SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio community loves its Spurs and it’s not just what they do on the court.
San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson and his family are working to inspire the next generation of leaders by investing in education and mentorship through a David Robinson Fellowship Program.
“David Robinson is someone I admire a lot. He lives by core values that I wish to live by,” Johnathon Villa, a David Robinson fellow said.
Villa is an Idea Carver Academy College Prep student.
“It is very impactful and very meaningful to me. It is very eye-opening,” Villa said.
David Robinson was obviously one of the most impactful Spurs on the court, but off the court he is now working hard to leave another legacy, this time by creating the leaders of tomorrow.
“You always hope you’re going to be able to impact more people. You hope you have a program that’s successful, that’s impactful. And with IDEA, you know, we have probably one of the most impactful programs in the country,” David Robinson said.
The fellowship works to build communication skills and social networks to help set students up long term for success.
“Once a month in their senior year, we spend four or five hours together on Saturdays and really try and bring in the community. Each day each is different and will have a different topic, so mental health, financial literacy,” David Robinson Jr., the Admiral’s son, said.
David Robinson Jr. is a board member for the program and said the goal is to grow the fellowship for years to come, while helping local families change for generations to come.
“I hope that they begin to understand that they are our future leaders and that leaders have to take responsibility. Leaders have to step forward. Leaders have to be willing to accept responsibility for the people next to them. So I hope that’s what they take away,” Robinson said.
As for Johnathan, he said he and his brother are the first in their family to potentially earn high school diplomas, and he has big plans for the future.
“I’m interested in computer science. I hope to be attending University of University of Texas at Austin,” Villa said.