1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,164 You are not a mistake. 2 00:00:01,164 --> 00:00:02,506 You are not an accident. 3 00:00:02,506 --> 00:00:04,055 You are here for a reason. 4 00:00:04,055 --> 00:00:05,914 I know you're going through some hard times 5 00:00:05,914 --> 00:00:08,048 I know life at times might feel rough 6 00:00:08,048 --> 00:00:10,638 or you might feel weird or things might be frustrating. 7 00:00:10,638 --> 00:00:12,408 but it's not always going to be like this. 8 00:00:12,408 --> 00:00:14,848 Your condition is not your conclusion. 9 00:00:16,087 --> 00:00:20,087 I've got to just take me 5 minutes to kind of just unpack my story 10 00:00:20,177 --> 00:00:22,523 So that you have an idea of who I am 11 00:00:22,523 --> 00:00:26,642 and why I speak with the passion that I speak with. 12 00:00:28,172 --> 00:00:30,849 There was a time when I was in a really dark place. 13 00:00:31,061 --> 00:00:33,971 You know, my mom had me when she was 16 years old 14 00:00:34,191 --> 00:00:37,078 I grew up without my biological father in my life 15 00:00:37,078 --> 00:00:40,598 I struggled with years with drug and alcohol abuse 16 00:00:40,818 --> 00:00:42,588 and I just found myself in a really, 17 00:00:42,588 --> 00:00:44,778 really really weird and dark palce. 18 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:46,870 I had to repeat the seventh grade and 19 00:00:46,870 --> 00:00:48,500 when eight grade came around, 20 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:50,750 I'll never forget hearing at a teacher 21 00:00:50,750 --> 00:00:53,470 conference, a teacher tell my mom that 22 00:00:53,470 --> 00:00:56,110 I wasn't high school material, and I came 23 00:00:56,110 --> 00:00:58,236 to tell you that that words are powerful. 24 00:00:58,236 --> 00:01:00,196 And when I heard that statement, I 25 00:01:00,196 --> 00:01:02,356 remember feeling like, wow, you know, 26 00:01:02,356 --> 00:01:04,238 like I am really, really a failure. 27 00:01:04,238 --> 00:01:06,018 You know, like it's one thing to 28 00:01:06,018 --> 00:01:09,278 tell a student, Hey okay, you're about to graduate from high school. 29 00:01:09,278 --> 00:01:11,068 You're not college material. 30 00:01:11,068 --> 00:01:12,538 You're not going to go to Ivy league. 31 00:01:12,538 --> 00:01:14,918 Maybe you should go to tech school. 32 00:01:14,918 --> 00:01:15,998 Like, I've heard that, right? 33 00:01:15,998 --> 00:01:18,105 Like different people have different paths, 34 00:01:18,105 --> 00:01:20,165 but how do you tell a middle school kid 35 00:01:20,165 --> 00:01:21,855 that they're not ready for high chool? 36 00:01:21,855 --> 00:01:22,902 Like, it affected me. 37 00:01:23,402 --> 00:01:25,588 And I'll never forget going that next year. 38 00:01:25,687 --> 00:01:29,846 And after a series of events, a lot of fighting,a lot of struggling 39 00:01:29,846 --> 00:01:31,311 that school end up kicking me out. 40 00:01:31,987 --> 00:01:33,397 They got all bent out of shape 41 00:01:33,397 --> 00:01:35,047 because I cut the electricity off. 42 00:01:36,608 --> 00:01:39,608 The next year I went to another school, got the 43 00:01:39,608 --> 00:01:41,268 report card at the end of the year, and because 44 00:01:41,268 --> 00:01:44,945 I did not do well and I did not put good in when 45 00:01:44,945 --> 00:01:47,888 I got that final report card all F's one C. 46 00:01:48,041 --> 00:01:51,171 And my mom is this tall, but when she gets mad, 47 00:01:51,171 --> 00:01:53,271 she turns into the Hulk, you know? 48 00:01:53,271 --> 00:01:55,850 And I'm think like, this is not going to be pretty, 49 00:01:55,850 --> 00:01:57,190 but I came up with a plan. 50 00:01:57,190 --> 00:01:57,970 I said, you know what? 51 00:01:57,970 --> 00:01:58,780 I'm gonna change my grade. 