CHICAGO — Willie James Round used to have a dream that he was the subject of a television news report after his death by gunfire.
It made sense for Round, 24, to have such a dream considering five of his West Side friends had been fatally shot. His uncle also had been killed on the same block of Round's childhood — 13th and Independence in North Lawndale.
"I lost a lot of friends along the way, some going to jail and others getting killed," said Round, whose father, sent to prison for dealing drugs, died behind bars when Round was 5 years old. "I'm just blessed to have broken the chain."
Justin Breen says Round understands his responsibilities:
Round has overcome his rough upbringing to become the first member of either side of his family to graduate college — with a radio and television broadcasting degree from Central State University in Ohio. This year, he started his own music video production company: Majesty Films. Under the stage name Prince Roc, Round also runs and produces music for his label: Motivated Urban Development (M.U.D.) Life.
Round credits his support system: Mostly his mother, Deveta Gill, who's worked nights at UPS for nearly 20 years; the Rev. Bernard Lilly Sr., who's mentored Round since he was 13 years old; and his girlfriend, Leteshia Wiley.
He first met Lilly, who founded the College Mentoring Experience, after his mother started taking the family to Lilly's Greater St. John Bible Church in Austin.
"My first impression of him was a lot of potential," Lilly said. But "the odds were stacked against him. His father died when he was 5 years old. He has family and friends who are connected to the streets. The school system failed him."
Round went to three high schools and graduated from Kelly High School with a 1.5 grade point average. But at Kelly he was enthralled with a radio and television production class that would become his focus for college. With Lilly's urging, he applied to 20 schools. He initially was rejected by all of them, but Central State eventually followed with an offer to enroll in its Summer Early Start Program. His college experience began in June, only a few days after he received his high school diploma.
Round earned a 2.2 GPA his first semester at Central State and graduated in 2014 with a 2.9.
"Willie never gave up," Wiley said. "By him going to college graduating, and all the hard work he has been putting in to be successful, [that] will make everyone else want to do the same."
Round has a handful of artists for whom he shoots and produces videos. Soon after he graduated, Round became a mentor in Lilly's program for now-13-year-old Saveion, a Marshall High School freshman.
His ultimate goal is to grow Majesty Films to the point where he's hiring neighborhood teenagers to teach them the trade. And that quest has been the focus of his recent dreams.
"I want to give kids in my community power to do videos, to do the programs," Round said. "I want to show them you don't have to be a basketball player to get money or make a future for your family."
Said Lilly: "What makes his story so unique is that every African-American child that lives in the inner city can be motivated and find hope in the story of Willie James Round."
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