[Music]
can everyone do me a favor and just
close your eyes with me for a minute
close your eyes and think about when you
were 14 years old
do you remember what 14 felt like do you
remember the smells the feelings the
thoughts that you had then you’re
probably just in high school a freshman
maybe you’re probably a little cocky
little insecure a little awkward or
maybe were the coolest kid in town just
take that in for a second
now open your eyes now that you have
that age in your mind I’d like to share
with you now my story at 14 you’re all
probably wondering why there’s a
backpack in front of a mic and well it’s
because although there are a lot of
different things in this world that
might seem like they’re more important
than AI nothing compares to me everyone
in here does or has owned one just like
me and we each have our own story but
today I’d like to share with you my
story and the journey I went on with a
boy named Giuseppe it all started I mean
I remember like it was yesterday he was
14 years old and we had just moved to
Las Vegas six months ago adjusting to a
new school trying to make new friends as
we try to find our way through our
freshman year I had a pretty good though
not too many people pay attention to a
backpack but gee well he had to go
through with all the insecurities that
every 14-year old boy
already has and he was new forget about
it
good luck kid I thought it all began on
my way home after watching my very first
powderpuff game it was around 9:30
o’clock at night not even been home in
about a day and a half but
day before I’d had an argument with my
mom so as I’m walking home all I could
think about was what I was going to say
to try to calm the waters of our feud
but as I got closer something just
didn’t feel right but I wasn’t exactly
sure why as I approached my house my
heart just started beating a little
faster and I had this rush of anxiety
throughout my body as I reached over to
open the gate that surrounds my house
I’ll walk up the driveway and I get to
the front door it’s locked so I go
around to the front window and I take
off my backpack and I place it next to
me and expecting the absolute worst I
cut my hands over my eyes and I look
inside everything’s gone
he took a step back to try to compose
himself but how could he he looked over
at me and that’s when I knew it was real
she was gone she had completely
abandoned us and we were all alone and
just like that he picked me up and we
went back to the only other place that
we knew our school we walked around for
some time but finally settling here the
top of the press box of a high school
bleachers this is where we would live
for the next several months telling no
one we were homeless I to be stronger
than ever then eventually becoming
Giuseppe’s everything I mean I was his
pillow at night his shoulder to cry on
his person to talk to and his storage
unit holding nothing more but a
toothbrush a change of clothes and a few
of his books some could easily say how
was the Wilson to his Tom Hanks
I’ve told this story so many different
times and it always changes not the fact
though as I get older I am willing to
give more and more details about what
happened in that part of my life but the
emotions that run through me when I tell
my story that has changed completely and
that’s what I want from everybody here
today to change not only the way that
you see yourself but the way that you
see others now as you can imagine in
that moment my life was forever changed
and the argument that led to my
abandonment was about school you see I
wanted to stay in school as I had seen
my older siblings drop out and become
addicted to drugs and alcohol
my mom thinking that it was I was just
gonna be on the same track just said
quit while you’re ahead
you’re not gonna amount to anything
anyways they’re gonna drop out and we’ll
move into Colorado obviously I disagreed
but like with every argument you assume
that it will all find a way to get
sorted but never like this
especially not with your mom in the
mornings we’d wake up he’d splash some
water in his hair and he brushed his
teeth in this water fountain and just
like that would make our way into school
first period ready to go
we joined every after-school program
just so that we can stay indoors a
little longer sometimes we would go to
class late else to study just so that he
could quickly jump into a shower and
sometimes he would even be able to steal
a clean shirt and stuff me with it and
as you can imagine fourteen-year-old
boys already don’t smell all that great
imagine him
I consider myself to be extremely lucky
and although I know that there are a
whole bunch of other people throughout
the world that have survived much worse
I consider myself lucky because I had a
backpack and because along the way I
found some of the most beautiful
compassionate and courageous people that
not only helped me through this time but
who have left a lasting impression
stamped on my heart at school I could
eat breakfast and lunch off of a free
and reduced lunch program but at night
well dinner was a different story
sometimes I’d go to a classmate’s house
to study but when that didn’t work you
know in order to you know in hopes that
I’d be invited for dinner but when that
didn’t work I resorted to stealing there
was a 7-eleven that I used to go to
almost every day and there was a guy
that worked there maybe in his mid 30s
but he was almost he was there almost
every time I walked in not walk in super
casual and I’d grab a few things and I’d
run out as fast as I could I mean I
would just run like the world was behind
me but this guy would never chase me now
I remember thinking god this is so easy
this guy’s so lazy I’m gonna go back
tomorrow and I did and it was crazy