52 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:00,540 So I went to the library. 53 00:02:00,540 --> 00:02:03,410 I got that white out, I crossed out all the F's and the C. 54 00:02:03,410 --> 00:02:05,410 I took a fancy pen and a ruler and I 55 00:02:05,410 --> 00:02:07,300 put those small little dots and lines 56 00:02:07,300 --> 00:02:09,340 and I gave myself all A's and two B's 57 00:02:09,340 --> 00:02:11,970 Then I made a copy of it, and as soon as I got home 58 00:02:11,970 --> 00:02:12,900 I gave it to my mom, 59 00:02:12,900 --> 00:02:14,120 She took one glance. 60 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,300 She was like, boy, where's your real report card at? 61 00:02:16,641 --> 00:02:18,541 I said mom, let me explain it. 62 00:02:18,541 --> 00:02:20,371 She said no, no, no I don't want to hear it. 63 00:02:20,371 --> 00:02:21,651 I know what happened. 64 00:02:21,651 --> 00:02:22,591 I said, you do? 65 00:02:22,591 --> 00:02:23,631 She said yes. 66 00:02:23,631 --> 00:02:25,531 You probably lost it how you always lose 67 00:02:25,531 --> 00:02:27,491 stuff and you went to the office and they 68 00:02:27,491 --> 00:02:29,768 had to make a copy of theirs on file. 69 00:02:31,032 --> 00:02:35,032 I said, yup,yup, you be knowing mama. 70 00:02:35,032 --> 00:02:35,892 She like, I know 71 00:02:35,892 --> 00:02:37,322 I'm like, you know everything. 72 00:02:37,322 --> 00:02:41,642 She's like, I know but at the end of that summer, 73 00:02:41,642 --> 00:02:45,642 at the end of that summer, when my real report card came in. 74 00:02:46,232 --> 00:02:47,646 It was really rough. 75 00:02:47,655 --> 00:02:51,335 I've never forget, like when I first trick my mom and she saw it. 76 00:02:51,335 --> 00:02:53,165 She was like, i'm so pround of you. 77 00:02:53,165 --> 00:02:54,455 She started crying. 78 00:02:54,455 --> 00:02:55,675 I even got emotional. 79 00:02:55,675 --> 00:02:57,965 I was like, I told your momma I'm going to make you proud. 80 00:02:57,965 --> 00:02:59,365 She hugging me. I'm hugging her. 81 00:02:59,365 --> 00:03:00,819 We got like a brekthrough. 82 00:03:00,819 --> 00:03:03,139 And you're probably wondering like, Jeremy, why were you crying? 83 00:03:03,139 --> 00:03:06,881 Like you know, you didn't really earn all A's and two B's 84 00:03:06,881 --> 00:03:10,979 Well, for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like a failure 85 00:03:11,882 --> 00:03:14,462 Like I actually felt successful, like worthy. 86 00:03:14,462 --> 00:03:15,032 Like 87 00:03:15,032 --> 00:03:17,202 I felt like I was good enough for, so that was 88 00:03:17,202 --> 00:03:19,825 a bit of emotional moment, but it wasn't real 89 00:03:20,001 --> 00:03:22,167 because I didn't really earn those grades. 90 00:03:22,247 --> 00:03:24,647 Now, when my school sent my real report card home 91 00:03:24,647 --> 00:03:27,510 and my mom saw it, she was in denial. 92 00:03:27,587 --> 00:03:29,253 My baby made A's and B's. 93 00:03:29,253 --> 00:03:30,520 so she called the school. 94 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,567 I was like Ooh, hang up the phone, mama, hang up the phone. 95 00:03:34,870 --> 00:03:36,503 And again,she's in tears, 96 00:03:38,299 --> 00:03:40,769 But now what was once tears of joy. 97 00:03:41,366 --> 00:03:43,528 Now it was tears of sorrow, tears of pain. 98 00:03:43,528 --> 00:03:45,526 She has the frustration and she's trying to 99 00:03:45,526 --> 00:03:47,756 figure out like, I wish my baby would just get 100 00:03:47,756 --> 00:03:50,243 it together and I was so hurt, but I felt stuck. 101 00:03:50,264 --> 00:03:53,513 I was depressed, I was tired, I was struggling. 