Adonis James, cialis senior at Petersburg High School, has always liked helping out throughout the community and giving back. He helps out a lot through his basketball team, where he is a shooting guard from the Crimson Wave. He has participated in feeding the homeless, acted as a Big Brother in the Big Brother, Big Sister program at Walnut Hill Elementary School, and has acted as an instructor at various youth sports camps. “There’s a lot of kids around where I live at that don’t have as many opportunities and aren’t as blessed as I am,” Adonis said. “So when I make it out, I want to give back to people that didn’t have what I had growing up.”
He’s cited two Petersburg alumni who have given back: St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford and R&B recording artist Trey Songz. Langford donated equipment to the weight room and Trey Songz has donated several items to the high school and community. He looks to these two as examples of those who have left and came back to make the community better.
Another thing the two celebrities have in common, besides Petersburg, is that they are doing what they love using their talents. Using his talents to make money is something Adonis strives to do like one of his idols, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. “He takes one of his God-given gifts and makes it way bigger than what it is. He raps and turned his rap career into one of the biggest businesses in the world.”
Adonis, who is a standout in basketball at Petersburg High School, isn’t playing at Virginia Wesleyan College, where he will be going in the fall. He plans to try out for the team there, but will focus mainly on his studies since he will be majoring in accounting. Despite the fact that his basketball career may potentially be cut short, he says that he’d still like to be involved with the sport by becoming a general manager for an NBA team. “Using my accounting degree, I’d like to make as much money as possible,” he said.
It’s this goal to someday own a team that he hopes to someday be like those before him, coming from Petersburg and returning to make a difference in the city. Doing what he loves to do is the ultimate goal, but giving back is something he strives to do for the rest of his life.
