THEMSELVES IN TO CRIMINALS.
LACK OF EXPOSURE TO OPTIONS IS
THE TEACHER.
JOINED BY OUR FINAL PANEL TO
TALK ABOUT SUCCESS STORIES.
THESE PEOPLE MADE THEIR
FUTURES.
AND THEY HAVE REALLY BROUGHT ON
THE SUCCESS.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT AT THE END
ROBERT, HE IS VERY FAMILIAR TO
ALL OF US.
SUPERINTENDENT OF BROWARD COUNTY
SCHOOLS.
DAVIS IN THE MIDDLE BORN
RIGHT HERE IN MIAMI AND NOW
MANAGING PARTNER IN GREENBERG'S
MIAMI OFFICE.
SHE GROW UP IN COCOA NUT
GROVE.
A HOME HEALTH AGENCY.
TRUE ENTREPRENEUR IN THIS
COMMUNITY.
LADIES FIRST.
THAT'S OUR THEME TONIGHT.
GIRL POWER.
WHEN IN YOUR LIFE WERE YOU
HEADED DOWN THE WRONG WAY AND
DID YOU MAKE A VISIBLE CHOICE
FOR SUCCESS?
IT WAS A CHOICE.
I GREW UP IN COCONUT GROVE.
IT WAS THE HOOD.
AND BACK WHEN CRACK COCAINE WAS
POPULAR, SINGLE PARENT HOME.
MY MOM DID NOT HAVE AN
EDUCATION.
MY BEST GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL UP
UNTIL 11 GRADE WERE F PLUSES.
AND I SAW POVERTY ALL AROUND.
MY MOM STRUGGLED.
WE LIVED IN AN ONE BEDROOM
APARTMENT AND THERE WERE FEW
KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY IN TWO
PARENT HOMES WITH SUPPORTIVE
PARENTS AND I SAID, GOSH, THEIR
LIVES ARE DIFFERENT.
I WANT SOMETHING BETTER.
I DIDN'T WANT TO STRUGGLE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE POOR
FOREVER AND I JUST MADE A CHOICE
TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE A BETTER
LIFE FOR MYSELF THAN MY MOM AND
MY FAMILY MEMBERS HAD MADE FOR
THEMSELVES AT THE TIME.
ALL OF OUR CHOICES.
EXPOSURE TO SEEING OTHER
POSITIVE PEOPLE.
SPEAKING OF THAT, ROBERT HARVARD
GRADUATE FROM JAMAICAN
IMMIGRANTS PARENTS NEVER
FINISHED THE THIRD GRADE OR WENT
FARTHER THAN THE THIRD GRADE.
SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU HAVE TO
GE GREAT TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS.
WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE FOR
YOU?
I THINK WORKING REALLY HARD.
A COUPLE LESSONS I WOULD SAY ONE
IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT USE YOUR
FAILURES AND CHALLENGES AS
MOTIVATION TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I HAD VERY TOUGH TIME WHEN I WAS
IN SIX GRADE.
WAS SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL THAT
YEAR.
USE THAT AS MOTIVATION TO WORK
HARD.
DO MY BEST.
BECAME A TOP STUDENT IN MY
CLASS.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS
THAT DON'T EVER BE AFRAID TO ASK
FOR HELP.
I BELIEVE THAT EVERY YOUNG
PERSON IS ONE CARING ADULT AWAY
FROM SUCCESS.
AND WHAT I TRY TO DO IN BROWARD
COUNTY WORKING WITH OUR
WONDERFUL STAFF IS TO REALLY
PUSH AND SUPPORT MENTORING.
WE HAVE OVER 2000 ADULTS THAT
ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT SEVERAL
THOUSAND CHILDREN IN THE
DISTRICT PROVIDING OVER 60,000
HORSE OF MENTORING EACH YEAR.
I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY IF IT
WEREN'T FOR A MENTOR SCIENCE
TEACHER I HAD IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO
SHOWED ME HOW TO NAVIGATE THE
PROCESS TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE.
APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND
FINANCIAL AID AND I BELIEVE IF
EVERY STUD CAN GET THAT TYPE OF
MENTORING SUPPORT AND
INFORMATION THEY CAN BE A
SUCCESS AS WELL.
WAS THERE ADULT IN YOUR LIFE
YOU WERE BORN HERE RAISED IN
MIAMI.
ADULT IN YOUR LIFE THAT TURNED
YOU?
ALWAYS AN ADULT THAT HELPS
US.
MY PARENTS WERE INSTRUMENTAL BUT
THEN THERE ARE SEVERAL TEACHERS.
PROUD GRADUATE OF MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND THERE WERE SEVERAL
TEACHES IN THAT PROCESS.
HOW THEY DID THAT WAS THEY
BELIEVED IN ME.
ENCOURAGED.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU ARE
A YOUNG CHILD WE TALKED ABOUT
THIS, A LOT OF DOUBTS.
AND SO TO HAVE THOSE ADULTS IN
YOUR LIFE THAT BRIEF -- BELIEVE
IN YOU.
SO WHEN MENTORS LIVE FOR YOU AND
YOU SEE THAT COMMITMENT YOU SEE
ALL THE LEADERS THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT, SUPERINTENDENT, ET
CETERA.
LIVING FOR YOU.
YOU REALIZE I HAVE AN OBLIGATION
TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
YOU HAVE A REASON TO LIVE AND
NOT A REASON TO DIE.
ROBERT, I WANT TO GET SOME FINAL
THOUGHTS FROM YOU FOR NOT ONLY
THE CHILDREN WHO ARE OUT HERE
LOOKING BUT SOME OF THE KIDS AT
HOME WATCHING TELEVISION.
MY KIDS BETTER BE WATCHING RIGHT
NOW.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS FOR THEM
ABOUT ACHIEVING SUCCESS.
WELL I SAY DON'T LET ANYONE
DAMPEN YOUR DREAMS.
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AS I SAID OUR
YOUNG BODIES WRAPPED AROUND A
DREAM.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO
WORK, TO MAKE SURE YOUR DREAMS
ARE REALITY.
YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING THAT
YOU WANT JUST NEED TO CONTINUE
TO WORK HARD.
DON'T LET ANYONE PUT A DAMPER ON
IT.
TINA, FINALLY WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY TO YOUNG PEOPLE JUST ON THE
CUSP OF BAD CHOICES.
DON'T GIVE UP.
I DID THE FIRST WING STOP
RESTAURANT IN DADE COUNTY I ATE
WINGS.
I AM GOING TO BE A WING STOP
OWNER AND I DID IT AT 17 I SAID
I WILL STOP MAKING Ds AND Fs
AND FIND SOMEONE HELP ME LEARN
HOW TO STUDY AND BECAME AN A
STUDENT.
I DIDN'T MATTER WHO WAS
FAILING AROUND ME I DECIDED TO
SUCCEED.
LOVE IT.
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM YOU.
BE COMMITTED TO YOUR
COMMUNITY AND KNOW YOURSELF.
COMMITTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND
KNOW YOURSELF BECAUSE ONCE YOU
KNOW YOURSELF NO ONE CAN DA THAT
FROM YOU.
SMILE HAD GONE YOU SHOWED UP
THERE.
MY INITIAL HOME WAS LIBERTY
SOCIETY.
THAT PARK OUR HOUSE ACROSS THE
STREET.
KNOW YOUR HISTORY KNOW YOURSELF.
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY.
LEAD TO YOU LIVING FOR OTHERS.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR
PEOPLE REPRESENTING PEOPLE AND
BEING A MENTOR.