102 00:03:53,513 --> 00:03:55,042 I felt like I was an accident. 103 00:03:55,042 --> 00:03:56,347 Like what is the purpose of life? 104 00:03:56,347 --> 00:03:57,677 Like why am I here? 105 00:03:57,677 --> 00:03:59,507 You know, I felt like I wasn't. I couldn't fit in 106 00:03:59,507 --> 00:04:01,131 when it was time to read, I didn't want to read 107 00:04:01,131 --> 00:04:03,010 because somebody was gonna teach me cause 108 00:04:03,010 --> 00:04:04,059 I wasn't a good reader. 109 00:04:04,059 --> 00:04:05,334 We was always getting into fights, 110 00:04:05,334 --> 00:04:06,402 people's bullying me. 111 00:04:06,402 --> 00:04:07,704 Then there was a time when I was the bully, 112 00:04:07,704 --> 00:04:10,929 like I just struggle and I was like, what the point of it all? 113 00:04:11,110 --> 00:04:12,417 And my mom's great mom, so 114 00:04:12,417 --> 00:04:14,147 she moved me to another school. 115 00:04:14,147 --> 00:04:17,036 So, now I'm at the school now called Huntsville high, 116 00:04:17,036 --> 00:04:19,854 This is my third school for the ninth grade. 117 00:04:20,213 --> 00:04:22,453 Now I'm at this new school, and 118 00:04:22,453 --> 00:04:25,293 I don't know how to explain it to you, but I got a group of teacher, 119 00:04:25,293 --> 00:04:26,723 I felt like they were weird. 120 00:04:27,507 --> 00:04:30,897 They were saying stuff like, Jeremy, we believe in you. 121 00:04:31,686 --> 00:04:32,435 ME? 122 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:36,090 One teacher's like, Oh yeah, Jeremy Anderson up top my man 123 00:04:36,090 --> 00:04:38,215 Ah, this is going to be the best year ever. 124 00:04:38,254 --> 00:04:40,413 I'm like, ok 125 00:04:41,225 --> 00:04:43,134 One teacher, I had to ask him, I was like 126 00:04:43,134 --> 00:04:45,248 wait a second, y'all are way too enthusiastic. 127 00:04:45,248 --> 00:04:46,746 Did y'all get my transcripts? 128 00:04:46,746 --> 00:04:48,250 Like, y'all got the right Jeremy. 129 00:04:48,250 --> 00:04:50,090 They was like, yup we got the right 130 00:04:50,090 --> 00:04:52,216 Jeremy, but you're in a new season now. 131 00:04:53,076 --> 00:04:55,054 So you don't have to worry about the past. 132 00:04:55,054 --> 00:04:57,024 I was like, yeah, but you do know about last year 133 00:04:57,072 --> 00:04:58,572 I said, you know this is my third school. 134 00:04:58,572 --> 00:05:02,330 They were like, we not worried about that again, Jeremy, you're in a new season 135 00:05:02,330 --> 00:05:05,044 so, let's not bring old things into a new season. 136 00:05:05,460 --> 00:05:07,260 And they began to speak life to me. 137 00:05:07,260 --> 00:05:08,470 They began to encourage me. 138 00:05:08,470 --> 00:05:12,230 They begin to affirm me, and because I was young and I was immature. 139 00:05:12,230 --> 00:05:14,247 I'm kind of felt like, well, you don't really understand my story. 140 00:05:14,247 --> 00:05:17,192 You don't come from where I come from and I'll try to build a wall up 141 00:05:17,192 --> 00:05:19,311 But you know what knocked that wall down? 142 00:05:19,711 --> 00:05:20,620 It's love. 143 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,416 You know what, knock that wall down. 144 00:05:23,416 --> 00:05:24,586 It was perseverance. 145 00:05:24,586 --> 00:05:26,127 You know what knocked that wall down? 146 00:05:26,127 --> 00:05:28,307 I was like unwavering commitment and 147 00:05:28,307 --> 00:05:31,859 support and I realized you could be black, white, purple, blue, green. 148 00:05:31,859 --> 00:05:33,049 We need each other. 149 00:05:33,049 --> 00:05:35,294 And if you're showing up, cause you believe in me 150 00:05:35,294 --> 00:05:39,954 and you see great things inside me, like maybe, just maybe I could do great things. 