because all of a sudden summer came and
now my breakfast and lunch were gone and
when I walked back into that 7-eleven
that first day of summer I mean it was
it was amazing I walked in and to my
surprise sitting there at the end of the
counter was a packed lunch and a drink
just waiting for me you see this guy he
wasn’t lazy he knew and he saw me but
instead of chasing me down or calling
the police
he helped
and every day after he did the exact
same thing but it wasn’t all smiles and
rainbows there were times when I wanted
to give up times when I doubted I would
make it just wondering you know where I
would end up and could this be it all
that life had to offer me was on top of
that press box
no no that’s can’t be it now a lot of
you might be wondering why didn’t you
just get help and it’s because my
biggest fear was that if I was turned in
to the police or to tell services I was
going to be forced into a system that
would drag me from school to school
having no say in where I ended up a
system where abuse is rarely reported
the system often thought of as a system
for bad kids not abused kids not
neglected kids not abandoned kids just
bad kids so with that being said please
join me and not only looking at homeless
youth differently but in seeing that
this is in fact an issue there’s one day
in particular that haunts until this day
and it wasn’t the day where he ate out
of a dumpster or any of those other days
no we’re walking down the street that
summer and we ran into some
upperclassmen who had a car
air-conditioning of course were gonna
jump in survival mode let’s go we’re
driving around for some time and these
guys knew there was something up with
gee maybe he looked hungry or desperate
but one of the guys looked over at him
and he said
man I really want a skateboard
conveniently we happen to be driving by
a skate park so the guy looked back over
at G and he said I’ll give you ten
dollars if he’s still a skateboard for
me I was hungry I really wanted to eat
and ten dollars was a lot of money to me
then right so I said I would
outside of the skate park across the
street there was a boy sitting at a bus
stop with a skateboard and I was just
gonna walk past grab the skateboard and
run but something happened as soon as I
grabbed the skateboard to start running
he grabbed the other end all of a sudden
I had to look him in the eyes this kid
was scared
he’s probably 12 or 13 years old not too
much younger than me at the time I
remember just yanking it and I said let
go of the skateboard
he said please don’t take my skateboard
please don’t take my skateboard and I
said let go with a damn skateboard kid I
need it he think back he said please
don’t take my skateboard I tugged one
more time and he tugged back and in an
instant I balled my fists and I punched
him as hard as I could in the face he
let go and he dropped to his knees and
those tears that he was holding back
just came rushing out without thinking I
started running and everything seemed to
just slow down I could see the guys
right in front of me hanging out of the
window just cheering me on I just
remember thinking is this it this can’t
be it
there has to be something more what had
I become at that moment I had adapted to
the very worst that I’d ever been this
wasn’t me I got
the car I threw the skateboard and I got
in we just took off we made it five
blocks maybe but I remember just sitting
in the car in the world just stopped
thinking I can’t do this
am i doing I told the guy to pull over I
got out and I never even took the money
never spoke to those guys again either
and I think about that moment so often
just wishing I had made different
decisions but now as an adult I’m
actually kind of glad that it happened
because what I saw was not who I wanted
to become today when I talk at schools I
leave the classroom with the skateboard
deck and ask everybody to sign it as a
sign of commitment to understanding to
those who are out on the streets
struggling to eat tonight to those who
have made and are making decisions that
are not them in order to survive it’s a
commitment to a greater community it’s a
commitment to understanding that there’s
probably a kid just like me in that
class it’s a commitment to healing
ultimately there was a teacher who knew
something was wrong but who was
compassionate enough to take me in to
get me the proper help and to get me to
a place that would give me shelter and
resources but that would also let me
have a say in where I went to school and
what I wanted for my future not a lot of
kids like me get that or got that but
because she was able to see me for who I
was and not what I was
she helped there are kids that will run
tonight out of fear from abuse because
her family has abandoned them they might
find their way to the top of a press box
to a game to the back of a dumpster or
to a pimp but maybe
maybe before they adapt to survive maybe
we can adapt change the way we see them
maybe we could stand with them to
amplify their voices so that they’re not
treated as property anymore able to have
a say about where they feel safe helping
them stay in school and helping them
realize their full potential according
to the Covenant house organization in
2016
it was recorded that there was one point
there were 1.6 million kids out on the
street doing exactly that surviving all
without a best friend like a backpack
and a series of adults who care enough
to see differently ladies and gentlemen
we’ve all done something and regretted
it I began to see myself differently at
a very young age now I want all of you
to not only see yourselves but to see
them differently and I want all of you
to please help me make a difference
thank you guys so much
[Applause]
can everyone do me a favor and just
