Our Story

Maximizing Character was developed by Founder, Alicia Gaston as a means to pay it forward by teaching character values and mentoring youth and young adults just as she and her sisters were mentored as youth by a village of wise counselors. These wise and trusted mentors, including her mother, grandmother, teachers and members of the faith-based community, helped instill the moral, civic, and intelligence values that make up her, and her sisters' character today. This village of mentors served as a catalyst for the development of Maximizing Character.  

Today, Maximizing Character is a non-profit (501c3) organization that is committed to investing its expertise and resources, primarily into youth development, in order to fulfill their purpose of "Building Character for Life". Since 2011, Maximizing Character members and youth ambassadors have been teaching and promoting good character and supporting community causes such as youth violence prevention, bullying prevention, homeless outreach, decreasing childhood obesity, promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging personal, academic and career success by facilitating life skills. 

The Maximizing Character Leadership Team is comprised of youth-loving educators, medical and behavioral health, and banking and technology professionals who want to create safe, caring, healthy, and productive communities where youth and families thrive.  

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