[Music]
[Music]
good morning good morning good morning
thank you thank you thank you today I
have the honor and the privilege to be
amongst all of you wonderful people
plateau people nygel people
international people to tell you why I’m
here so the best way that I can convey
it because I don’t know any of you yet
and I have to find a way for you to get
to know me so I’ll tell you my story
I’ll tell you who I am where I come from
where I live what I do how I do it and
hopefully at the end of this discussion
you will know why I’m here who I am I’m
the firstborn of the late dr. Smith
cascade beljac born here black toe state
from our border deists will put man
vaccine local government very very proud
they’re very proud now see that sense of
confidence of Who I am
propelled us as you can tell by my four
name I haven’t been here long I left at
a young age four and a half me and my
mother migrated
it was during the time they were doing
education exploration sending people out
to gain education and knowledge to come
back to better Nigeria somewhere along
the low government change whatever
happened
no succession plan who knows but they
found them with no direction on what to
do next but by then we were young kids
growing up in the US so we said just
stay it’s probably best the kids are in
school they’re getting acclimated but
what they thought of that combination
was more of a challenge because you see
I didn’t speak English it wasn’t my
first or my second language so I was in
ESL English as a second language program
which was separate from what the rest of
the kids did now kids can be very cruel
so growing up was always challenges one
I’m a black skinned person in a country
that is not my country so whether the
whites or the blacks there were
Americans neither one saw you as one of
their own you were just this other so
where do we gravitate to other Africans
because we’re all foreigners
so as you went along growing up
challenges African parents that are
struggling international students
raising four kids it’s not easy when I
got the middle school I went in and
stole my father’s shoes because I didn’t
have any shoes but there was food was
more important than having some new pair
of shoes
issues with two sizes smaller than my
own dress shoes so I would get teased
every day at school he’s called me
church boy because every day I dress it
was Church that’s all I had but I would
split those shoes every day and I would
come home and so go back to school the
next day
split them again there were two sizes
too small come back so a mom that’s
where I learned how to sew
well you see that didn’t deter me
because I knew what I want to do when I
knew my purpose but I also my parents
put a sense of pride not to disrespect
anything anyone she always said my
mother would tell us we’re in this
country were not of this country the
country outside is their country in this
house no matter how small how boy is our
country that gave me a sense of pride
beyond any other ridicule jokes anything
going on now the thing is I was into
sports
that was my outlet so I started playing
all the sports but gravitated one more
than the other football American
football from there I was fortunate to
get a full scholarship to University
where I study business management the
benefited gave is it took one college
education fee off of my parents burning
so they can focus on the children
so as I progressed I was fortunate
enough to even be recognized
by the professional league there to say
oh this app I think we want him now
along the way I got misguided too much
attention too much press too much at
late adulation by other fellow student
body to where I miss lost sight of
school in education which was the
primary focus on why I was doing
everything I almost failed out I was
fortunate enough to University my high
school coach before going to university
said I was undisciplined and I wouldn’t
last one semester this is my coach who I
looked up to everything everything sent
around him as far as sports is concerned
this is what he told me I said we’ll see
the draft came I was selected
where they thought I wouldn’t make it I
made it I achieved what they said I
wouldn’t achieve and I was on at 14
their first year we went all the way and
won the championship that first team
hadn’t won any game in the division the
entire previous season the longest odds
of winning where we won three games lost
13 we won 13 only lost 3 the only two
teams one of my teammates is here he
came for my wedding and he remembers
their days I said back tell me about
those days about the shoes and he said
there’s no way possible
I know people come hard times but no you
tell these stories I said ok
offseason I flew home back to use my
city collected those shoes cuz I kept
them I still had them to this day it’s
not that is momentum there’s a reminder
the shoe the cars anything else all the
things that I’ve accomplished trophies F
delays plaques nothing is more important
in those shoes because they reminded me
o where I came from to where I was
standing at that point in that moment in
time but it also reminds me to be humble
from that day I always wear I always
wear every shoe I wear there’s two
pennies one an issue what it reminds me
is you’re only two cents or less from
being broke never be engulfed in your
own accomplishments I never put any
trophies up my wall you’ll never see you
plaques you will never see anything open
unless someone else puts it up reason
being is you’re only 2 cents from being
broke don’t sell adlai either don’t self
promote yourself you need to be humble
but still but yet confident
you need to be soft but yet steadfast