close your eyes with me for a minute
close your eyes and think about when you
were 14 years old
do you remember what 14 felt like do you
remember the smells the feelings the
thoughts that you had then you’re
probably just in high school a freshman
maybe you’re probably a little cocky
little insecure a little awkward or
maybe were the coolest kid in town just
take that in for a second
now open your eyes now that you have
that age in your mind I’d like to share
with you now my story at 14 you’re all
probably wondering why there’s a
backpack in front of a mic and well it’s
because although there are a lot of
different things in this world that
might seem like they’re more important
than AI nothing compares to me everyone
in here does or has owned one just like
me and we each have our own story but
today I’d like to share with you my
story and the journey I went on with a
boy named Giuseppe it all started I mean
I remember like it was yesterday he was
14 years old and we had just moved to
Las Vegas six months ago adjusting to a
new school trying to make new friends as
we try to find our way through our
freshman year I had a pretty good though
not too many people pay attention to a
backpack but gee well he had to go
through with all the insecurities that
every 14-year old boy
already has and he was new forget about
it
good luck kid I thought it all began on
my way home after watching my very first
powderpuff game it was around 9:30
o’clock at night not even been home in
about a day and a half but
day before I’d had an argument with my
mom so as I’m walking home all I could
think about was what I was going to say
to try to calm the waters of our feud
but as I got closer something just
didn’t feel right but I wasn’t exactly
sure why as I approached my house my
heart just started beating a little
faster and I had this rush of anxiety
throughout my body as I reached over to
open the gate that surrounds my house
I’ll walk up the driveway and I get to
the front door it’s locked so I go
around to the front window and I take
off my backpack and I place it next to
me and expecting the absolute worst I
cut my hands over my eyes and I look
inside everything’s gone
he took a step back to try to compose
himself but how could he he looked over
at me and that’s when I knew it was real
she was gone she had completely
abandoned us and we were all alone and
just like that he picked me up and we
went back to the only other place that
we knew our school we walked around for
some time but finally settling here the
top of the press box of a high school
bleachers this is where we would live
for the next several months telling no
one we were homeless I to be stronger
than ever then eventually becoming
Giuseppe’s everything I mean I was his
pillow at night his shoulder to cry on
his person to talk to and his storage
unit holding nothing more but a
toothbrush a change of clothes and a few
of his books some could easily say how
was the Wilson to his Tom Hanks
I’ve told this story so many different
times and it always changes not the fact
though as I get older I am willing to
give more and more details about what
happened in that part of my life but the
emotions that run through me when I tell
my story that has changed completely and
that’s what I want from everybody here
today to change not only the way that
you see yourself but the way that you
see others now as you can imagine in
that moment my life was forever changed
and the argument that led to my
abandonment was about school you see I
wanted to stay in school as I had seen
my older siblings drop out and become
addicted to drugs and alcohol
my mom thinking that it was I was just
gonna be on the same track just said
quit while you’re ahead
you’re not gonna amount to anything
anyways they’re gonna drop out and we’ll
move into Colorado obviously I disagreed
but like with every argument you assume
that it will all find a way to get
sorted but never like this
especially not with your mom in the
mornings we’d wake up he’d splash some
water in his hair and he brushed his
teeth in this water fountain and just
like that would make our way into school
first period ready to go
we joined every after-school program
just so that we can stay indoors a
little longer sometimes we would go to
class late else to study just so that he
could quickly jump into a shower and
sometimes he would even be able to steal
a clean shirt and stuff me with it and
as you can imagine fourteen-year-old
boys already don’t smell all that great
imagine him
I consider myself to be extremely lucky
and although I know that there are a
whole bunch of other people throughout
the world that have survived much worse
I consider myself lucky because I had a
backpack and because along the way I
found some of the most beautiful
compassionate and courageous people that
not only helped me through this time but
who have left a lasting impression
stamped on my heart at school I could
eat breakfast and lunch off of a free
and reduced lunch program but at night
well dinner was a different story
sometimes I’d go to a classmate’s house
to study but when that didn’t work you
know in order to you know in hopes that
I’d be invited for dinner but when that
didn’t work I resorted to stealing there
was a 7-eleven that I used to go to
almost every day and there was a guy
that worked there maybe in his mid 30s
but he was almost he was there almost
every time I walked in not walk in super
casual and I’d grab a few things and I’d
run out as fast as I could I mean I
would just run like the world was behind
me but this guy would never chase me now
I remember thinking god this is so easy
this guy’s so lazy I’m gonna go back
tomorrow and I did and it was crazy
because all of a sudden summer came and
