Village Talks Episode: Every Young Person Needs Someone in Their Corner with Tim Wills

In this episode of Village Talks, Damien Howard sits down with Tim Wills, Chief Impact Officer at MENTOR, the national champion for mentoring across the United States and Canada. Their conversation centers on a powerful but often overlooked truth: young people thrive when they are surrounded by strong relationships.

Tim’s story reflects a lifelong commitment to youth development. Raised in the St. Louis area—particularly in communities that later became widely known through Ferguson—he grew up experiencing both the opportunities and challenges that shape many young people’s lives.

Early on, Tim believed his future would be in journalism. While studying at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he pursued television reporting and anchoring, hoping to tell stories that highlighted hope, progress, and opportunity.

But during college, a journalism professor introduced a phrase that changed how Tim viewed the industry: “When it bleeds, it leads.” The idea that news often prioritizes tragedy over hope forced Tim to reconsider his path.

Instead of simply reporting on the struggles young people face, he decided he wanted to work directly alongside them.

That decision led him into youth development work through organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America and mentoring initiatives connected to public schools. Over time, Tim worked in cities across the country—including Chicago, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and communities in Alabama—gaining firsthand insight into the conditions that shape young people’s opportunities.

His commitment to young people extends far beyond professional work. Tim has also served as a foster parent to more than 21 children, walking alongside them through their journeys of identity, resilience, and growth.

Young People Are the Same Everywhere

One of the most powerful insights Tim shares during the conversation is something he has learned through both national and international mentoring work.

Across cultures and communities, young people are remarkably similar.

They all want:

• Encouragement

• Opportunity

• Belonging

• Adults who believe in their potential

What differs is the conditions surrounding them.

Whether in the United States, Africa, or Europe, young people carry the same hopes and dreams. But the environments they grow up in—schools, neighborhoods, access to supportive adults—can either strengthen or limit those aspirations.

This is where mentoring becomes so important.

Research consistently shows that when young people have caring adults in their lives, they experience better outcomes academically, socially, and emotionally. Yet there is still a significant mentoring gap across the country.

In fact, recent research from MENTOR suggests that Generation Z is at risk of being mentored less than previous generations, largely due to increasing isolation and the lingering social impacts of the pandemic.

Formal Mentors and the Power of Everyday Mentors

During the conversation, Tim introduces an important distinction between formal mentoring and informal mentoring.

Formal mentoring happens through structured programs—organizations that intentionally pair young people with adults who guide them through challenges, provide exposure to opportunities, and offer consistent support.

But informal mentoring may be just as powerful.

Informal mentors are the adults who show up in everyday spaces:

• The bus driver who greets a student each morning

• The cashier who asks how school is going

• The coach who notices effort and growth

• The neighbor who knows every kid on the block

Tim describes this as having a mentoring mindset—a culture where adults see young people not as someone else’s responsibility, but as our collective responsibility.

His dream is simple but profound.

He wants to be able to walk up to any young person, anywhere in America, and ask them one question:

“Who is the adult in your corner?”

And every young person should be able to answer immediately with the name of someone who believes in them.

Rebuilding the Village

Throughout the conversation, Damien and Tim return to a theme that runs throughout the Village Talks series: the importance of community.

The idea of “the village” is not just a metaphor. It represents a network of relationships that surround young people with support, encouragement, and accountability.

Tim believes the shift we need to see culturally is simple.

Instead of thinking about “those kids,” communities must return to the mindset that all children are our children.

When neighbors know the names of the kids on their block, when coaches invest deeply in their players, when local businesses encourage students, and when community organizations collaborate instead of compete—young people begin to experience the village again.

That kind of relational ecosystem can transform neighborhoods.

It can change how young people see themselves and their future.

Relationships Are the Real Infrastructure

As the conversation moves toward today’s biggest challenges facing young people, Tim points to a growing concern: isolation.

In a world shaped by smartphones, artificial intelligence, and digital spaces, young people have access to more information than ever before. But access to information does not replace access to meaningful relationships.

And relationships remain the most important ingredient in youth development.

Tim argues that if communities want to see safer neighborhoods, stronger schools, and healthier outcomes for young people, relationships must be treated as essential infrastructure.

Not an extra program.

Not a secondary initiative.

But a core strategy for building thriving communities.

Encouragingly, Tim also sees growing momentum across the country. More mayors, pastors, community leaders, and educators are recognizing that mentoring relationships and social capital are foundational to youth success.

The Magic Wand Question

At the end of every Village Talks conversation, Damien asks guests a powerful question.

“If you had a magic wand, what change would you create in the world?”

Tim’s answer captures the heart of his life’s work.

With that wand, he would ensure that every young person in America could identify at least one adult champion in their corner—someone who knows their name, believes in their future, and is willing to walk alongside them.

But he doesn’t stop there.

His vision is for communities where young people experience a deep sense of joy and purpose, where their potential is nurtured daily, and where the village around them actively supports their growth.

That is the future Tim is working toward every day.

And it’s a vision that reminds all of us that mentorship is not just a program.

It’s a culture.