Alumni Profile - Eric Hatcher, DDC '87
Eric Hatcher
Cardinal Hayes High School, 1984-1987
Hofstra University, 1987-1992
“For me the Upward Bound Program was a lifeline. It offered a bridge—an extension—to an exciting, whole new world. It was a world where I could actually experience college life and most importantly peek through the door to my own future.”
Eric grew up in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem. He first heard about the Upward Bound Program at Double Discovery Center from a high school classmate who was applying and suggested he apply with him. Eric was accepted and was in DDC’s Upward Bound Program from his sophomore year through his senior year of high school.
“For me it was a lifeline,” he recalls. “It was somewhat scary at first because I didn’t know what college life was like and there were a lot of expectations from the program’s staff for me to succeed. It was introduced to me as a college preparatory program and I felt this unspoken pressure to achieve, to succeed. I know the program would entail a lot of courses, studying and exams. That was nerve wracking to me because I knew I had to excel. So, Upward Bound, DDC, challenged me to exceed my own limitations.”
He says of his DDC experience, “It rewarded me with a sense of accomplishment and an amazing self-confidence about I what I could aspire to be. It offered role models, exceptional role models, and was a great starting ground for my academic career. I was enrolled in Catholic school for 12 years. But at DDC I was interacting with parochial and public school students, it was an amazing cadre of new thoughts, adventures and ideas. I have the fondest memories of those times. I made amazing friends from those times that I keep in touch with to this day. It helped me achieve my dream of ever going to college. Before, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it to college.”
The leadership of the staff of DDC had a profound and lasting effect on Eric. “I remember people, like our director back then who was Kevin Matthews. He was just a stellar, strong, well-educated, well-groomed man of color who represented the epitome of excellence to me…He was exceptionally encouraging of me. He was one of those people who challenged me to do better, reach higher, to achieve my personal goals.
Eric found that some of the DDC field trips were rewards for hard work, broadened his horizons and motivated him to reach for more in life. “If you did well on your exams and after school programs, you could go. There was full weekend trip to the Poconos at a ski lodge called The Rocking Horse Ranch. It was there that I rode a horse for the first time. For an inner city kid, getting on a horse was like a dream because there were no horses running around up in Harlem. So it was fun. That weekend I solidified several lasting friendships. We were being rewarded for achieving successful grades in our studies. We were all taking the same courses and we received a small stipend. These were things that continued to encourage me to excel. So when it came time to go back to the books I had the inspiration.”
“DDC helped me realize my potential,” Eric adds. “It has helped me to garner success in my career. Fast forward 30 years later, it has given me this amazing sense of confidence because as a high school student, you need confidence to step to the head of the class and be successful. It gave me a sense of self confidence and achievement. I learned to become a more serious student. DDC helped me become more focused, shut off the noise in my head and really buckle down.”
“It felt like home. It felt like family. It was a warm experience. I have nothing but the fondest memories of that time. I would do it all over again if I could. There were no computers, Facebook or cell phones back then. It felt like family. The learning experience felt fun, not forced. They made learning fun, intriguing, like I wanted to learn more,” he says. “I hope that opportunity is continually available today and tomorrow,” he continues. “It’s the best lifeline I’ve ever encountered.”
“For me, DDC made anything possible. Going through their doors. I really felt like the world was mine. Like anything was possible, I could do anything. There was never an issue of no. There was, ‘Yes I can. When can I?’
Today, Eric is a successful visual merchandise coordinator for Echo Design Group, a family-run manufacturer and designer of women’s and men’s accessories. Eric is also a creative director of Armour, a Philadelphia-based men’s boutique. As a freelance magazine writer his work had appeared in a variety of publications including “The Source,” “Blackout,” “Thrasher” and “Bleu.”
By Lisa Herndon
Photo: Eric Hatcher