Roots of Growth: Nurturing Lifelong Connections at PEAK through Donté Bowie's Journey

One unique aspect of PEAK is its progressive experience and commitment to personal growth and development over time. This is why PEAK aims to build and maintain long lasting relationships with participants. We not only hope to impact as many young people as possible, we strive to support their continued development. PEAK’s vision is to create a consistent and caring community that supports its alumni for years to come, and stories like Donté Bowie’s are the perfect example of this.

Donté currently works at PEAK as a Youth Engagement Specialist, but his connection with PEAK began sixteen years ago. In 2008, Donté came to the program as a young camper and experienced Lake Valley Camp for the first time. Year after year, Donté continued returning to PEAK, even as his role within the organization changed. According to Donté, “PEAK, or Lake Valley Camp, offers a lot of different opportunities for me to grow or mature. Me staying [at PEAK] is a way for me to give that back to the younger generation.”

Donté’s dedication to PEAK and the younger participants has propelled him to grow as a leader within the organization. From camper, to Leader in Training, to Seasonal Summer Staff, and to year-round staff, Donté personifies PEAK’s Four Beliefs. PEAK didn’t just impact his growth as a young person, it also impacted his vision for the future. “I want more,” said Donté. “I can apply myself to do further things, set further goals than I have now.” Donté hopes to continue creating spaces for young people to just be themselves, something he finds is much too rare in Milwaukee.