to do moving forward, he indicated that he wanted an opportunity to use his prior negative experiences for good. From there, Dr. Marshall encouraged him to think bigger. Over time, he became con dent enough to seek attendance at HBCUs across the country and picked Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. There, he put to use all the tools he had learned at Alive & Free and graduated with a BA in English and Drama. He then went on to get his Masters in Public Administration from Cal State East Bay.
He no longer allowed his circumstances to dictate his behavior.
“Mike is a special person,” says Dr. Marshall. “He’s been through a lot and for him to come through all of that and be the role model and family man he is now is really something. I remember all the nights I use to drive him home from the Club and all the wonderful conversations we had. He never gave up, no matter what setbacks he experienced. He is such an inspiration to all the young people who have come after him at Alive & Free.”
Michael has shared his life story countless times all over the country and speaks about his experience with Alive & Free and the impact the program had on his life. That impact influenced his own passion to create programs to shape the community. Inspired by Alive & Free’s core value — “The more you know, the more you owe” − Michael has been instrumental in the development of several mentorship programs, including the Positive Minds Project at the Mentoring Center. He now owns a professional coaching consulting business and leads the Emergency Medical Services Corps (EMS Corps) in Alameda County, an award-winning program that prepares young men for careers in Emergency Medical Services.
Michael knows the power of transformational leadership and allows that to influence the meaning and mission of his current work. He credits Dr. Marshall’s encouragement towards Morehouse with getting him out of a troubled environment in Oakland–and keeping him Alive and Free!
