but I am the founder of the compelling
lie organization nonprofit organization
based here in Dallas where we aim to
motivate and inspire students of promise
young people like you to create your
best reality you see I’ve had tremendous
experiences and opportunities in my life
tremendous number some may say I may
have had even a or having a halfway
decent career and that’s what I want for
all of you that’s what I want for all of
you you see I grew up in Paterson New
Jersey
it’s a city just 30 minutes outside of
New York City I’m the son of two high
school teachers who grew up in the
segregated south but raised three
children all of whom earned their
college degrees now don’t get me wrong
we didn’t grow up with everything that
we wanted we did but we had everything
that we needed one of the things I want
to share with you I had the same
insecurities that many of you are facing
right now and probably even more
intensified because of social media you
know I was trying to figure out am I am
i smart enough am i good-looking enough
am i rearing the right clothes and I’ll
tell you the nervousness I felt asking
for that girl for her number is she
gonna laugh in my face is she gonna go
back and tell her friends and they’re
gonna laugh at me I mean those same
insecurities that many of you may be
facing today but the other thing that I
remember and that I know for a fact is
that it’s important to be active engaged
in what you do so in terms of being
engaged and focusing on your on your
activities that here’s another message I
want to share with you and let me do
this because I wanted to make sure I
didn’t miss some important points for
you you know being a shy kid and
introvert
and I know we’re gonna have hear from a
speaker later today that’s going to talk
to you about some tips of overcoming
some of that but the other thing that I
want to share with you the compelling
why it’s my side hustle right what I
mean by that my day job my day job is
that senior director of global community
affairs for fluor corporation I also
serve as the president of the floor
foundation right so what I have to do is
in terms of floor and for some of you
you probably don’t realize or recognize
what floor is because we’re not a
household name but we work with
governments and clients from around the
world to design build and maintain
challenging complex capital projects so
what does he mean by capital projects
think oil refineries for Exxon Mobil or
Chevron Phillips we help build those
think roadways and bridges one of our
signature projects the San Francisco
Oakland Bay Bridge in Northern
California think the Tappan Zee Bridge
just north of New York City that’s when
we’re actively building now or think
about just right here in Dallas what’s
called the horseshoe project that’s the
roadway and bridge work that’s happening
along I 30 and 35 across the Trinity
River now that’s a floor project and
I’ve had like I said earlier many
experiences working with floor but some
of the things that I enjoyed the most is
being able to travel because I have
global responsibilities I have global
responsibility and managing our
community footprint doing good in the
community grants to nonprofit
organizations like Mary or sac story
power that you hear a little bit later
like our community corporate volunteer
efforts those are the things I manage
and I’ve had opportunities over the past
30 years
to travel internationally one of my
favorite trips
favorite trips is one I made to the
Middle East
visit Abu Dhabi Saudi Arabia and Dubai
and then the next week we ended up going
to Johannesburg South Africa and while
in the Middle East I had the chance to
visit the Burj Khalifa tower the tallest
building in the world and when in
Johannesburg had the opportunity after
spending the week doing the floor work
my colleagues took me out and we had an
opportunity to go on a cultural tour of
Johannesburg where we visited two homes
of Nelson Mandela which were now museums
we visit a Constitution Hill where which
was the the location and where melt
mandela was jailed prior to him being
sent to Robben Island for prison for a
couple decades so those type of cultural
experience and opportunities that a
young kid from Paterson New Jersey son
of two high school teachers would not
have had the opportunity or be prepared
to take advantage of if I didn’t have
the secret formula the secret formula
and that’s what I want to share with you
today the secret formula tell the truth
it’s not that secret number one you have
to value your education education is the
new currency of the 21st century it is
the great equalizer in America it’s your
ticket into the games of Commerce career
and opportunity so what does valuing
your education look like today in middle
school what does it look like how many
of you show of hands how many you are in
eighth grade a good number of you over
the next couple of months you’re gonna
sit down with your counselor and you’re
gonna map out your high school courses
for that freshman year what you need to
do is seek out those honors courses
those pre advanced placement courses
those AP courses if you’re at a school
that offers international baccalaureate
those IB courses those are the courses
that are going to prepare you for
success prepare you to pursue and
achieve those dreams that you have it’s
your education what else does it look
like for you to value and pursue your
education it’s being actively engaged in
classroom discussions are you doing
sitting in the background waiting for
