Bloomington resident LaTonya Benson initially moved to Bloomington about three years ago to support her son’s football career at Indiana University. While she has cheered on her son, IU starting lineman Kahlil, Benson has curated a loving and thriving environment at the Ferguson Crestmont Boys and Girls Club.
Benson became the Unit Director immediately. When she started, she noticed aspects of the children center that she wanted to improve. She said the relationships between the staff, parents and children were not as strong as they could be and there was a lack of structure for the children.
So Benson leaned on her role as a single mother of four as Unit Director to create bonds within the individuals at the club as well as within the community.
“Coming here, my children also go here, you know,” she said. “And I felt like, of course, if it's good enough for my kids, it's good enough for everybody, because I wouldn't put my children in a position that I think they wouldn't thrive.” Her other children are 16 and 14.
She held sessions for the parents so they would be able to experience the learning programs their children would be receiving, she said. She also made structure a priority by ensuring rules were being followed every day and incorporating leadership opportunities for the children during class time.
Benson said she attended meetings at the Bloomington Housing Authority and knocked on people’s doors to not only make herself known as the Unit Director of the club but to ensure the community knew the Ferguson Crestmont Club was available to them.
“And again, the relationship building was very big, you know, not just the parent, but the community as well, because the community helps govern what happens …,” she said. “And so building those relationships with the parent, with the community, those things have helped the club to continue to grow.”
When Benson started the club had 40 to 60 members a day, now it’s an average of 90 to 120 members a day, she said. She has won a few awards for her work at the Boys and Girls Club including the 2023 Connector Award, the 2025 Ultimate Club Experience Award and the 2025 Strong Woman of the Year award.
Along with her commitment for the club, Benson’s commitment to being her son, Kahlil’s, No. 1 supporter has not wavered. Kahlil is a redshirt senior offensive lineman for IU’s football team.
He’s been playing football since he was six years old and LaTonya has never missed a game, she said, even when he transferred for a year to Colorado before returning to IU.
“I played sports as well in school and in my college sports days, my mom was sickly and couldn't attend most of my games, but my father was always there,” she said. “And I just remember wanting to look in the stands and see my mom.”
Kahlil — who has grown to 6-feet-6 and 305 pounds — has been a role model for the children at the Boys and Girls Club.
“He's tall and hovering kind of over them, and they're falling at his knees, and he's able to play with them, and he talks to them about education,” LaTonya said. “He talks to them about how important it is for them to stay in school.”
She said Kahlil is able to show the kids that anything is possible.
LaTonya will be in Miami Monday to watch her son and his teammates play in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship game. IU is 15-0 and seeks to make history as the only school at this level to finish 16-0.
