Several months ago I met with a good buddy of mine Casey, who works within Clovis Unified. Casey and I met several years ago back in 2012 when I was doing a speaking tour through Clovis Unified's senior class meetings. Since meeting, Casey and I have remained in contact and have worked together on speaking appearances or just meeting with students he was working with that were struggling with issues on campus, so we would come together and try to speak with the student about life choices and get them on track.
This year Casey has taken on a new role with a different campus and lined up some time for me to come in and speak students that are apart of continuation school programs. These kids have either been expelled for personal or academic conduct and have been sent to either CCD or Gateway.
My time with students that are facing situations they are facing is always my favorite. It's my favorite because I know what it's like to be in shoes like theirs. Most people have counted these students out completely, pushed them to the side and believe they won't be able to do much in their lives but cause problems. I don't buy into that, ever. I see the potential in every student that occupies those seats. All it takes is for one of those students to have a sudden realization of their potential to do or be something and it begins the process of something great. I had a great time sharing with both groups of students and they were extremely engaged in my story. It was another success for speaking.