Chris Moye's energy is infectious and his attitude, always positive. This, despite a challenging childhood.

Moye's mother died when he was 12 and a strained relationship with his father left him alone at 18-years-old. 

"It was just me, an 18 year old boy living in a two bedroom apartment in Sheepshead Bay Projects trying to figure the whole thing out. Just, how am I going to pay rent? Should I still go to school?" Moye recalled.

Although he struggled, Moye always saw school as the ticket toward a more promising future. Thanks to mentors it became reality. He graduated from Kingsborough Community College and is currently studying at Brooklyn College.

Now he himself is a mentor, inspiring other young people to do the same as part of the Good Shepherd Services after-school program.

"As you get older and you tell your friends, you know, one day when I have a kid I'm going to give my kid everything I didn't have, it's kind of like that for me. It's not just one kid, it's several kids so working with these students, I want to give them the stuff that I didn't grow up with," Moye said.

To Moye, that meant new experiences.

Beyond homework help and one-on-one tutoring, Moye gets them involved in sports and takes them on trips to museums, the movies, and hockey games.

Moye also encourages them to tap into their creative sides. He incorporates music and dance into every after-school session.

And he's a shoulder to lean on, someone the students say they have come to trust. 

"Chris is like the big brother that I always wanted but never had. He's definitely inspired me to do a lot of things in terms of music and education. He's a very important person to me," said Ovy Taha, a student.

That feeling is mutual and the reason why Moye continues to push these kids to achieve their dreams.

"Working with the students is always going to be a constant struggle to get them to understand their potential. You have a goal, you have a dream, the world needs you. I constantly want these kids to remember that - you are important. If not to the world, you are important to me," Moye said.

So, for leading young people toward success, Chris Moye is our New Yorker of the Week.