He beat the statistic. Now this NOLA native is biking home from Atlanta to benefit at-risk students

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A New Orleans native is standing up for education in underserved students and the communities they live in.

On Saturday, Sedrick Alphonzo began a 577-mile journey in Atlanta with a bicycle under his feet. This week, he will be pedaling from The Peach State to The Big Easy to help raise money and awareness for education for at-risk kids.

Alphonzo grew up in inner-city New Orleans, became a teen parent, and lived in public housing. However, the St. Augustine High School alum says his education is what helped save his life and prevented him from becoming another statistic.

Now, Alphonzo serves as the operations director for ‘Models for Success LLC,’ dedicating decades of his life to youth education. The organization has announced its next step, non-profit ‘Achieve 365,’ to further help students learn job skills, acquire training, and even apply for college and financial aid.

“As a Professional School Counselor, the methodology behind Achieve 365 is very practical. Our goal is to teach our youth how to create a life that is meaningful and contributes to society through the acquisition of real-life skills and year-round application. These skills include SEL (Social and Emotional Learning), public speaking, organizing, planning, and scheduling to accomplish any task,” Alphonzo explained.

The Achieve 365 Bike-A-Thon headlines Alphonzo’s journey for the week. The ride will cross through 5 states (Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and finally Louisiana). Over the course of 5 days, Alphonzo is expected to bike more than 100 miles per day.

The goal is to raise $150,000 to launch 2 programs. All funds will benefit students in both Atlanta and New Orleans for the upcoming school year.

To donate to the program, click here.