Michael Winters, Jr. | Peoria, Illinois

Michael Winters Jr., a.k.a “Jojo,” is the Youth Trades Coordinator at Dream Center Peoria (DCP), overseeing programs that empower youth with valuable skills for their future. Winters started as a mentor and advocate for young people before entering his current role. He has now been a dedicated leader at the Dream Center for over 12 years, learning in the process that “being a leader was more than just showing up.” He explains, “It was about setting an example, inspiring people, and knowing how to communicate in a way that actually connects with others.”

Communication has not always come easy for Winters. He remembers stepping into the leadership role and learning to speak confidently in front of people as one of the biggest challenges he has had to overcome. “Life has a way of moving you out of your comfort zone...At first, speaking in front of groups, whether it was my coworkers, parents, or the kids I worked with, was honestly terrifying. I kept worrying about saying the wrong thing or being boring or losing their attention.”

Clearly, Winters has not allowed those fears to hold him back. Roger J. Rohlfing got to know Winters while volunteering at the Dream Center. He writes, “JoJo's role at DCP is all about community service, and he's never really off the clock. He is constantly engaged with local schools, other nonprofits, and individuals in the community, mentoring, trying to find ways to partner, and more broadly leverage what we're delivering inside the walls of DCP. I would be hard pressed to name another individual in the community with more heart and more energy for making such a lasting and positive impact on Peoria.”

Winters was born and raised in Peoria in a family of five. He shamelessly loves “Everything!” about his hometown and is passionate about empowering youth through Dream Center Peoria and other organizations focused on the same mission. Winters is driven by the vision to help young people “discover their potential and equipping them with the skills, confidence, and resources they need to succeed.”