151 00:05:42,427 --> 00:05:46,427 Your mindset, your belief system is everything. 152 00:05:47,147 --> 00:05:50,807 It is so beautiful, and so I came all the way from Atlanta Georgia 153 00:05:50,807 --> 00:05:52,627 to tell you, you are not a mistake. 154 00:05:52,627 --> 00:05:53,992 You're not an accident. 155 00:05:53,992 --> 00:05:55,552 You were here for a reason. 156 00:05:55,552 --> 00:05:57,302 I know you're going through some hard times. 157 00:05:57,319 --> 00:06:00,628 I know life at times might feel rough or you might feel weird 158 00:06:00,628 --> 00:06:01,965 or things might be frustrating. 159 00:06:01,965 --> 00:06:03,793 but it's not going to ways be like this. 160 00:06:03,793 --> 00:06:06,185 Your condition is not your conclusion. 161 00:06:06,185 --> 00:06:08,565 There was so much more that's going to take place. 162 00:06:08,565 --> 00:06:10,906 There are so much more power that's inside you. 163 00:06:10,906 --> 00:06:12,277 If you make up in your mind. 164 00:06:12,277 --> 00:06:15,027 I choose to believe that I could do great things 165 00:06:15,027 --> 00:06:18,111 and I promise you my young friends, I got to a point in life 166 00:06:18,111 --> 00:06:20,481 when I was like, man, I got these teachers. 167 00:06:20,481 --> 00:06:21,504 They must really care. 168 00:06:21,504 --> 00:06:22,954 Like when you start having teachers 169 00:06:22,954 --> 00:06:24,424 that get dignosed with cancer. 170 00:06:24,424 --> 00:06:25,933 but they still show up to school. 171 00:06:25,933 --> 00:06:28,115 One of my teachers had arthritis so bad 172 00:06:28,115 --> 00:06:29,930 she couldn't even write on the chalkboard. 173 00:06:29,930 --> 00:06:32,040 Other teacher was going through a divorce. 174 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,749 another one that just buried her child. 175 00:06:33,749 --> 00:06:37,406 I'm looking for at all these teachers that going through life just like 176 00:06:37,406 --> 00:06:40,038 you just like me, but they kept showing up, 177 00:06:40,548 --> 00:06:42,794 so something inside my brain said 178 00:06:43,536 --> 00:06:45,102 Maybe I'm worth it. 179 00:06:45,102 --> 00:06:49,555 Something inside me said maybe can do great things. 180 00:06:49,555 --> 00:06:51,617 For them to jump through all these hoops 181 00:06:51,617 --> 00:06:54,114 and go out of their way to kind of connect 182 00:06:54,114 --> 00:06:55,904 with me for them to make these sacrifices. 183 00:06:55,904 --> 00:06:57,642 Maybe it is possible for me. 184 00:06:57,642 --> 00:06:59,194 It's the same way with you. 185 00:07:03,783 --> 00:07:05,747 Sometimes, I'll go back to like being that little boy 186 00:07:05,747 --> 00:07:07,807 in the hallway that overhead that teacher 187 00:07:07,807 --> 00:07:09,880 told my mom cause I wasn't high school material. 188 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:11,287 Then I have to remind myself like, no, 189 00:07:11,287 --> 00:07:13,263 no, no, no, that, no that's not true. 190 00:07:13,263 --> 00:07:15,902 I am that. I can do that. I can achieve that. 191 00:07:15,902 --> 00:07:18,114 Sometimes I have to remind myself, what am I telling you. 192 00:07:18,114 --> 00:07:20,094 Like life can be hard, life can be rough. 193 00:07:20,094 --> 00:07:23,418 but there's something special and there's something powerful 194 00:07:23,418 --> 00:07:24,918 about the human mind and 195 00:07:24,918 --> 00:07:27,604 about the human spirit and about the human will. 196 00:07:27,604 --> 00:07:30,434 When you tell yourself, I won't give up, I won't surrender. 