The question of whether leaders are born or made was pondered at the fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Benefit Brunch for the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation on Monday morning.

“There is a growing consensus that leadership qualities can be nurtured over time,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Desmond K. Walker, the guest speaker for the event.

He remembered many positive and negative influences in his life and reflected on how he became the man he is today.

“At some point, I decided I wanted to be the man I could be,” he said. “It is on me to step up. Dr. King’s legacy is that of an imperfect man daring to try. Things changed because he showed up.”

Walker spoke to a crowd of about 100 attendees at the fifth annual brunch, held at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk/Chesapeake in Harbour View.

The annual brunch raises money to fund scholarships for local students looking to further their education. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $35,000 in scholarships to 25 students, said founder Ebony Wright. The ultimate goal is to fund full-ride scholarships.

The foundation memorializes Wright’s sister, S. Delois Mayes, who died in a car accident in 2002.

“My sister went through a lot,” Wright said. Her sister was sick often as a child and spent a lot of time in the hospital. She endured other hardships but ultimately got her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Old Dominion University in 2000. She hoped to write a book about everything she had overcome, Wright said.

“She worked hard,” Wright said, recalling that her sister said, “One of the things that can never be taken away from me is education.”

After the loss of her sister, Wright spent some time trying to figure out how to honor her sister. She ultimately decided to continue writing chapters of her sister’s book with each new class of students sent to college.

“Each year, we can continue to write a chapter, and it will get better and better,” Wright said.

One of the students in this year’s chapter is Brandon Eley, a Nansemond River High School graduate, who is attending the University of Virginia. He spoke at Monday’s brunch, discussing different things that can distract college students.

“Some people get to college and are overwhelmed by the freedom of adulthood,” he said, noting that extracurricular activities sometimes distract college students. He is in marching band, in the student council for his architecture school and volunteers, but “I’ve been able to allow the activities not to become distractions,” he said.

More insidious, he said, can be interior distractions like insecurity and feeling inferior to those around you.

“We shine a light to keep the darkness away,” Eley said, noting his faith in Christ has helped him to overcome all of these distractions.

Also honored at Monday’s brunch were Pastor Vincent W. Daniels Sr. and Estelle Daniels, who have given back to the Hampton Roads community in a number of ways through their church, Berean Community Church in Norfolk. They purchase and deliver food to the homeless, open their food pantry monthly, host an annual back-to-school community day and more.

“We don’t do this for any type of recognition,” Vincent Daniels said Monday. He invoked King’s quote, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

Estelle Daniels said, “Being recognized with this award is an honor and a privilege, but we don’t do it for recognition.

“Help someone else as you have been helped,” she added.

For more information on the foundation, visit www.sdmscholarshipfoundation.com.