MUST - Mentoring Urban Students and Teens

08/06/2026

Since 2024 M.U.S.T. has been a proud partner of the City of Seattle Department of Education & Early Learning (D.E.E.L. Seattle Department of Education & Early Learning) Postsecondary Success Network. This critical collaborative group of BIPOC youth focused Seattle organizations is supported by a Regional Challenge Grant from the Washington Student Achievement Council (W.S.A.C. Washington Student Achievement Council).

On July 23rd our collective network impact was on full display at the 2026 Graduate Celebration & Impact Expo hosted at South Seattle College’s Brockey Student Center. The event served as a powerful testament to our cross-organizational teamwork, highlighting student-led impact presentations, community connection, and a shared vision for expanding local postsecondary pathways. A major highlight of the evening for our community was the presentation of specific Student Awards to two of our very own MUST mentees, Barack Blanco and Naurdin Woliyi, for their outstanding leadership. We look forward to our continued partnership within the DEEL network to empower more youth across Seattle!


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07/29/2026

🎶 Take Me Out to the Ball Game 🎶
Rooting for the home team at the Seattle Mariners game; the perfect summer outing! ⚾️

07/22/2026

Celebration is a M.U.S.T.

While eating burgers, visiting Hollywood, and relaxing poolside might seem like standard summer vacation activities, these "normal" experiences carry life-changing weight for our Mentees. During our recent graduation trip to Southern California these fun moments doubled as breakthroughs in exposure—standing on Hollywood Boulevard envisioning themselves among the stars, and exploring the Hollywood Wax Museum unlocked entirely new creative career paths for our graduate Mentees. Even a simple afternoon at the swimming pool became a sacred space where they could escape societal pressures, laugh, and just be kids.

M.U.S.T. exists to protect, restore, and create joy for Black boys because before a young person can dream of new opportunities, they need to stand close enough to touch them. Thank you to our community for continually investing in these young kings; you help to expand what Black males believe is possible for their futures.


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07/17/2026

Check out our latest newsletter: Juneteenth + The World Cup + Innovation = A M.U.S.T. See Future!

Last month, M.U.S.T. mentees and mentors were able to spend Juneteenth immersed in Black greatness, thanks to F5, the global cybersecurity and technology leader, and their partnership with the Seattle FIFA World Cup Committee.

07/10/2026

Prince Witcher — one of our 10 Mentee high school graduates this year — shared that his favorite part of the M.U.S.T. program was having someone to talk to and feeling supported.

In gaining a community of brotherhood bonds through M.U.S.T., we aim to help our young kings see and believe their potential and their own liberation.


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07/03/2026

M.U.S.T. Mentees and Mentors celebrated Juneteenth with F5 and the Seattle Seattle FIFA World Cup Committee, engaging in a day of empowerment, professional insights with F5 CEO François Locoh-Donou, and the USA vs. AUS match. The event fostered connections between community mentorship and corporate leadership, inspiring the next generation of Black leaders and innovators.

It was a shared experience for the ages, full of energy and seeing our Black youth inspired to dream bigger, as they watched Team USA reach victory on the world’s stage.


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06/30/2026

Our Graduation Newsletter is out -- Help us give our 2026 Grads their well-deserved flowers!

As the 2025/26 school year comes to an end, the M.U.S.T. community is celebrating the great achievements of our ten graduating Mentees. Their high school journey had its share of heavy lifting, but these young men tackled every obstacle and seized every opportunity with an inspiring mix of tenacity,...

06/23/2026

Graduation is a M.U.S.T. 🎓
Congratulations to our 2026 M.U.S.T. High School Grads!


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06/12/2026

LIBERATION is a M.U.S.T.

The Artist Behind the Mural: Chloe Washington

Born and raised in Seattle — Rainer Beach, the South End — Chloe is one of the few that truly knows what Seattle has gone through. For her entire life, art has been the lens in which she processes the world. Her awe-inspiring talent is a gift that frames M.U.S.T.’s new office, invoking our soul onto canvas. She also understands the mission of M.U.S.T. on many levels: Being the wife of our Executive Director, Kelvin Washington Jr., she has witnessed the work up close for years. Not only can you experience her work at our office, but it is publicly on display at Black Panther Park in Skyway, WA.

So much more could be said of Chloe, but the most impactful way to represent her is to give her the floor. Here is a snippet of her own words:

About her INSPIRATION to create:
“Art has always been woven into the fabric of my life... Creating has never felt like a hobby or even a choice, it has always felt like a necessity. Art is how I process the world, how I process grief & loss, joy & celebration, anger & frustration, pride & identity, healing & release and love & connection.

[In addition to being heavily influenced by my aunt, Nia Jourdan, an accomplished painter], I had the privilege of attending Seattle Academy of Art & Sciences for both middle and high school, where I was given the opportunities to explore a wide range of artistic mediums… Those experiences [and the process of my own exploration] expanded my understanding of what was possible and encouraged me to develop my own artistic voice.

Growing up in Seattle as a Black person, I have often found myself being the minority in many spaces. Because of that, centering Blackness in my work has become essential to me, and I feel deeply connected to and responsible to reflect.”

[Continued in Comments]


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06/12/2026

LIBERATION is a M.U.S.T.

The Artist Behind the Mural: Chloe Washington

Born and raised in Seattle -- Rainer Beach, the South End -- Chloe is one of the few that truly knows what Seattle has gone through. For her entire life, art has been the lens in which she processes the world. Her awe-inspiring talent is a gift that frames M.U.S.T.’s new office, invoking our soul onto canvas. She also understands the mission of M.U.S.T. on many levels: Being the wife of our Executive Director, Kelvin Washington Jr., she has witnessed the work up close for years. Not only can you experience her work at our office, but it is publicly on display at Black Panther Park in Skyway, WA.

So much more could be said of Chloe, but the most impactful way to represent her is to give her the floor. Here is a snippet of her own words:

About her INSPIRATION to create:
“Art has always been woven into the fabric of my life... Creating has never felt like a hobby or even a choice, it has always felt like a necessity. Art is how I process the world, how I process grief & loss, joy & celebration, anger & frustration, pride & identity, healing & release and love & connection.

[In addition to being heavily influenced by my aunt, Nia Jourdan, an accomplished painter], I had the privilege of attending Seattle Academy of Art & Sciences for both middle and high school, where I was given the opportunities to explore a wide range of artistic mediums… Those experiences [and the process of my own exploration] expanded my understanding of what was possible and encouraged me to develop my own artistic voice.

Growing up in Seattle as a Black person, I have often found myself being the minority in many spaces. Because of that, centering Blackness in my work has become essential to me, and I feel deeply connected to and responsible to reflect.”

About her Black Panther Park mural:
“As a community-led garden park and public art space created to honor the legacy of the Black Panther Party, I was commissioned by my dear friend, Nyema Clark (founder of Nurturing Roots), as one of 8 artists to create a piece… [which is] a part of a larger collective effort to honor the history and foundation of the Black Panther Party, while celebrating the present day heroes in communities that continue to uplift and inspire.

[This mural is deeply personal for me, and] incredibly meaningful to contribute artwork to the first Black Panther Park, right in a community that helped shape who I am. It highlights the legacy of the Black Panther Party, including their commitment to community care, food justice, and self-determination.”

About her own LIBERATION:
“Liberation, to me, is becoming fully myself without being limited by past pain, generational cycles, or outside expectations. I find my liberation through creating art that tells the truth of my community and our experiences. Using my hands to create works to honor my people, reclaim space, and create things that reflect us fully. I find my liberation in loving my husband. In our children. Knowing that freedom to love them unconditionally is lived, not just given.”


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