About Us

Youth Pathways was formed in 2004 by J. Frank Powell, Executive Director and long-time resident of Austin, TX.  He brought together experienced educators, counselors and administrators to discuss the best way to change the lives of today's stuggling youth.  All agreed that it was imperative to start in middle and high schools before they were sent into the sometimes unforgiving "real" world.

In 1969, Frank Powell, an Austin business man for many years, was asked by Gordon A. Bailey, principal of Johnston High School, to meet with a group of high school students who were at risk of dropping out.  Frank mentored a group of students over then next few months and enjoyed the interaction, although he discontinued the mentoring program due to business and personal obligations at that time.  However, five years later Frank ran into one of the students from his mentoring program at Johnston High School, Carolyn King, who was preparting to graduate from Texas State University.  She recognized Frank and proceeded to tell him how much his presence at her school had meant to her and others from her school.  At that moment, Frank knew he wanted to develop a permanent program supported by volunteers to assist middle and high school administrators to reach out to troubled and lost students to show them the path to the future.  Youth Pathways, a program of FP Future View, was specially developed to achieve that goal.