When Thaddeus Wright received the Third Unitarian Church Scholarship in 2010, it wasn’t just the award that changed his life, it was the mentorship and unwavering support of Austin Weekly News columnist Delores McCain, whose influence he carries with him decades later. 

Wright recently wrote a letter to the editor reflecting on the influence of McCain, a longtime journalist and community advocate at the Weekly who mentored and encouraged young people, highlighting how her support and guidance gave him confidence and hope that carried him through college and beyond.  

“First and foremost, when I first met Ms. McCain, she was very calm. She was, what can I say, very loving. She had a loving spirit that she shared with others,” Wright said.  

Wright was one of several high school seniors featured in a 2010 article in Austin Weekly News after receiving the scholarship from Austin’s Third Unitarian Church. At 18, he left Chicago to attend Jackson State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, later going on to receive his MBA from Belhaven University.  

Wright lives in North Lawndale and is a program manager for Community Engagement and Social Determinants of Health at Southside Healthy Community Organization, focusing on connecting communities with health and social resources. After graduating from Jackson State University, he returned home to Chicago and quickly began working for Chicago Public Schools as a program coordinator.  

Meeting McCain gave him a deeper sense of meditation and prayer, building on his lifelong involvement in church through the congregations his mother attended. Her guidance taught him to face challenges head-on and keep moving forward, a lesson he relied on many times while at Jackson State when he felt like quitting. 

“There were plenty of times I wanted to come home because of the shared community bathrooms, roommate issues, or homesickness. I will always remember Delores McCain, who looked at me at Third Unitarian Church and told me that if Jackson State gave me that scholarship, I should go and get my education. That experience helped shape me into the strong young man I am today,” Wright said. 

When asked what made her so impactful in the Austin community, Wright said it was her deep involvement and engagement that left a lasting impression. 

“I’ve heard from several other people that she was active in multiple spaces, even outside of the Austin area, covering special events and media stories. In particular, she was involved in the church community. Ms. McCain covered articles and news at my church, among others. She was deeply involved in everyone’s lives and she remembered everyone.” Wright said.  

When asked when Wright looks back now as an adult and how he views her role in his life, Wright said he views her as someone God placed in his life so he could always remember the small lesson she taught him. 

“Number one, calm down. That nervousness you have is not of God. And secondly, you’ve got this opportunity, so go for it. Shoot for it. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Someone could tell you no and that’s gold,” Wright said. 

He said that, looking back as a 34-year-old, he felt emotional remembering that she presented him with the scholarship in August 2010 and passed away just weeks later, at the end of September. 

Meeting McCain and going through that experience helped shape him into the strong young man he is today.  

“Meeting her in that very moment taught me to look that storm directly in the eye and go forward. I want everybody to know that the same passion, love, respect, dignity and honor that Ms. Dolores McCain displayed, I want everyone else to take up that mantle, pick it up and love one another. Let’s be a little more calm. Let’s show each other grace,” Wright said.