Joshua Easter, Walther Class of 2010 and Cody Cotton, Walther Class of 2012, are executives with A Greater Good Foundation (AGGF), a non-profit organization focused on mentoring youth, building community, and modeling wellness. Joshua and Cody, along with Walther grads Anthony Garland ‘11 and Patrell Green ‘12, and friend Charles Carter, founded the organization with the goal of holistically mentoring youth. Joshua serves as Chief Operating Officer while Cody is the organization’s Chief of Heart.

“We were all college athletes. When that ends, most athletes experience a bit of an identity crisis,” explained Cody. “Thankfully, we had been introduced to personal development, the values and principles of character, and were interested in life coaching. That allowed us to have an identity of more than an athlete.” Joshua added, “We wanted to make an impact on teens, but wanted to be more than Twitter and Facebook warriors.”

AGGF focuses on the power of self-education, unique experiences, wellness, and service to inspire young people and communities to live more holistic lives. Initially, AGGF worked with youth at MECA Elementary, a Christian school in Bellwood. Their first unique experience was taking a group of youth from MECA to Niagara Falls. Early on they also worked with West40, an organization that provides alternative schooling in west Cook County where they continue to mentor youth who had been removed from their schools for a variety of reasons. Since 2018, AGGF has worked closely with the Oak Park Library’s Teen Services department and more recently has begun programs in some local colleges working with 1st generation students on how to navigate college and life.

In their nine years of existence, AGGF has served over 2,000 students, conducted more than 15,000 hours of mentorship, held nearly 500 restorative circles, taken students on 36 unique experiences including trips to Columbia and Cuba, and has 8 ongoing programs. Their work spans the city of Chicago and several surrounding suburbs reflecting a broader commitment to serving communities in need across the Chicagoland area.

Both Joshua and Cody give credit to Walther for laying the groundwork for what they are doing today with AGGF. Joshua shared, “First, I made great connections with friends who we ended up partnering with. I appreciate that we were able to learn in a safe environment and learned how to learn. Unlike many of my college teammates, I was academically prepared to succeed in college. My experiences through athletics and service hours in different environments put life into perspective.” Cody added, “I appreciated the opportunity to be involved in student council, choir, and drama in addition to sports. The time management and discipline I learned at Walther still carry me through life today. The Christian values I experienced are the reason I now send my kids to private school.”

Both also credited their coaches at Walther for teaching them a lot about life and helping them become the men they are today. The list included Coaches Tuomi, Bo, Hoger, Muzzall, Heuser, Orr, Perry, Mack, Eberhard, Pederson, Gillingham, Jackson, Benke, Christian, Bishop, and both Koehnes.  

If you wish to learn more about A Greater Good Foundation, check out their website, follow on Instagram @agreatergoodfoundation or attend their Holistic Wellness Festival on June 8.

We look forward to following Joshua and Cody and see where they take A Greater Good Foundation in the years to come.