Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Devron Dickens Sr. could have easily become another young African American male lost to the streets. At the age of eleven he lost his closest and biggest supporter, his sister Danita L. Dickens. Danita was a young and talented freshman at Western High School in Baltimore, MD. During a spring break trip given by the school to Paris, France Danita became ill and eventually died from meningitis.

Devron had a difficult time adjusting to life without his sister and additionally with transitioning into adolescence. He found himself consistently getting into trouble in school and in his community. His parents were receiving calls constantly from teachers and administrators concerning their son’s negative behavior in school. Somehow, despite his poor behavior Devron slipped into Baltimore Polytechnic Institute because of his academic performance but, eventually he became frustrated and transferred his last year of high school to Lake Clifton Eastern where he graduated in 1995.

He continued his education at Morgan State University majoring in Engineering. During his studies at Morgan State he was forced to take a break from school to find employment to support his son (who was born in September of 1997). Devron eventually found a job working as a counselor at a residential group home for adolescent youth. Unlike any of his previous jobs, he felt an unordinary connection working with these youth, so much so that he ultimately changed his major to Social Work.

After the change to Social Work, Devron relentlessly tackled his studies as a full time student, parenting full time and working full time. He concluded his matriculation with achievements which included: serving as President of the Social Work Student Organization, receiving the Outstanding Community Service Award for his work with a Community-based organization in West Baltimore, and being awarded a grant for participating in a Gerontology Grant which studied African American Grandfathers and Grandfathering.

Upon graduation from Morgan State University, Devron was hired at Progressive Life Center of Prince George’s County as a Family Interventionist in a crisis intervention family preservation program. He was trained and certified in NTU psychotherapy, which is an African Centered perspective to service delivery, to provide a variety of direct care and referral services to emotionally challenged children, adolescents, and their families.

Devron continued his studies at the University of Maryland School Baltimore Social Work, focusing in Management Administration Community Organization and Clinical Practice, earning his MSW in the May of 2006. While in school, he served as a MSW intern with the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families assisting with the Mayor’s Baltimore Rising Campaign to address the prevention and intervention of Baltimore City’s most at risk youth and communities. Additionally, he was an active member with the Organization of African American Students in Social Work (OASIS).

Devron has mostly recently passed his Licensing Examination and is now a Licensed Graduate Social Worker in Maryland serving as a Clinical Therapist at Family Advocacy Services, Inc. where he provides therapeutic services to emotionally challenged youth ages 12-17 that are confronted with various issues. Devron is an active member of a local church in West Baltimore where he serves on the Men’s Council. He provides countless hours of volunteer service assisting with coaching local athletic clubs and mentoring young men.

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