Hi, I’m Devante Laws - born and raised in the San Francisco Fillmore District. I grew up in what we call the heart of the jungle - a challenging environment marked with gun violence, deaths, fights, single-parent homes, no fathers, robberies, and constant uncertainty. Despite these surroundings, I have always thought BIGGER! I didn’t settle for less, not even for a second, knowing I had big shoes to fill being the man of the house. I have fought through a tremendous amount of adversity throughout the course of my life, but even that didn’t stop me from making it past my district. Instead, it fueled me to grow beyond my circumstances.

Sports and the atmosphere of belonging and being part of a team saved my life - LITERALLY. In communities like mine, where there is a lot of violence and distractions with few resources for kids to even have a shot at life, it’s hard for kids to even dream of a better life. My talent and drive have taken me further than I ever imagined. With sports and the support of my family, I was able to change direction and set my sights on the NFL. 

As talented as I was, I still had to push myself to the limits. Although I didn’t fully achieve my goal to make it to the NFL, being in the sports environment provided me with a wide network of resources and friends. This amazing network showed me that success was possible. I competed alongside friends who made it to the NFL, NBA, and MLB, and that inspired me to keep pushing in all areas of my life. I worked relentlessly to get a formal college education, to educate myself on successful habits, and to gain the knowledge I need to appreciate the opportunities I was given and capitalize in my everyday life. This can look like getting in an extra rep during workouts, doing 1,000 push ups before I go to sleep, or even reading a few chapters out of a book to gain a better perspective on life and what it has to offer. 

Through the loss of friends and family to violence and the change in direction of my goals and dreams, I have never given up on the desire to make a difference and show people that they are not stuck in the challenges of their environment. I’m thrilled to launch Circle of Success Scholars to empower youth with the knowledge that I have now and to provide them with the proper resources that I have used along my journey. Every child deserves the chance to be somebody, and I’m determined to give them the opportunities I had to fight for.