Transcriber: Elizabeth Chukwu Reviewer: Capa Girl
Hello TEDx!
Yes, I'm loving the response.
Today I'd like to illustrate
what goes through the mind of an at-risk youth.
But instead of just talking about it,
I'd rather show you.
In order for me to be able to do this,
you'll have to come back to the year 2003 with me.
Oh my goodness it's not my slide! (Laughter)
But here we go.
This, is where I've lived for the last couple of years with my mum.
And this, Jane and Finch, is where I met my girlfriend,
who's currently selling guns.
Hopefully I'll be able to find a safer job for her,
as this is one dangerous occupation.
As for me, I'm just the average street dude.
I drink, I smoke,
I rob people when I need money,
and I sell a variety of drugs,
from weed, to ecstasy, to cocaine.
If you need it, I got it.
My inner circle is full of top-notch citizens,
from pimps and prostitutes,
to mobsters and bikers,
to Bloods and Crips.
For the last couple of years, I've been a C to D student.
Mostly due to the fact that I've been skipping off school and chilling with my boys.
But can you blame me?
When I am at school, I'm treated like a black sheep,
by teachers, and principals alike.
I've been suspended more times than I can count,
and they even tried to expel me a couple of times.
The news of the day,
is I've just been kicked out of my mum's house,
at the age of 17.
Now this, I have to say, really hurts,
especially because I didn't even see it coming.
But I guess I can't be too upset,
as these days, I've been getting arrested so much,
that it's a good day if I don't end up behind bars.
I've even been chased by police helicopters,
and hunted down by canine units.
By my mum kicking me out out of my house,
what she's really saying,
is she doesn't care what happens to me.
So why should I care.
All I have now is my family in the streets.
So if you ask me, am I going to keep doing crimes?
The answer is, hell yeah,
I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing,
and I'm not going to care if I go back to jail or not.
Why should I care about myself, if no one else does.
I have low confidence in school for the low grades I've been getting,
and authority figures treating me like I have little to no potential.
So if my life is going to be worthless anyway,
I might as well get drunk and have fun while I'm still here.
Which probably won't be that long anyway,
as the majority of people I hang out with
are getting arrested.
Some, are even going to the penitentiary.
As for me, I've been getting death threats as of late.
So living a "normal, happy" lifestyle,
doesn't seem to apply here.
I'm gonna live my life with this motto:
"Always be the hunter, never the prey."
I'm never going to change.
Live fast and die young. I'm out.
Hello TEDx once again,
welcome back to the year 2011.
What you just saw, was a snapshot of my life
and the way I thought just 8 years prior.
Now, most of us would only hear stories like this
in the plot line for movies.
So it's safe to say, that I would need a miracle
to save me from living a life of crime.
Well, I'm glad to say that I got that miracle,
in the form of my grandmother, who took me in,
and told me not to allow my past to determine my future.
Now, this phrase accompanied with years of positive reinforced thinking
and changing the people that were around me,
helped me turn my life around.
So I believe it deserves to be repeated once again.
"Do not let your past determine your future."
I can't stress enough the need for at-risk youth, or low-income families
to be able to believe that although, yes, life has been a challenge,
things can get better,
if you work hard and believe in your own abilities.
One thing all people living their life on the other side of the track have in common,
is a feeling of hopelessness.
So if they're able to find that inner hope once again,
then anything truly is possible.
And this can apply to anyone and everyone as well.
So if you're going through a hard time right now,
always remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel,
and you have more potential than you could ever imagine.
If your life isn't where you want it to be,
then focus in on your goal, and work towards it, each and everyday.
If we all start to do this, then we'll also begin to see
the hidden potential that lies in each and everyone of us.
I'm a prime example of this, as 8 years later, I've graduated from high school.
I have a General Business diploma,
as well as a three-year advanced Business Administration diploma from Seneca college.
I'm currently a fourth-year student at Ryerson University
pursuing my Business Commerce degree.
I'm involved in multiple extracurricular organizations,
such as DECA, Real Estate Ryerson, and SIFE Ryerson.
Now, I'm going to talk a little bit more about SIFE,
as it pertains greatly to this talk.
I first joined SIFE in February of this year.
And right when I joined, I was placed in the Start Smart program.
Now for those of you that don't know,
Start Smart focuses on teaching youth in the community
basic financial literacy skills.
Right when I was placed in Start Smart,
I requested to be placed in the roughest areas possible.
They granted this request.
And for the next 7 months, I spoke at institutions
including the Covenant House, located at Yonge and Gerrard,
Eva's Place, located in North York,
which is an emergency homeless shelter,
as well as Parkdale Collegiate Institute,
which is a high priority area within Toronto.
I still remember my first seminar at Parkdale Collegiate Institute.
I asked the class to make a list
of short-term and long-term goals for their life.
So they were asked to make, three goals for a year from now,
three goals for two to five years from now,
and three goals for six to ten years from now.
I gave them sufficient time to do this,
and then randomly selected students to present their goals to the class.
Now, one student I selected with tattooed hands
told me he couldn't think of one goal for his life.
Instead of just accepting this,
I asked him, "Well, when you get up in the morning,
have you already achieved everything you want to do?"
He then replied with a sly, "Yes".
I then challenged him further by saying,
"Well, if you get up in the morning and you've already accomplished all your goals,
maybe you're not aiming high enough."
I then reverted to telling the whole class
that each one of them has more potential
than they could ever imagine.
But the only way to uncover this hidden potential,
is if they study hard in school, and plan for their future.
Several weeks later, this same teen
that couldn't think of one goal for his life approached me.
He thanked me for challenging him,
as now, he had several goals for his life.
One being to go to university in the future.
This showed me that sometimes the small things we say
can have a profound impact on other people's lives.
So instead of just complaining about the crime rate,
go out there and do something about it.
Join the United Way.
Join SIFE Ryerson.
Or simply take part in the 5K Step Up for Street Kids
that happens every November at Dundas Square.
Here, citizens of Toronto walk 5km,
to help aid Covenant House's efforts,
to get homeless youth off the streets.
Over the last 2 years they've raised over $200,000.
We as individuals all have choices in what we do with our time.
So why not spend a small fraction of that time
helping someone that feels like no one else cares.
Why not be that one person that believes in someone,
and causes them to finally turn their life around.
I can tell you from first-hand experience,
that there's nothing more gratifying
than knowing that you helped change someone's life.
So don't do it because you feel bad for them.
But do it for the amazing feeling that you'll get
knowing, one, you're doing the right thing,
and two, you're really impacting someone's life.
In closing, I'd like to leave you all with this thought.
We all have problems and obstacles that we must overcome in life.
So let's extend a hand to one another,
especially those going through hard times
instead of just looking the other way.
Change is possible,
no matter how rough of a background one comes from.
But in order for one to be able to change,
they must believe that there's hope for the future.
Let's be that hope for one another,
and never stop believing in each other.
Thank you.
(Applause)