SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Every person has a different journey in finding their life’s purpose. 

MercyWorks, a nonprofit in Syracuse, is helping area youth find theirs with its Vision Velocity Program. 

The program teaches young men how to find and pursue their dreams. 

“This program has worked to make me a better person and give me knowledge in areas that I didn’t know before,” said Aaron Claiborne, a student involved in the Vision Velocity program. 

Being a part of the Vision Velocity program has him dreaming big. 

“I have two goals for my purpose,” he said. “I want to either be in something in music, like I do a little rapping sometimes, and I play instruments. And also I want to be an astronaut.” 

It’s taught Claiborne that there aren’t any limits if you set your mind to something.

Twan Gyder is the coordinator of the program. His goal is to educate and motivate every student. The name Vision Velocity sounds simple, but it has a deeper meaning. 

“So when you think of vision velocity, some people think of vision means sight, right? And velocity means speed, right?” Gyder said. “But it’s not about just sight and speed. It’s about building momentum so you can continue to roll with that.”

Your dream is the first step to finding yourself. 

“Dreaming creates your purpose,” he said. “Your purpose creates you.”

After five years in the program, Claiborne understands his goals and is in control. 

“To finally feel what it feels like to be taking charge of your life, to gain that knowledge, to feel that fire and to feel like you control everything around,” said Claiborne. 

The program has taught him to love moments. Whether he’s listening to music or seeing something new.

“A moment cannot be replaced, it can’t be given back, time just keeps on going forward,” he said. “I think life is about how many moments you seize and how many moments you take to do what you gotta do.” 

Learning about the importance of networking is a critical part of this program. 

“Everything that you do in life can always be bettered if you networked with someone,” Claiborne said. “Someone out there can help you and can find and give you the research and fundamentals that you will not learn yourself.”