Durayveon Butler, a 2004 graduate of M. B. Smiley High School says he was raised to value education and he now makes a commitment to serve the community from which he came.

Butler attended elementary, middle and high school in North Forest ISD. He was heavily involved in sports (basketball and baseball), all while maintaining his spot on the honor roll before graduating Cum Laude; ranking third out of 500 students in his class.

“My teachers in North Forest encouraged me to keep an open mind and kept me motivated,” Butler says, adding that when he graduated he was “hungry” to gain even more exposure and experience.

Butler continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor emphasis in Commercial Real Estate in May 2008.

He is the first in his family to earn a degree and graduate from a university. After graduating from UT, Butler joined American Physicians Services Financial, where he analyzed corporate debt and made buy and sell recommendations on high yield bond securities.

Now pursuing other career interests, Butler leads his own company, Focus First, a company based in Austin that provides educational services to underprivileged youth in over 12 cities, including Northeast Houston.

“Today’s learning environment is moving at a much faster pace and it may be hard for some students to pull themselves out of their situations and crossover to something better,” he said. “But I reach back to the students in North Forest to help build that bridge.”

Butler’s advice to the students in North Forest is based on a saying “repetition is the father of learning.” “If you fall short the first time, shoot for the stars again and set the bar even higher,” he said.

Butler says this motto helps him to stay consistent and learn from his mistakes.