everyone else to answer are you raising
your hand being engaged being part of
that conversation after engagement looks
like raising your hand being engaged
are you putting as much time energy and
effort in the courses that you don’t
like as in the courses that you do it’s
that type of commitment that’s type of
commitment that will prepare you for
success so education new currency of the
21st century you have to value it number
two this idea of self motivation that
organization we call it your compelling
why and Mark Twain reminds us that the
two most important days in your life
listen to this now the two most
important days in your life are the day
you were born and the day you find out
why what’s your purpose what’s your
purpose why are you here why are you
here because if you’re compelling why
your purpose that will help sustain you
in times of difficulty in doubt and I
don’t care if you’re in middle school
whether you’re in high school we are a
dean of an engineering department
whether you’re an executive at a fortune
250 company there will be times of
difficulty in doubt and you use that
purpose to help anchor you you use your
purpose to help gird you when that peer
pressure comes in and your friends that
are trying to suggest that you do what
you know is not the right thing but you
have that purpose you’re thinking in the
future what do I want to be what do I
want to do perhaps that will help you
make even better decisions now for me my
compelling why when I was your age is
real simple I just didn’t want to
disappoint my parents you know they had
high expectations for myself and my two
sisters I just didn’t want to disappoint
also I did
to be cold what does he mean you didn’t
want to be cold now remember I grew up
in Paterson New Jersey in the Northeast
it gets cold in the wintertime I’m not
talking about for one week or two weeks
I’m talking about frigid temperatures
for months at a time and because we my
parents were teachers you know not the
highest income in the world we had to
live on a budget so when the temperature
got cold we just didn’t just turn up the
heat we had to keep it down
you know we had on layers in the house
you know so I wanted to get a good
education to get a good job so I could
turn up the heat when I wanted to and my
dad God rest his soul I wanted to drive
a car that I was proud of driving he
owned in 1966 powder blue Chrysler with
fishtails
now for those of you who don’t know what
fish tails are fins are on a car google
it and you’ll see how hideous those
things are it was embarrassing ride
around in that car so I wanted to get a
good education so I can get a good job
so I can ride around in a ethan car
that’s the high end just a decent car
now your purpose your compelling why I
may not just be always materialistic but
as you grow and mature your compelling
while your purpose can change and that’s
okay it’s to be expected you know for me
at my age today I just want to make my
family proud just want to make my family
proud
my wife Yvette who’s here today a vet my
children and you realized that you know
what we’re not going to be here I’m not
gonna be here forever when it’s all said
and done I wanted to leave something
behind that’s important that’s
meaningful and what better way what
better way then help to equip young
people like you
students of promise with the knowledge
the awareness of the things you need to
do so you can create your best reality
so that’s my purpose today and I am very
fortunate to work for a company that
allows me to
mash up and marry my personal passion
with a compelling wife with my corporate
work within corporate social
responsibility so self-motivation your
compelling why your purpose number three
this idea of personal responsibility now
this is an important one now you can
have all the advantages in the world all
the advantages in the world to parents
that love you and care about you two in
the household siblings that have your
back yeah your brother may get on your
nerves yeah your sister can’t stand it
but at the end of the day you know they
have your back and they care about you
you can have great school leadership
teachers that have your back in care
about you like the ones that accompanied
you today to make sure you got here the
ones that ask perhaps and pushed you
encourage you to attend today you can
have all those things all of it but you
know it’s not going to matter it’s not
going to matter unless you take personal
responsibility to do the work did you
hear me do take responsibility to do the
work so what does taking personal
responsibility look like well it looks
like taking the most rigorous courses
that your school has to offer as well
that’s what it looks like it looks like
having the courage to stand up to peer
pressure or to speak up for that
classmate who’s being bully
that’s what personal responsibility
looks like
it looks like not being it looks like
being unsatisfied with the mediocre and
doing less than your best I know it’s
difficult at times and I know we’ll push
you as adults but if you take it upon
yourself to always try to do your best
that will put you in great position
great position to create your best
reality now the last one I’ll share with
you is this idea of active engagement
and really started out with that
question you see what will further
differentiate you from the competition
and prepare you to create your best
reality is meaningful participation in
extracurricular activities whether in
