In an interview with ESPN’s Page 2 (Actress Joy Bryant A Snowboarder Too), Bryant, who stars in the NBC series “Parenthood’ reflects on the opportunities and mentors behind her success.

She’s involved with Stoked Mentoring because she knows the value of adult involvement and guidance in shaping a young student’s development.

Stoked Mentoring is a non profit action sports organization for at risk youth with the mission of developing Successful Teens with Opportunity, Knowledge, Experience, and Determination through the use of action sports, mentoring and coaching.

Talking to ESPN, Bryant explains:

“I grew up like many of the kids in Stoked, and if it weren’t for organizations like that, I sure as hell wouldn’t be living the dream…For me, it was an organization called A Better Chance. Since I benefited so much from people giving to me, it’s only right that I do the same…

…”I had quite a few mentors growing up, people who helped to steer me in the right direction and keep me there once I got on it — my grandmother being one of them,” Bryant said. “It’s from her that I learned the value of an education, how to always hold my head up high and to dream big.”

“Bryant grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., and is a graduate of Westminster School, a boarding school in Connecticut. She had a full academic scholarship to attend Yale but quit to pursue modeling. She began her career in Paris and had contracts with Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Victoria’s Secret.”