WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office hosted a town hall discussing the importance of education, morals and determination.
"Offering up the conversation, facilitating the positive conversation, that's what this is about," said Sheriff Kimbrough.
That was the inspiration for Sunday nights town hall that drew dozens of families to Reynolds Place Theater in Downtown Winston-Salem.
"By showing the people that I made it through it, give somebody hope that they can make it through," said Sheriff Kimbrough.
Local students, athletes and those who have overcame life's challenges shared their stories, both the good and the bad.
"I grew up getting in and out of trouble, so that kind of is my focus and where my story began. Me getting in trouble for when my pops left," said Keyondre Dunbar.
Dunbar said he grew up in a single parent household and found himself looking for something missing in his life.
"Going and looking at other people that is not my age, older, trying to find that father figure role. So really miss guided, didn't have that father figure guidance that I needed," said Dunbar. "It took me down a dark road actually. In an out since 14 juvenile systems, just recently got out from doing three years."
Dunbar is now working to form a non-profit that will help young men find a positive role model.
"Find somebody that wants to see you doing better than them even though they’re not doing good. Somebody that is going to uplift you and make sure that you are straight and always have your back at all times," said Dunbar.
"When I was six years old, my mom was diagnosed with stage four gastric cancer, and passed away within six months, and I learned how to raise myself and grow up with my dad and my brother," said McKenzi Maier, a grad student and womens basketball player at High Point University.
She also found herself living in a single-family household at a young age.
She has taken her mothers inspiration to mentor others and sharing that even through failures, you can find success.
"I think we we learn the best from our mistakes and I believe you either win and you grow or you learn. It's not really losses, not really setbacks. I just think if you continue to take what you learn from your failures in life and compile that into your successes, that's the best way to be successful and get to where you want to be," said Maier.
Sheriff Kimbrough says it are these stories of tribes and tribulations that will make a difference for the next generation.
"As I have said before, there's not enough handcuffs, jail cells to change the narrative, but if we change one mind at a time, and it catches another mind, another mind, then we'll see the domino affect," said Sheriff Kimbrough.
Sheriff Kimbrough says he would like to take these conversations out to other areas such as Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh, in an effort to change the narrative, inspire youth to work hard and maintain a positive outlook on life.