Superstar singer Usher celebrated a milestone this week when his Atlanta-based foundation turned 16 years old.
Usher's New Look Foundation has helped 25,000 young people turn their lives around. His students are paired with mentors from different professions and the children are encouraged to give back to their communities.
"I kind of started with just talking to kids in schools, at rec centers, you know, just reminding them you have to do something positive," Usher told WSB-TV's Jovita Moore who sat down with the music superstar Thursday at the St. Regis, host of the foundation's luncheon.
The program has seen some great results. "We have a 100 percent graduation rate of all of our kids and 98 percent of them make it to college," Usher told Moore.
"Did you think back then, 16 years ago, that this would be global?" Moore asked.
"Sixteen years ago, I was very ambitious," Usher said. "So every bit of what I had to offer and the places I would go, I wanted to make sure that, you know, I had to at least let people know about what I was doing back in America. But also, too, being blessed is something that you should share with the entire world."
There's no stopping Usher after the first 16 years.
"What I hope to do is to bring this idea into schools," Usher said. "Cobb County actually has adopted our curriculum. We have a music 101 curriculum that teaches you other aspects of the music business."
