By Kelly Cullen ’13 | Social Media Editor

Reggie Dabbs.  I have listened to a few motivational speakers at student council states or maybe a few times when I was in elementary and middle school.  The saddest part of it all is that I can’t exactly remember the different times I sat down and listened to someone speak or tell their message.  That is because often motivational speakers may have an impact on people at the time, but the message they come to share can sometimes be quickly forgotten.  With that in mind, it was our mission (AIM) to find someone or something to not only bring our school together but help students, teachers, and faculty to never give up.  We heard a lot about a man named Reggie Dabbs who travels all around the world speaking to different schools and telling his unforgettable message.  Reggie Dabbs was someone we knew was someone that people could never forget.

After generating and spreading a survey throughout South, we were shocked and upset to see the results of the survey.  Although many students responded that the climate at South was accepting, friendly and bearable, others felt the complete opposite.  To actually see in writing that some students sometimes didn’t come to school because they felt uncomfortable or mistreated by others was upsetting. We knew that we had to do something and hiring Reggie Dabbs who is considered one of the best motivational speakers in the world seemed exactly what we needed.

I first got the chance to hear Reggie talk at Pierce Middle School in the morning before we brought him back to our school for the afternoon assembly.  Right away, Reggie caught everyone’s attention in the middle school as he started playing loud music and introduced himself.  The auditorium was full of laughter as Reggie told jokes and really put everyone’s guard down.  Trust and understanding are two big things that right of the bat you can see Reggie obtains.  He began to truly introduce himself and told stories of the way he was raised by loving parents to soon come to realize that they weren’t his real parents and that he was given up by his mom.  Through his story he demonstrated the pain he went through growing up trying to find out who he was and where he came from.  Reggie spoke so powerfully to a group of such young kids but also managed to make them laugh and smile while doing so.

“Life is a roller coaster.  Sometimes you’re at the top of the hill feeling good.  Other times you’re heading for the bottom feeling totally out of control.  Life is full of things that are hard to handle, but you can get through them.”

I admired the way he told his story and also the message that although you can go through something that may seem unbearable at the time, you can push through it if you try hard enough.

I knew before entering the assembly at South there would be students who would be making negative comments about the assembly and going in skeptical.  I instantly forgot all about this when Reggie began talking about different students he met at schools he talked to.

Although some people may have felt that Reggie didn’t change anything at South or affect them, there are many people who will be holding onto some of his words to get them through the day.  That’s just it, Reggie’s message wasn’t to make every single person feel an urge to change, but rather to never give up and overcome things that have happened in your past and move onto the future.  His message may not have meant much to everyone, but it was for those who needed to hear it.

I was so happy with the way the assembly went and loved seeing the students at South let their guard down and really listen to what he had to say.  Whether you absolutely loved Reggie or thought that he didn’t get a message across to you, he definitely affected students at South.  I know that his words will stay with me and made me realize that little things can go a long way.  As I finish my last year at South, I have accepted that not everyone will have a positive attitude or take pride in their school, but Reggie made me realize how much I value my school and classmates who have gone through unimaginable experiences.  I can’t say that I personally related to some of the stories Reggie told, but I know other students did, which is the most valuable part. That is why I can say that Reggie isn’t someone you can just forget; he will have a long-lasting impact on me to never give up, help others, and not to live in the past, but the future.