your school or in community let me be
clear I’ve spent 30 years in corporate
America I’ve sat in the c-suite
when executives are talking about the
workforce of the future and white what
type of talent that we need I’ve been in
those rooms I know what my company needs
I know what various industries require
and one thing is indisputable to me is
clear without question without doubt in
my mind you need more more than what’s
being taught to you between 8:00 and
3:00 Monday through Friday between
August and June in other words how you
spend your time after school how you
spend your time on weekends how you
spend your time during the summer all
that matters it matters immensely
immensely so let me start or go to where
we’ve started out how many of you are
involved in student government show of
hands how many involved in student
government excellent excellent
that’s what active engagement looks like
how many of you are involved with youth
serving organizations like boys and
girls clubs or girls Inc or Girl Scouts
and Boy Scouts outstanding Rives yes I
like that Reeves I see some hands there
excellent those are the types of things
you have to do how many of them involve
involved with your your schools with
your school’s Robotics Club oh I love
that I love that stem great skillsets to
have outstanding you know what in
closing I know I need to wrap up you’re
gonna hear a lot of great speakers this
morning a lot of great speakers the rest
of the day but on your time on your way
home in car in the car in the bus when
you’re speaking with your parents or
your teachers or your friends I want you
to do me this favor
now you listening to me do me this favor
I want you to take a moment close your
eyes and envision your life in five
years 10 years 15 years what do you want
to be what do you want to be doing in
order for you to have as many options as
possible so that you can create your
best reality not your parents not your
teachers but your best reality got to
remember they’ve got a value that
education got to begin trying to figure
out your purpose why are you here what
gets you jazz you have to remember the
idea of personal responsibility you have
to own it you got to own it in the
fourth one obviously you have to get
actively engaged because that’s the
secret sauce that’s the seasoning that
what makes a regular meal stand out was
when you had that extra seasoning that’s
how you get exposed to new ideas new
experiences you have to take that risk
and as a middle school student it’s
challenging taking risk because all
about being part of the group but you
need to surround yourself with peers
that share that of like mine that have
goals for themselves so with that I
appreciate your time and attention thank
you much
[Applause]
lie organization nonprofit organization
based here in Dallas where we aim to
motivate and inspire students of promise
young people like you to create your
best reality you see I’ve had tremendous
experiences and opportunities in my life
tremendous number some may say I may
have had even a or having a halfway
decent career and that’s what I want for
all of you that’s what I want for all of
you you see I grew up in Paterson New
Jersey
it’s a city just 30 minutes outside of
New York City I’m the son of two high
school teachers who grew up in the
segregated south but raised three
children all of whom earned their
college degrees now don’t get me wrong
we didn’t grow up with everything that
we wanted we did but we had everything
that we needed one of the things I want
to share with you I had the same
insecurities that many of you are facing
right now and probably even more
intensified because of social media you
know I was trying to figure out am I am
i smart enough am i good-looking enough
am i rearing the right clothes and I’ll
tell you the nervousness I felt asking
for that girl for her number is she
gonna laugh in my face is she gonna go
back and tell her friends and they’re
gonna laugh at me I mean those same
insecurities that many of you may be
facing today but the other thing that I
remember and that I know for a fact is
that it’s important to be active engaged
in what you do so in terms of being
engaged and focusing on your on your
activities that here’s another message I
want to share with you and let me do
this because I wanted to make sure I
didn’t miss some important points for
you you know being a shy kid and
introvert
and I know we’re gonna have hear from a
speaker later today that’s going to talk
to you about some tips of overcoming
some of that but the other thing that I
want to share with you the compelling
why it’s my side hustle right what I
mean by that my day job my day job is
that senior director of global community
affairs for fluor corporation I also
serve as the president of the floor
foundation right so what I have to do is
in terms of floor and for some of you
you probably don’t realize or recognize
what floor is because we’re not a
household name but we work with
governments and clients from around the
world to design build and maintain
challenging complex capital projects so
what does he mean by capital projects
think oil refineries for Exxon Mobil or
Chevron Phillips we help build those
think roadways and bridges one of our
signature projects the San Francisco
Oakland Bay Bridge in Northern
California think the Tappan Zee Bridge
just north of New York City that’s when
we’re actively building now or think
about just right here in Dallas what’s
called the horseshoe project that’s the