197 00:07:30,434 --> 00:07:32,916 I won't quit.I'm going to show up every single day 198 00:07:32,916 --> 00:07:34,182 and do the best that I can. 199 00:07:34,182 --> 00:07:36,993 And here's the beautiful thing about you 200 00:07:37,396 --> 00:07:39,674 is while you're going through your process 201 00:07:40,140 --> 00:07:42,454 and why you're trying to navigate these waters 202 00:07:42,454 --> 00:07:46,694 and while you're still, you know, trying to tweak some stuff within yourself. 203 00:07:47,064 --> 00:07:49,582 You still got the power to save somebody else's life. 204 00:07:49,744 --> 00:07:52,095 You got the power to speak up for others. 205 00:07:52,095 --> 00:07:53,964 You got the power to be the voice of 206 00:07:53,964 --> 00:07:55,804 reason for someone who might be on the 207 00:07:55,804 --> 00:07:57,528 the verge of doing something they shouldn't do. 208 00:07:57,528 --> 00:08:00,088 They have the power to brighten somebody's day. 209 00:08:00,088 --> 00:08:01,378 Your words are powerful. 210 00:08:01,378 --> 00:08:04,067 Your energy is powerful, and so I don't want you 211 00:08:04,067 --> 00:08:06,572 all to think that you have to have it all together 212 00:08:06,572 --> 00:08:09,536 and everything for you has to be perfect in order for you to be a leader. 213 00:08:09,536 --> 00:08:10,312 No, no, no,no,no,no. 214 00:08:10,312 --> 00:08:11,554 You can make an impact. 215 00:08:11,554 --> 00:08:12,818 You can make a difference. 216 00:08:12,818 --> 00:08:15,378 You can save somebody's life right now by 217 00:08:15,378 --> 00:08:17,854 you just being unapologetically you 218 00:08:17,854 --> 00:08:20,508 and you walking in that calling and you speak life 219 00:08:20,508 --> 00:08:22,618 and you were affirmed and you the others know. 220 00:08:22,618 --> 00:08:25,408 I see you and I'm with you and I got your back 221 00:08:25,408 --> 00:08:27,350 and you're not by yourself and I will 222 00:08:27,350 --> 00:08:29,280 hold your hand as you go throughout this 223 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,330 journey and even through I'm struggling, 224 00:08:31,330 --> 00:08:33,887 I don't mind fighting on behalf of you and 225 00:08:33,887 --> 00:08:35,922 we're going to figure thing out together. 226 00:08:38,086 --> 00:08:39,625 Key word together. 227 00:08:41,862 --> 00:08:44,532 We're going to figure this thing out together. 228 00:08:44,532 --> 00:08:46,302 There's something beautiful about us 229 00:08:46,302 --> 00:08:48,983 having that mindset of us being together. 230 00:08:49,690 --> 00:08:51,090 You know what I'm saying? 231 00:08:51,090 --> 00:08:54,792 Not black, white, Asian, Hispanic, not Republican. 232 00:08:54,792 --> 00:08:58,372 Independent, not gay or straight, not like male or female, 233 00:08:58,372 --> 00:09:00,886 like us coming together saying, man, we are huamn. 234 00:09:00,886 --> 00:09:05,166 We are here and I believe that there is more that makes us together. 235 00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:08,406 There was more than we have in common than we have. 236 00:09:08,406 --> 00:09:09,674 That's not in common. 237 00:09:09,674 --> 00:09:12,354 And I believe there are differences in what's 238 00:09:12,354 --> 00:09:17,073 make us don't dog on amazing our differences. 239 00:09:20,318 --> 00:09:21,628 I think about that, right? 240 00:09:21,628 --> 00:09:24,033 Like there was so many amazing things 241 00:09:24,033 --> 00:09:26,689 and there were so many different amazing personalities 242 00:09:26,689 --> 00:09:31,569 and there was nobody else this planet exactly like you. 243 00:09:31,742 --> 00:09:32,762 So I believe 244 00:09:33,686 --> 00:09:36,046 that we make a decision to say, you know what? 245 00:09:36,046 --> 00:09:38,418 We will come together as a people. 