HOW DO WE KEEP OUR STATE’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST? When a young Buddy Shannon came to Kansas 30 years ago, he found a job right away in Wichita’s aircraft industry. That probably wouldn’t happen today, he says. Opportunities are limited for young men without a college degree. That’s just one reason Shannon helped found Real Men Real Heroes, a mentoring program for at-risk young men that gives them access to role models they may not have elsewhere in their lives. Shannon serves as the group’s board president. He’s also a Big Brother and a trustee for the Wichita Children’s Home, all while working as maintenance manager at TreeTop Nursery. Shannon says his hopes for the future of all Kansas children are tied to the state’s economic climate and its influence on employment, innovation and even relationships. He says his Christian faith is his primary reason for any optimism. He hopes Kansas, which has been a groundbreaker in the past, can find ways to help the “nation get away from political gridlock and be an example of ways to embrace each other across the aisle.”
One of my major concerns as a youth mentor is how to equip and prepare these young people for a future unlike the one I grew up in. When I listen to them talk about their career choices, rarely do those keep them in Kansas. I think we’ve got to keep some of our best and brightest students here if the state is going to be competitive. If we can, it would be very realistic of us to think that some new, successful ventures are over the horizon. If they get away from us, it won’t help us as much in the way of innovation. I don’t think the bottom is falling out, but I think we have a lot more single-parent homes. A lot of that has to do with the economy — that has an effect on relationships. A lot of the jobs that were part of the process in building airplanes are no longer here. I think we’re at a crossroads, where if we make some of those decisions that cost us a little money now, it will help us recruit new businesses and maintain some of our existing ones. I think we should come up with incentives or tax breaks to help new or small businesses bring in revenue.