roadway and bridge work that’s happening
along I 30 and 35 across the Trinity
River now that’s a floor project and
I’ve had like I said earlier many
experiences working with floor but some
of the things that I enjoyed the most is
being able to travel because I have
global responsibilities I have global
responsibility and managing our
community footprint doing good in the
community grants to nonprofit
organizations like Mary or sac story
power that you hear a little bit later
like our community corporate volunteer
efforts those are the things I manage
and I’ve had opportunities over the past
30 years
to travel internationally one of my
favorite trips
favorite trips is one I made to the
Middle East
visit Abu Dhabi Saudi Arabia and Dubai
and then the next week we ended up going
to Johannesburg South Africa and while
in the Middle East I had the chance to
visit the Burj Khalifa tower the tallest
building in the world and when in
Johannesburg had the opportunity after
spending the week doing the floor work
my colleagues took me out and we had an
opportunity to go on a cultural tour of
Johannesburg where we visited two homes
of Nelson Mandela which were now museums
we visit a Constitution Hill where which
was the the location and where melt
mandela was jailed prior to him being
sent to Robben Island for prison for a
couple decades so those type of cultural
experience and opportunities that a
young kid from Paterson New Jersey son
of two high school teachers would not
have had the opportunity or be prepared
to take advantage of if I didn’t have
the secret formula the secret formula
and that’s what I want to share with you
today the secret formula tell the truth
it’s not that secret number one you have
to value your education education is the
new currency of the 21st century it is
the great equalizer in America it’s your
ticket into the games of Commerce career
and opportunity so what does valuing
your education look like today in middle
school what does it look like how many
of you show of hands how many you are in
eighth grade a good number of you over
the next couple of months you’re gonna
sit down with your counselor and you’re
gonna map out your high school courses
for that freshman year what you need to
do is seek out those honors courses
those pre advanced placement courses
those AP courses if you’re at a school
that offers international baccalaureate
those IB courses those are the courses
that are going to prepare you for
success prepare you to pursue and
achieve those dreams that you have it’s
your education what else does it look
like for you to value and pursue your
education it’s being actively engaged in
classroom discussions are you doing
sitting in the background waiting for
everyone else to answer are you raising
your hand being engaged being part of
that conversation after engagement looks
like raising your hand being engaged
are you putting as much time energy and
effort in the courses that you don’t
like as in the courses that you do it’s
that type of commitment that’s type of
commitment that will prepare you for
success so education new currency of the
21st century you have to value it number
two this idea of self motivation that
organization we call it your compelling
why and Mark Twain reminds us that the
two most important days in your life
listen to this now the two most
important days in your life are the day
you were born and the day you find out
why what’s your purpose what’s your
purpose why are you here why are you
here because if you’re compelling why
your purpose that will help sustain you
in times of difficulty in doubt and I
don’t care if you’re in middle school
whether you’re in high school we are a
dean of an engineering department
whether you’re an executive at a fortune
250 company there will be times of
difficulty in doubt and you use that
purpose to help anchor you you use your
purpose to help gird you when that peer
pressure comes in and your friends that
are trying to suggest that you do what
you know is not the right thing but you
have that purpose you’re thinking in the
future what do I want to be what do I
want to do perhaps that will help you
make even better decisions now for me my
compelling why when I was your age is
real simple I just didn’t want to
disappoint my parents you know they had
high expectations for myself and my two
sisters I just didn’t want to disappoint
also I did
to be cold what does he mean you didn’t
want to be cold now remember I grew up
in Paterson New Jersey in the Northeast
it gets cold in the wintertime I’m not
talking about for one week or two weeks
I’m talking about frigid temperatures
for months at a time and because we my
parents were teachers you know not the
highest income in the world we had to
live on a budget so when the temperature
got cold we just didn’t just turn up the
heat we had to keep it down
you know we had on layers in the house
you know so I wanted to get a good
education to get a good job so I could
turn up the heat when I wanted to and my
dad God rest his soul I wanted to drive
a car that I was proud of driving he
owned in 1966 powder blue Chrysler with
fishtails
now for those of you who don’t know what
fish tails are fins are on a car google
it and you’ll see how hideous those
things are it was embarrassing ride
around in that car so I wanted to get a
good education so I can get a good job
so I can ride around in a ethan car
that’s the high end just a decent car
now your purpose your compelling why I
may not just be always materialistic but
