Jay
Garden Grove, California
Member since March 2021
Favorite Shoe: Air Jordan 1
At the heart of everything we do is community. SoleSavy is comprised of a litany of wonderful members, that not only love sneakers but spreading positivity as well. One in particular that we’d like to spotlight is Jay aka JayGuidos. A mental health professional at Horace Mann Elementary who carries that SoleSavy spirit into his classroom each and every day.
Jay started #FireFridays in his school as a way to reinforce positive behavior and academic growth in the classroom. Each week teachers will select students from their classroom and send them down to Jay to get their sneakers cleaned.
#FireFridays is much more than a reward or cleaning session. “#FireFridays is my way of building positive student relationships while sharing my passion for sneakers,” said Jay. It’s a chance for him to bond with students across the school and learn about whatever’s on their mind. “We talk about literally anything and everything. From their passions, their family, their friends, things they’re watching on tv. We also talk about their emotions and how to cope with the things that are really going on in their lives,” said Jay.
After Jay shared his story with the SoleSavy community in Slack, we just knew we had to help his students out. Our community team immediately loaded up the cart with tons of Jason Markk cleaning supplies and sent them over to Jay and his school. We love the positivity and inclusion that he’s promoting with the youth. “Every child deserves to feel confident, proud, and happy no matter what they’ve got on their feet,” said Jay.
#FireFridays transcends sneakers, Jay is teaching students life lessons that they’ll carry with them as they grow and mature. “I let kids know every day that in life you may fall, you may get some bumps and bruises. Maybe even some scuffs and creases, but with time, patience, love, and care…they can truly have something that’ll last them a lifetime” said Jay.
That’s powerful stuff, huge shoutout to Jay and all of his students. Love that sneakers are bringing them all closer together.
About SoleSavy
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