Congressman Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, might have a prodigy following in his footsteps.

Northern Kentucky University freshman Jesiah Asa Brock, who presented the congressman with this year's YMCA Congressional Champion Award, is interested in politics.

Brock, 18, said political science is his major.

"I want to start in politics at the city level, then state, then federal," Brock said.

The North Avondale youth visited Washington, D.C, Tuesday and Wednesday along with Jerry Haralson, president of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati during YMCA Advocacy Day.

They attended the reception Wednesday in the Rayburn Building, where Brock presented the award.

Portman was a leading advocate for the YMCA Teen Action Agenda Enhancement Act of 2001, which authorized $20 million for YMCA teen programs.

Brock, the son of Daryl and Gayle Brock of North Avondale, has been involved with the YMCA all his life.

He and his mother are active in the YMCA Black Achievers program. He was a member of the YMCA Teen Board in Cincinnati and was elected youth mayor and youth governor for the state of Ohio through the YMCA Youth In Government program in his senior year at Roger Bacon High School, St. Bernard.

"It was a great experience for me to be in the U.S. Congress," Brock said.

The YMCA Congressional Champion Award is given annually by the YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for the country's 2,493 YMCAs.

The men of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Woodlawn will draw on a scriptural reference from the Book of Nehemiah to emphasize its theme, "Men Dedicated to Rebuilding the Walls of Our Community."

The theme is for the Men's Day program from 8-10:30 a.m. March 30.

The scripture is the second chapter, 18th verse of Nehemiah, which reads: "Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work."

The Rt. Rev. John Richard Bryant, presiding prelate of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Fifth District in Los Angeles, will speak.

Bishop Bryant serves on the Interdenominational Theological Seminary in Atlanta, the Congress of the National Black Churches, the National Church Advisory Council of the American Bible Society and as vice president of the North American Section of the World Methodist Council.

"We think he has a good message," said Steve Dobbins, a member of the church. "It is good to have some diversity among church groups."

Allen Howard's "Some Good News'' column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.