246 00:09:38,418 --> 00:09:40,693 We will come together as a nation. 247 00:09:40,693 --> 00:09:42,946 We will come together as a state. 248 00:09:42,946 --> 00:09:44,976 We will come together as a city. 249 00:09:44,976 --> 00:09:46,829 We will come together as a district. 250 00:09:46,829 --> 00:09:48,806 We will come together as a school. 251 00:09:48,806 --> 00:09:50,404 We will come together as a grade. 252 00:09:50,404 --> 00:09:52,364 We will come together as a class 253 00:09:52,364 --> 00:09:54,114 and we will value each other. 254 00:09:54,114 --> 00:09:55,784 We will speak life to one another 255 00:09:55,784 --> 00:09:57,919 and we will help each other go to that next level. 256 00:10:04,186 --> 00:10:04,929 You know what? 257 00:10:04,929 --> 00:10:05,894 I'm not just a student. 258 00:10:05,894 --> 00:10:08,151 You know what I'm saying? That just happening to me this grade. 259 00:10:08,151 --> 00:10:09,882 I'm not just here at the school. 260 00:10:09,882 --> 00:10:11,279 I'm here for a reason. 261 00:10:11,279 --> 00:10:13,483 You know what I'm saying, you got to tell yourself, man, I feel like 262 00:10:13,483 --> 00:10:15,273 I've been pushed down in the dirt. 263 00:10:15,273 --> 00:10:17,405 I feel like people have been stomping on me. 264 00:10:17,405 --> 00:10:19,254 I feel like stuff has been raining on me. 265 00:10:19,254 --> 00:10:22,202 But you didn't realize as my young friends, you were just a seed, 266 00:10:22,202 --> 00:10:24,224 so you got to tell yourself. no, no,no 267 00:10:24,224 --> 00:10:27,110 I haven't been pushed down on the dirt and I haven't been stomped on. 268 00:10:27,110 --> 00:10:30,461 I've been planted and not been placed in this pot for a reason. 269 00:10:30,461 --> 00:10:34,261 And we're at this arena, here to be able to have a conversation to say, 270 00:10:34,261 --> 00:10:36,093 what does it look like to go to that next level? 271 00:10:36,158 --> 00:10:38,150 And so I need you all to do the same thing 272 00:10:38,150 --> 00:10:40,020 When you leave here, if you feel like 273 00:10:40,020 --> 00:10:43,389 you're in a weird place if you feel stuck, if you feel like, you know what, 274 00:10:43,508 --> 00:10:45,068 I just feel like I need some help. 275 00:10:45,068 --> 00:10:46,379 You get the help you need. 276 00:10:46,379 --> 00:10:48,373 That's how you show how strong and 277 00:10:48,373 --> 00:10:50,339 how bold and how powerful you are. 278 00:10:51,905 --> 00:10:53,912 What's the next app that you're going to create? 279 00:10:53,912 --> 00:10:55,217 You don't say sometimes I wonder like, 280 00:10:55,217 --> 00:10:57,077 you know, say, are you going to come up with a cure 281 00:10:57,077 --> 00:10:58,560 for alzheimers, domentia? 282 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:00,190 Are you going to come up, you know what 283 00:11:00,190 --> 00:11:03,040 I'm saying, with something that can purify water for people across the globe? 284 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,780 Are you going to create the next app con connect us? 285 00:11:05,780 --> 00:11:08,236 Are you going to be the next teacher or superintendent? 286 00:11:08,236 --> 00:11:10,687 Are you going to be the next leader in our community like, 287 00:11:10,687 --> 00:11:13,407 like, I'd be wondering sometimes like what are the great things 288 00:11:13,407 --> 00:11:14,527 that you're to accomplish? 289 00:11:14,527 --> 00:11:17,767 And there are times when I look at what's happening in the world 290 00:11:17,767 --> 00:11:19,356 and I'm a bit discouraged. 