Maximizing Lives

Mentoring young 18- to 24-year-olds is all in a day’s work for Isaiah Maxi, and he credits his time at Fort Hays State University as helping clear a path to a career of service.

A 2017 graduate of FHSU, Maxi is chasing his dream of establishing a non-profit organization of his own someday. He plans to call his organization Maximizing Lives.

In the meantime, he remains busy doing just that as a field supervisor for AmeriCorps, a federally sponsored residential program for young adults who want to serve full time.

The foundation of servant leadership for Maxi began at a young age while growing up in a rough part of Kansas City, Mo. He watched his father, who was born and raised in Haiti – the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere – send clothes and supplies to family in his native country.

Maxi’s mother died of a heart attack when he was 6 years old, and his dad faced the challenge of raising three young boys (his older brothers were 13 and 9) as a single parent. Fortunately, Maxi’s father could rely on help from others in his family and in his community.

Maxi took note of the impact that mentors and volunteers had on him, ranging from adult leaders in Boy Scouts to coaches in a variety of sports in which he participated.

As a busy high school studentathlete, both athletics and volunteering were huge parts of Isaiah’s life. So he didn’t think much farther than the next day’s event – until he left home for college.

“Coming to Fort Hays State was the best decision I ever made,” Maxi said. “It changed my life.”

Maxi’s favorite sport growing up was basketball, but he received more attention from college recruiters for his skills as a wide receiver in football. He had offers from several MIAA schools as well as Fort Hays State. He was drawn to FHSU and in particular, Coach Chris Brown, who was on a mission to rebuild a struggling program.

One of Maxi’s high school coaches, Bryan DeLong, played football at FHSU in the mid-1990s, and he brought Maxi to Hays for a campus visit. Maxi had never been to a rural area before and was intrigued by what he called a “family environment” at FHSU. The offer of a football scholarship to play for the Tigers sealed the deal for him.

“The coaches weren’t afraid to hold players accountable, and I liked that,” he said. “Young people won’t say it, but they want structure. I was looking forward to being part of helping build something special at Fort Hays State.”

Maxi was part of a rebuilding project for the football program that saw FHSU claim its first postseason victory in more than 20 years during his senior campaign. He helped build a foundation that saw the Tigers win MIAA titles the next two years after he graduated.

But Maxi left a significant mark off the field through his service as a role model. In addition to several leadership projects that centered on his major, Leadership Studies, he was active with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ellis County and worked as an assistant teacher for Tiger Tots, FHSU’s preschool center.

Maxi met the preschool director in an elevator on campus one spring afternoon and they started chatting about the need for male role models for the 3- and 4-year-olds.

Maxi offered to volunteer at the preschool, and he was an instant hit with the kids.

“He made an impression from the first time he walked into the classroom,” said Sara Stroup, the preschool director. “He was a magnet in the classroom and had a very special connection with the children.”

Stroup hired Maxi as an assistant teacher the next year. All the while, he was busy honing his skills as a servant leader. He organized book distributions for children and brought together youngsters to wrap gifts for Operation Christmas Child. Proceeds from youth football camps that he organized went to supplies for local elementary schools.

When fellow students and adult leaders in community organizations needed someone to coordinate a service project, they knew where to look.

“People saw qualities in me,” Maxi said, “that I didn’t even know I had.”

Now, Maxi is making his way across the country working with service organizations, gaining invaluable real-world experience while living out his passion for serving others.

The tall, lanky Maxi is comfortable sleeping on a cot on a gym floor or on a college dorm mattress after a long day’s work. Sometimes labor-intensive projects can include rebuilding fences in a national park after a forest fire or renovating a home with Habitat for Humanity.

“On those days, all a guy needs is a pillow and a blanket to get a good night’s rest and to get ready to do it all over again the next day,” Maxi said.

“Finding ways to form very different people into a cohesive group and get something accomplished is such a great feeling,” he said. “And being part of the journey for so many people is really rewarding.”

Maxi graduated from FHSU with a degree in organizational leadership. He then followed in the footsteps of his older brother and landed a position with AmeriCorps.

“This has been a journey, one of immense growth for me,” he said. “Even this pandemic is an opportunity for those called to serve, to adapt and to face great personal risk.”

Service work has taken Maxi to 20 different states. In South Dakota, he rebuilt stables and fencing. He renovated houses in Michigan and Indiana. In Vermont, he spent two months leading a day program at an elementary school, and he helped prepare for the opening of a new state park.

He worked at a food bank called Harvesters, in Kansas City, Mo., then found a full-time job in California with Feeding San Diego. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Maxi witnessed things he had never encountered before. Once Maxi watched a man driving a Porsche, who had lost his job, come to the food bank for a meal.

“This was something he had never experienced before,” Maxi said. “It made me see that we have to understand where people’s minds and hearts might be at this time. We have to realize that this time is difficult for everyone – and try to make it easier for everyone.”

Maxi knows he has to be patient while working toward his dream of creating his own non-profit service organization. Education awards earned from serving in AmeriCorps are helping him fund his pursuit of a second bachelor’s degree – in sociology.

Maxi is now in his third term of service with AmeriCorps, this time in the Southern Region of the National Civilian Community Corps in Mississippi.

The first two months of his term will focus on rebuilding old structures to create new housing for the poor. He knows some days will be long and tiring, but that’s OK. It’s all part of his calling for Maximizing Lives.