now my breakfast and lunch were gone and
when I walked back into that 7-eleven
that first day of summer I mean it was
it was amazing I walked in and to my
surprise sitting there at the end of the
counter was a packed lunch and a drink
just waiting for me you see this guy he
wasn’t lazy he knew and he saw me but
instead of chasing me down or calling
the police
he helped
and every day after he did the exact
same thing but it wasn’t all smiles and
rainbows there were times when I wanted
to give up times when I doubted I would
make it just wondering you know where I
would end up and could this be it all
that life had to offer me was on top of
that press box
no no that’s can’t be it now a lot of
you might be wondering why didn’t you
just get help and it’s because my
biggest fear was that if I was turned in
to the police or to tell services I was
going to be forced into a system that
would drag me from school to school
having no say in where I ended up a
system where abuse is rarely reported
the system often thought of as a system
for bad kids not abused kids not
neglected kids not abandoned kids just
bad kids so with that being said please
join me and not only looking at homeless
youth differently but in seeing that
this is in fact an issue there’s one day
in particular that haunts until this day
and it wasn’t the day where he ate out
of a dumpster or any of those other days
no we’re walking down the street that
summer and we ran into some
upperclassmen who had a car
air-conditioning of course were gonna
jump in survival mode let’s go we’re
driving around for some time and these
guys knew there was something up with
gee maybe he looked hungry or desperate
but one of the guys looked over at him
and he said
man I really want a skateboard
conveniently we happen to be driving by
a skate park so the guy looked back over
at G and he said I’ll give you ten
dollars if he’s still a skateboard for
me I was hungry I really wanted to eat
and ten dollars was a lot of money to me
then right so I said I would
outside of the skate park across the
street there was a boy sitting at a bus
stop with a skateboard and I was just
gonna walk past grab the skateboard and
run but something happened as soon as I
grabbed the skateboard to start running
he grabbed the other end all of a sudden
I had to look him in the eyes this kid
was scared
he’s probably 12 or 13 years old not too
much younger than me at the time I
remember just yanking it and I said let
go of the skateboard
he said please don’t take my skateboard
please don’t take my skateboard and I
said let go with a damn skateboard kid I
need it he think back he said please
don’t take my skateboard I tugged one
more time and he tugged back and in an
instant I balled my fists and I punched
him as hard as I could in the face he
let go and he dropped to his knees and
those tears that he was holding back
just came rushing out without thinking I
started running and everything seemed to
just slow down I could see the guys
right in front of me hanging out of the
window just cheering me on I just
remember thinking is this it this can’t
be it
there has to be something more what had
I become at that moment I had adapted to
the very worst that I’d ever been this
wasn’t me I got
the car I threw the skateboard and I got
in we just took off we made it five
blocks maybe but I remember just sitting
in the car in the world just stopped
thinking I can’t do this
am i doing I told the guy to pull over I
got out and I never even took the money
never spoke to those guys again either
and I think about that moment so often
just wishing I had made different
decisions but now as an adult I’m
actually kind of glad that it happened
because what I saw was not who I wanted
to become today when I talk at schools I
leave the classroom with the skateboard
deck and ask everybody to sign it as a
sign of commitment to understanding to
those who are out on the streets
struggling to eat tonight to those who
have made and are making decisions that
are not them in order to survive it’s a
commitment to a greater community it’s a
commitment to understanding that there’s
probably a kid just like me in that
class it’s a commitment to healing
ultimately there was a teacher who knew
something was wrong but who was
compassionate enough to take me in to
get me the proper help and to get me to
a place that would give me shelter and
resources but that would also let me
have a say in where I went to school and
what I wanted for my future not a lot of
kids like me get that or got that but
because she was able to see me for who I
was and not what I was
she helped there are kids that will run
tonight out of fear from abuse because
her family has abandoned them they might
find their way to the top of a press box
to a game to the back of a dumpster or
to a pimp but maybe
maybe before they adapt to survive maybe
we can adapt change the way we see them
maybe we could stand with them to
amplify their voices so that they’re not
treated as property anymore able to have
a say about where they feel safe helping
them stay in school and helping them
realize their full potential according
to the Covenant house organization in
2016
it was recorded that there was one point
there were 1.6 million kids out on the
street doing exactly that surviving all
without a best friend like a backpack
and a series of adults who care enough
to see differently ladies and gentlemen
we’ve all done something and regretted
it I began to see myself differently at
a very young age now I want all of you
to not only see yourselves but to see
them differently and I want all of you
to please help me make a difference
thank you guys so much
[Applause]
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