Founders
About Us:
Gerard and Errick met at UNCC campus 10 years ago, during an Africana Studies mixer in the Bonnie Cone Center. Gerard had a hunch that Errick was a brilliant orator from the way he answered a question in the venue. He approached him about possibly creating a study group for their classes and this blossomed into a wonderful brotherhood that included group study, music therapy and entrepreneurship. Armed with the knowledge that so many black men desperately needed the type of brotherhood that they had in order to reach success, they founded the non-profit Urban Graduates.
Gerard Watson
Founder
Born raised in Charlotte, NC ; behavior and mental health specialist Gerard Watson understands the importance of mentorship because it was mentorship that saved his life. After a personal tragedy which thrusted him into manhood it was men from his community that help him navigate the realms of uncertainty and trained him to be an upright man that served his community.
After graduating from UNCC with a B.A in Africana Studies and a concentration in Gender Studies, Gerard used his experience to become a residential counselor for a local level 3 behavior health facility for displaced youth. After years in this capacity, he pivoted skills learned and works as a behavior modification technician for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
Throughout the pandemic he increased his capacities to include advocacy that enabled him to support students and families by deepening hi commitment to developing social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies and creating equitable learning environments where all students and adults can process, heal, and thrive.
Errick Curtis-Pulley
Co- Founder
Business professional, Counselor, Hip-Hop Artist Errick Curtis-Pulley is an UNCC graduate with a B A in Psychology. Errick has spent the better part of the last decade honing his skills as a business owner by partnering in a successful venture early on and also growing his current commercial facilities company since 2017.
Prior to working for himself he worked in the financial services field as an insurance agent where he found a serious love for personal and small business finance. This led to mentoring and counseling others in financial matters, because as a youth he always felt the pressure of the lack of financial knowledge and means.
When Errick is not working or studying he spends time crafting thoughtful lyrics meant to share perspectives and messages in a relatable way. He firmly believes that we all require mental breaks and time for expression to sustain a high level of mental health. Urban Graduates. As someone who has worked tirelessly to achieve, he believes in elevation and deliberation as a creed for his life and others.
Where we are today
The Urban Graduates program is designed to increase the retention and graduation rates of minority and underrepresented males. The central goal is to help minority and underrepresented males matriculate through their high school, collegiate, career and produce graduates with high academic achievement and preparedness for post-graduate life. Urban Graduates will also create a brotherhood among its participants that supports and expects excellence academically, socially and professionally.
