Harold Anderson on Social Responsibility, Empowering Youth, and Finding a Sense of Purpose Beat the Streets Philadelphia Podcast

In this episode of the podcast we are joined by former Beat the Streets student-athlete Harold Anderson.
Harold is currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business where he is concentrating in Management. Harold has been able to leverage his degree to pursue the field of corporate social responsibility.
Harold first discovered wrestling shortly after transferring to Belmont Charter in the middle of sixth grade. One day the wrestling coach approached him to join the team. “I had no friends and wasn't doing anything at that time,” he says. “So I'm like I might as well give it a try, I have nothing to lose.”
Harold immediately felt a sense of purpose on the wrestling mat. “It gave me that sense of camaraderie,” he explains. “That sense of being a part of something that's bigger than yourself.”
Through Beat the Streets and the sport of wrestling, Harold met many mentors who pushed him to better himself on and off the mat. “I met people who would later form my support system and people who are still in my support system.”
When he got the chance to join a travel team, he jumped at the opportunity. Even though he took some tough losses, Harold brimmed with enthusiasm for the sport. “Take me anywhere I'll do any day, I'll wrestle with anyone, I don't care. I just want to go and experience stuff.”
Wrestling taught Harold many valuable lessons over the years that he still carries with him today. As someone with a deep sense of serving others, Harold saw it as a vehicle to help others. 
“It takes a very intentional mindset to understand that you have a responsibility to those around you,” Harold explains. “Whether that be helping someone who's struggling with conditioning by doing an extra lap with them or making sure you're paying attention to your teammates while they're wrestling. If you see someone down sitting on the bench maybe just going by and saying ‘Hey, what's up? Is everything, okay?’”
Nowadays, Harold continues to serve and be involved with the Beat the Streets community by helping organize the Youth Ambassadors Program, which is aimed to give a voice to the younger BTS graduates within the organization. 
“I think there is a very strong case to be made for child empowerment and child advocacy. And knowing that children have things to say, that they know what they're talking about. When you're dealing with a specific group of people, whether that be kids, whether that be a marginalized group, you can't do anything sustainably without using their actual voices.”
“And I think one of the big things that I want to accomplish with this group is giving the student athletes and their families more of a voice, more empowerment to actively be a part of changing the trajectory.”
Harold is continuing his track record of service in his career choice as well. He landed his dream opportunity with Viacom in their social responsibility department. And he is doing an internship with Nickelodeon Animation’s Community Efforts Department.
“I'm at a dream place, the kid me would have never thought I was working at. If you went to that kid who showed up to Belmont that day, and told him all these things happening, he would honestly probably run away. Or be like, ‘Nah, get out of here.’”