Inspiring Words
Derek Rogers, Brady Foundation
Guest Speakers at Summer Scholar Camp
At Summer Scholars, we love having guest speakers come in to talk with the kids daily. This gives the kids a chance to understand the careers these speakers have and the path it took to get there. Our goal is for each child to realize that it wasn’t easy for any of our speakers to reach their current careers. It took steps, hard work, dedication, and time to get to those fields.
One of our speakers, Gary Cheney, talked to the kids about real estate, but most importantly, he emphasized how important it is to be mindful of who you hang around. His message was to surround yourself with people doing positive things and making an impact on the world. By doing that, you can become one of those people. He advised them to avoid hanging around people who bring negativity and limit your potential, as it could lead you to believe you can't achieve your goals.
Our second speaker, Jordan P. from the Washington Wizards, had a simple but meaningful message for the kids: have fun and enjoy being a kid. He encouraged them to take full advantage of summer camps and the rewards they receive, like t-shirts and other goodies. His key point was to embrace being a kid until the time comes when you're not anymore. Just enjoy the process.
Our third speaker, Mr. Alan Ruple, who is also a mentor of mine, shared his experience of running a school in Pakistan. He spoke about the privilege we have here in the U.S. compared to places like Pakistan. His message to the kids was not to take anything for granted and to appreciate what they have because there are people around the world with far less. He urged them to learn how to give back, instead of always expecting others to give to them. From his message, we were able to raise $5,000 to support the school in Pakistan.
One of the highlights of the camp was our interactive sessions. Our high school leaders were eager to engage with the guest speakers and learn more about their careers. They expressed interest in becoming real estate agents, government officials, and even participating on boards. They wanted to know the steps to get into those careers, the challenges and rewards, and the best way to pursue those paths. We spent a lot of time afterward in Q&A sessions with the kids, diving deeper into these fields and learning more about the jobs.
Ultimately, the kids left every day with more knowledge about different career fields than they had before attending the camp.