WARREN \u2014 Michael Engram had a good reason to start the Game Changers organization. He also had good reason not to start it.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s glad he went with the former.<\/p>\n
Engram is the founder of Game Changers, a leadership and character development program focused on athletes. The 1996 Warren G. Harding graduate knows the pitfalls and problems that can befall high school students and how circumstances can make them hard to avoid.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents, they split when I was 13,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0said Engram, who also lost his brother and grandfather not long afterward. \u201cI always tried to find male-driven organizations, which is why I put myself in football. I just wanted to be around the guys. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cAs you get older, you start having questions about your manhood, in respect to how to tie a tie, how to change a tire, all that kind of stuff. So I\u2019ve always had a gap in my life from not having the presence of a consistent male figure. As you\u2019re in high school and you\u2019re going through your years, you don\u2019t really see those gaps until you look back and say, \u2018Darn, I don\u2019t know how to do X, Y and Z.\u2019 \u201c<\/span><\/p>\n Engram has spent most of his adult life trying to help educate kids on aspects that can often be overlooked.<\/p>\n His organization is putting on an event known as GC-360. Now in its fifth consecutive year, GC-360 blends a number of topics as well as some sports-related drills. The main focus is on helping students understand concepts such as social media etiquette, the truth about scholarships and student loans, the basics of finances and business savvy, along with social and emotional intelligence.<\/p>\n Engram said it\u2019s a 21st-century way of reaching students.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Game Changers, we really don\u2019t focus on athletics,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got a coach there that takes care of that. I\u2019m more concerned about kids doing something wrong, like posting something they shouldn\u2019t on Instagram, and now their scholarship is gone. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWe go a little bit deeper with the financial literacy, admissions and how your grades equal to scholarship dollars,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0he added.\u00a0\u201cLike, if you\u2019re on the fence with a 2.9 (GPA). Well, guess what, if you had a 3.0, maybe you could\u2019ve got another $3,000 in scholarship money. Most of them don\u2019t know that. I know when I was growing up, when my parents told me to get good grades, it was just like, \u2018Well, that\u2019s what parents are supposed to do.\u2019 On the flip side, if I would\u2019ve known to compute my GPA to dollars, it would\u2019ve turned into something else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Speakers from all walks of life will participate in the event, which goes from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 29 at Youngstown State University.<\/p>\n The event will include current and former pro athletes, business owners and professionals from several different fields. Engram also said current YSU athletes speak on different topics, such as leaving home for school and how to get through the difficulty of being homesick.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can talk about how, \u2018I came from out of state, got homesick, but I had a family within my team and that really helped me out,\u2019 \u201c<\/span>\u00a0Engram explained.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s for those kids who are thinking about going out of state (for college).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The event also incorporates times and measurements for the 40-yard dash, vertical leap and the three-cone drill. Breakfast, lunch and a T-shirt are included as well.<\/p>\n The program is for boys and girls. Registration is $35 for those who sign up by Saturday. Cost is $55 from June 2-9. Visit www.wearegc.org to register, or for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WARREN \u2014 Michael Engram had a good reason to start the Game Changers organization. He also had good reason not to start it. He\u2019s glad he went with the former. Engram is the founder of Game Changers, a leadership and character development program focused on athletes. The 1996 Warren G. Harding graduate knows the pitfalls […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n