Where I'm from and growing up, Longview, Texas, it was impossible to find a role model in person. Our average role model was either on a rap song or was good with a basketball or football. Basically it was rap or go the league. But it wasn't like that for these 8 young founders of ELITE.

Elite is an organization formed to give back to the children in Longview that includes college and professional football players such as JaMycal Hasty from Baylor, Travin Howard from TCU, and The Los Angeles Rams. From giving out scholarships to students at Longview High School, to throwing the charity basketball funded by Trent Williams, a Longview native. Last Thursday, I interviewed Shaun Lloyd who is one of the founding fathers of ELITE. He gave me details about what the meaning of the ELITE is and what it represents.

With the Elite Scholarship you gave out to the students at Longview High School and the celebrity basketball game with Trent Williams, how was the process of each of them and how did it caught the attention of Trent to fund the event?

Provided by Shaun Lloyd, Personal Photo

"To be completely honest, the Elite scholarship was just the first thing we all came into agreement upon moving on as a collective. It obviously was a great opportunity for not only us as LHS graduates, but for students as well, to be able to get rewarded for being exemplary in school and having some of that roll over into college funding can be exciting and fulfilling. And the event with Trent, he obviously a role model and has invested heavily back into the community over the years in a variety of ways, and the one we've been involved in is his annual football camp. I know last year he and his team wanted to organize a celebrity basketball game to coincide with the game like the one that took place this year but they couldn't organize it in time enough to get it accomplished. I believe it ended up being the perfect storm with everything that's been going on within the community over the last year. Our Lobos got that ever escaping state title and we've been celebrating that success every since. Hopefully this energy carries over and they go get another. That's what it's all about pushing everything that we've accomplished and overcome forward and pouring it into the youth and community."

Last two questions, what does the future has in store for Elite and what can the people who didn’t know about Elite can do to help out?

Elite official Instagram page.

Personal Photo

"The community and beyond can expect a lot; we expect a lot. I don't wanna disclose too much but we have a few more surprises that are coming no later then this fall. We're working. We may not always make a ton of noise or be at the forefront of everything but we're always working in some fashion.The can collaborate with and even start their own journey of building a foundation brick by brick that helps themselves and others as well. That's what it's all about, empowerment."

With Representation matters playing a part in the Longview community, Elite has exactly been showing the positive platform for what it stands for. So please, if you ever see one of them in the town please give them their flowers because some people will never get their flowers while they can still smell them!

Elite Instagram