as you grow and mature your compelling
while your purpose can change and that’s
okay it’s to be expected you know for me
at my age today I just want to make my
family proud just want to make my family
proud
my wife Yvette who’s here today a vet my
children and you realized that you know
what we’re not going to be here I’m not
gonna be here forever when it’s all said
and done I wanted to leave something
behind that’s important that’s
meaningful and what better way what
better way then help to equip young
people like you
students of promise with the knowledge
the awareness of the things you need to
do so you can create your best reality
so that’s my purpose today and I am very
fortunate to work for a company that
allows me to
mash up and marry my personal passion
with a compelling wife with my corporate
work within corporate social
responsibility so self-motivation your
compelling why your purpose number three
this idea of personal responsibility now
this is an important one now you can
have all the advantages in the world all
the advantages in the world to parents
that love you and care about you two in
the household siblings that have your
back yeah your brother may get on your
nerves yeah your sister can’t stand it
but at the end of the day you know they
have your back and they care about you
you can have great school leadership
teachers that have your back in care
about you like the ones that accompanied
you today to make sure you got here the
ones that ask perhaps and pushed you
encourage you to attend today you can
have all those things all of it but you
know it’s not going to matter it’s not
going to matter unless you take personal
responsibility to do the work did you
hear me do take responsibility to do the
work so what does taking personal
responsibility look like well it looks
like taking the most rigorous courses
that your school has to offer as well
that’s what it looks like it looks like
having the courage to stand up to peer
pressure or to speak up for that
classmate who’s being bully
that’s what personal responsibility
looks like
it looks like not being it looks like
being unsatisfied with the mediocre and
doing less than your best I know it’s
difficult at times and I know we’ll push
you as adults but if you take it upon
yourself to always try to do your best
that will put you in great position
great position to create your best
reality now the last one I’ll share with
you is this idea of active engagement
and really started out with that
question you see what will further
differentiate you from the competition
and prepare you to create your best
reality is meaningful participation in
extracurricular activities whether in
your school or in community let me be
clear I’ve spent 30 years in corporate
America I’ve sat in the c-suite
when executives are talking about the
workforce of the future and white what
type of talent that we need I’ve been in
those rooms I know what my company needs
I know what various industries require
and one thing is indisputable to me is
clear without question without doubt in
my mind you need more more than what’s
being taught to you between 8:00 and
3:00 Monday through Friday between
August and June in other words how you
spend your time after school how you
spend your time on weekends how you
spend your time during the summer all
that matters it matters immensely
immensely so let me start or go to where
we’ve started out how many of you are
involved in student government show of
hands how many involved in student
government excellent excellent
that’s what active engagement looks like
how many of you are involved with youth
serving organizations like boys and
girls clubs or girls Inc or Girl Scouts
and Boy Scouts outstanding Rives yes I
like that Reeves I see some hands there
excellent those are the types of things
you have to do how many of them involve
involved with your your schools with
your school’s Robotics Club oh I love
that I love that stem great skillsets to
have outstanding you know what in
closing I know I need to wrap up you’re
gonna hear a lot of great speakers this
morning a lot of great speakers the rest
of the day but on your time on your way
home in car in the car in the bus when
you’re speaking with your parents or
your teachers or your friends I want you
to do me this favor
now you listening to me do me this favor
I want you to take a moment close your
eyes and envision your life in five
years 10 years 15 years what do you want
to be what do you want to be doing in
order for you to have as many options as
possible so that you can create your
best reality not your parents not your
teachers but your best reality got to
remember they’ve got a value that
education got to begin trying to figure
out your purpose why are you here what
gets you jazz you have to remember the
idea of personal responsibility you have
to own it you got to own it in the
fourth one obviously you have to get
actively engaged because that’s the
secret sauce that’s the seasoning that
what makes a regular meal stand out was
when you had that extra seasoning that’s
how you get exposed to new ideas new
experiences you have to take that risk
and as a middle school student it’s
challenging taking risk because all
about being part of the group but you
need to surround yourself with peers
that share that of like mine that have
goals for themselves so with that I
appreciate your time and attention thank
you much
[Applause]
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