On my continued journey of providing school assemblies to students and staff developments for educators, I traveled to Porterville Community College to give a keynote presentation at a High School Seniors Conference. Nearly 2000 students from the surrounding communities came for the daylong event of workshops and activities. The purpose was simple, to motivate students towards a higher education.
I opened the conference with my story of how I broke through the barriers of the poverty and violence to attended college, eventually earning a Masters degree from Harvard University. The interaction of the audience, the laughter, and the silence as they listen attentively, the students and educators were thoroughly engaged. I left the to a roar of cheers sensing how eager these students are about pursuing their dreams.