The journey to graduation is filled with countless memories and experiences for Mackenzie Canty. The Martin Luther King High School graduate is grateful for opportunities to volunteer, study, learn and grow at the Downtown Boxing Gym as well as field trips like a visit to the beach with his DBG family. Through it all, Mackenzie worked hard to get to where he is today.
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“The Downtown Boxing Gym helped me with school because they always told me books come before boxing,” he says. “The coaches taught me that I need to be smart to be successful and I feel like that’s true, and they helped me accomplish a lot in life.”
Mackenzie enrolled at DBG in 2018, while he was in the seventh grade. Over the past five years, he has grown into someone he’s very proud to be.
“My coaches always inspired me to push myself and go harder. Being a basketball player, that fueled my dedication to sport,” he says. “My skills and talent would not nearly be as good if I hadn’t worked as hard.”
Mackenzie was a dedicated AP student and also the power forward on the varsity basketball team. His other accomplishments include being a member of an AAU travel basketball team, a JROTC cadet of four years, and winning awards for chess at a state level – both individually and on a team.
DBG provided help when he needed it, Mackenzie says, and in the future, he plans to pay it forward to other young people. He plans to pursue basketball on a college level along with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
“Nobody has a limit. You always got to push yourself for more,” he says. “If you have high standards for yourself, you’re going to end up with a better life.”
Congratulations to Mackenzie and the entire DBG class of 2023 for maintaining out 100% graduation rate for the last 16 years. Continue to be great and leave your mark on the world. We look forward to being part of your journey for many more years to come.