291 00:11:19,907 --> 00:11:21,512 I've got a seven-year-old daughter 292 00:11:21,512 --> 00:11:22,742 and a one-year-old baby boy. 293 00:11:22,742 --> 00:11:24,332 Sometimes I look at the crazy stuff that's 294 00:11:24,332 --> 00:11:26,102 happening in this worls and I'm like, man, 295 00:11:26,102 --> 00:11:28,992 what kind of world am I rasing my kids in? 296 00:11:29,170 --> 00:11:31,380 But then I'm encouraged because I 297 00:11:31,380 --> 00:11:32,960 get to come to events like this. 298 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,068 And I'll get to look in your faces and connect 299 00:11:35,068 --> 00:11:37,428 with you and I have no doubt that there's great things 300 00:11:37,428 --> 00:11:39,593 inside you and that you're going to experience 301 00:11:39,593 --> 00:11:41,533 some amazing things inside your life 302 00:11:41,533 --> 00:11:44,946 If you make a decision to say, I'm going to speak up, 303 00:11:44,946 --> 00:11:47,121 I'm going to stand up.I'm going to save a life. 304 00:11:47,121 --> 00:11:49,514 If you tell yourself I will be a leader. 305 00:11:49,514 --> 00:11:51,435 If you tell yourself, I am going to show up 306 00:11:51,435 --> 00:11:53,901 every single day of my school and I'm going to go above and 307 00:11:53,901 --> 00:11:56,957 beyond because there are some kids in some different countries 308 00:11:56,957 --> 00:11:59,070 and some different places that wish they had 309 00:11:59,070 --> 00:12:03,070 the opportunity to be at my school, to have floors and lights 310 00:12:03,070 --> 00:12:04,202 You know I'm saying 311 00:12:04,202 --> 00:12:05,936 and screen and technology. 312 00:12:08,874 --> 00:12:11,434 I've been some places my young friends while 313 00:12:11,434 --> 00:12:13,724 I walked us through schools and some different countries 314 00:12:13,724 --> 00:12:15,084 doing some volunteer work, 315 00:12:15,084 --> 00:12:17,144 and I'm seeing the facilities they're in. 316 00:12:17,504 --> 00:12:19,872 I know I've met some kids that would love 317 00:12:19,872 --> 00:12:22,063 to come here and able to go to school 318 00:12:22,063 --> 00:12:24,920 that has a gym or be able to go to school that has AC 319 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:26,780 or to be able to go to school that they has desk, 320 00:12:26,780 --> 00:12:29,826 or to be able to go to school where they get their own books and then some 321 00:12:29,826 --> 00:12:31,331 of y'all tablets and all these extra things. 322 00:12:31,331 --> 00:12:32,803 We are so privileged. 323 00:12:32,803 --> 00:12:35,151 What do we do with this opportunity that we have? 324 00:12:35,151 --> 00:12:37,591 I want to challenge you to make the most of it, 325 00:12:37,591 --> 00:12:40,479 to speak life, to love, to encourage. 326 00:12:41,256 --> 00:12:43,906 To wrap your arms around those who are 327 00:12:43,906 --> 00:12:45,573 struggling and you let them know, 328 00:12:45,573 --> 00:12:47,216 you know where you're not in this by yourself 329 00:12:47,936 --> 00:12:50,300 What we're not going to do is we're not going to quit. 330 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:52,436 What we're not gonna do is we're not going o surrender. 331 00:12:52,436 --> 00:12:54,141 What we're not going to do is we're going to just 332 00:12:54,141 --> 00:12:55,832 you know what I'm saying, just stay in this place. 333 00:12:55,832 --> 00:12:58,011 We knew that eventually things would change. 334 00:12:58,521 --> 00:13:00,481 Like eventually it's going to turn around 335 00:13:00,481 --> 00:13:04,481 for my good and we'll be stronger from it and we'll be better equipped 336 00:13:04,481 --> 00:13:06,261 and this will make us better people. 337 00:13:06,499 --> 00:13:08,955 Now you can't always control what happens to you. 338 00:13:08,955 --> 00:13:11,892 My friends. But you can control how you respond to it.