LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — A new youth mentoring initiative aimed at building leadership, discipline and confidence officially launched Jan. 10 in St. Mary’s County with strong support from local officials and community leaders.
The Knights to Kings program was created in response to a growing need for guidance, structure and positive role models for young people in the community. Organizers say the program grew out of firsthand conversations with parents and youth, identifying both the challenges facing young men and the untapped potential many struggle to see in themselves.
Daryl Berry told The BayNet, “Sometimes a vision is born long before we even realize it,” program leaders said when describing the origins of Knights to Kings. “Our mentoring program started the moment we looked around the community and saw how many young men needed guidance, support, structure and real examples of what leadership looks like. We didn’t want to just talk about change, we wanted to help build it.”
Those early discussions evolved from one-on-one conversations into structured group sessions, eventually forming what organizers describe as a brotherhood focused on personal growth and accountability.
“It began with simple conversations. Talking to parents. Talking to kids. Seeing the challenges they were facing and the potential they didn’t always recognize in themselves,” Berry said. “We realized that if nobody stepped up to provide a safe space for our youth … then we needed to be that person.”
Knights to Kings was founded by Daryl Berry, Damont Barnes, Bryan Yates, Carl McCullough, Mike Holt, Orlando Mays, Jeff Burrell, Yolanda Butler, Nisha Broome and Nathanael Exume. The program is designed to teach discipline, respect, leadership, confidence and real-world skills while fostering a sense of belonging and purpose.
Local officials attended the opening meeting at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, including Commissioner Scott Ostrow, who praised the program publicly following the event in a recent Facebook post.
“I was truly honored and happy to be invited to attend the opening meeting of the Knights to Kings program right here in St. Mary’s County,” Ostrow wrote. “This is an incredible initiative focused on helping our young men and women think like leaders, make wise choices, respect themselves and others, and learn how to uplift those around them.”
Ostrow emphasized the importance of investing in youth as a foundation for long-term community growth.
“Programs like Knights to Kings are exactly what our community needs, investing in our youth, building character and creating positive pathways for the future,” he stated. “I am very much looking forward to working more closely with this organization as they continue this important work in our county.”
Sheriff Steve Hall and candidate for delegate BJ Hall also attended the meeting, offering their support for the program and its mission.
“A big shout-out and thank you to Sheriff Steve Hall and candidate for delegate BJ Hall for also attending and showing their support for our youth and our community,” Ostrow wrote. “Together, we will keep our county moving forward.”
Program leaders say Knights to Kings is about more than mentoring, describing the initiative as a long-term investment in young people and the future of St. Mary’s County.
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