ESSENTIAL | NEWS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Dream Big: Kevin Carroll comes to E2LOn Saturday, April 19, we were very fortunate to have Kevin Carroll as our guest. Kevin, a former athletic trainer for the Philadelphia Sixers and "human catalyst" for Nike Corporation, now travels the world sharing his philosophy: Rules of the Red Rubber Ball (ESPN Books). That philosophy is drawn from Kevin's childhood experiences on the playground--particularly the memory of how an abandoned rubber ball catapaulted him into a lifelong love of sports and play. Kevin asks his audiences, "What's your red rubber ball?" In other words, what's the one thing that can launch you into innovation, into inspiration, into new horizons? It was a message that hit our Fifteen students in a big way. By speaking the language of teenagers, Kevin was able to imprint some very adult ideas. He communicated in very real, very down-to-earth terms the possibility of making a difference, of using even unconventional talents to enact positive change in the world. It's a concept that Fifteen strives to ignite in its participants, and one that was given a new voice in Kevin Carroll. Kevin took our students through a sort of inspiration flow chart, a series of images that laid out his principles for success. Included in the diagram were images of a wide-open eye (curiosity) and a baby lifting a weighted barbell (potential)--along with an iconic image of Muhammad Ali, paired with the admonition to "do your lonely work" and remain driven to succeed. "If you don't prepare for success, it's not going to come," Kevin said. The images made a particular impression on our students. Second-year Fifteen participant LaShawn said, "Muhammad Ali was the biggest one for me--just talking about always keeping that drive." For Jeremy and Neil, also in their second year with the program, it was the baby/barbell photo that left a mark: "Because anything is possible...anything can happen." Kevin also laid out the central concept to his philosophy: Dream Big. The word "dream" contains the 5 most important ingredients for success: Dedication, Responsibility, Education, Attitude and Motivation. And according to Kevin, "'E' is the most important letter in the word 'dream'. There are teachable moments in every day." Kevin's message perfectly complements our core values in the Fifteen program: turning urban teens into leaders and pointing them toward lives of purpose and distinction. We've been striving to make inner-city teens "dream big" and "prepare for success"--and it's working. While half of our original participants were not on schedule to graduate high school at the start of our program, now each student is on schedule--and what's more, each one now has plans for postsecondary education. And as they continue to strive for success, we'll continue to help them seek out new opportunities and horizons--because we know their potential is absolutely boundless. And in the spirit of new opportunities, this autumn will see the official launch of our PUSH program. With PUSH, we'll start equipping our participants with marketable skills and creative training in our brand-new computer lab, hopefully sparking their interest in creative fields and giving them a "push" toward fulfilling careers. For more info on this exciting program--and to see how you can help--visit www.e2lonline.com/push.html. Inspiration. Empowerment. Success. Help Essential2Life put them within reach of at-risk youth all over Atlanta. For more info on Kevin Carroll, visit kevincarrollkatalyst.com. |