those are the things that made up why
now the funny thing is with all those
accomplishment there comes a point in
time an expiration date with Linux and
usually there’s a lot more life if
you’re fortunate when the playing days
are done so it’s still being young I
want to still pursue other things the
problem is is once you’ve attained that
level of accomplishment that’s the only
thing people highlight then it’s well ok
this athlete do anything in any other
field now it became a challenge in
trying to get in regular employment
going to me before people individuals
cuz why isn’t that deep no no no no I’m
very well educated very very well-read
like I told you my father’s a PhD my
mother’s a double double degree holder
so the first thing I did went back to
school I could MBA program two-year
program I completely they went one year
then I worked my professional
certification and project management
there’s only 700 to 1 million
certificate holders in that field
globally that was before I even walked
across stage for my MBA I only say that
to say those are my drives my
determination and what I saw for myself
rather than what someone else saw of me
that progression met with its own
challenges but the fruits of those
challenges are wonderful I’ve been
coming home for over 20 years almost 20
years now since the time that I left
I’ve been placed as even fellow
Nigerians they Wow I’ve never been there
I’ve done things then and I just say no
no okay we can stop here no no this is
not enough for me I say that is saying
right here as it was eloquently spoken
by the previous speaker is the fact that
this soil has riches but it’s not going
to just open up and give it to you
that’s well there has its own riches but
it won’t open up and give it to you and
it doesn’t have time to hear your story
or why you can’t get it or why you can’t
achieve it it only has time to allow you
opportunity if you want to work cut your
fingers break bones and split your cues
in order to get what it is that you want
what you desire the fruits of those
labors of those trying moments are I
became one of the first Africans to win
a Super Bowl championship which makes me
by fault the first Nigeria
I also became the first African to be it
into my University Sports Hall of Fame
which also makes me the first one and I
also receive a political appointment in
the u.s. in 2015 the first African
American and African to be the chairman
for the mayor’s international cabinet
[Applause]
I was asked earlier give us your titles
give us all these I said no I don’t do
it well what do you name I said no I’m
gonna go by one name pal Jack that’s it
that’s all you need to know why it’s my
great great grandfather with the one
that birthed my father my grandfather
birth father birth me when I decide
which name they want to go by but I’d
ask the names I want to honor
I took my titles those are my past
accomplishments you can’t do anything
with it
so I don’t need to present it to you I
cannot do anything with it
it was my moment in time I chapter
that’s why I came here to say that was
the me that I saw was greater than the
that day saw what you do you see in
yourself versus what you that everyone
else sees I leave you with one quote and
it was something we had it for I learned
it young young age the first years
university is called the me I see the me
I see is the me I be if I cannot see it
I cannot be it until I believe I will
never achieve it I thank you for your
time
you
[Music]
good morning good morning good morning
thank you thank you thank you today I
have the honor and the privilege to be
amongst all of you wonderful people
plateau people nygel people
international people to tell you why I’m
here so the best way that I can convey
it because I don’t know any of you yet
and I have to find a way for you to get
to know me so I’ll tell you my story
I’ll tell you who I am where I come from
where I live what I do how I do it and
hopefully at the end of this discussion
you will know why I’m here who I am I’m
the firstborn of the late dr. Smith
cascade beljac born here black toe state
from our border deists will put man
vaccine local government very very proud
they’re very proud now see that sense of
confidence of Who I am
propelled us as you can tell by my four
name I haven’t been here long I left at
a young age four and a half me and my
mother migrated
it was during the time they were doing
education exploration sending people out
to gain education and knowledge to come
back to better Nigeria somewhere along
the low government change whatever
happened
no succession plan who knows but they
found them with no direction on what to
do next but by then we were young kids
growing up in the US so we said just
stay it’s probably best the kids are in
school they’re getting acclimated but
what they thought of that combination
was more of a challenge because you see
I didn’t speak English it wasn’t my
first or my second language so I was in
ESL English as a second language program
which was separate from what the rest of
the kids did now kids can be very cruel
so growing up was always challenges one
I’m a black skinned person in a country
that is not my country so whether the
whites or the blacks there were
Americans neither one saw you as one of
their own you were just this other so
where do we gravitate to other Africans
because we’re all foreigners
so as you went along growing up
challenges African parents that are
struggling international students
raising four kids it’s not easy when I
got the middle school I went in and
stole my father’s shoes because I didn’t
have any shoes but there was food was
more important than having some new pair
of shoes
issues with two sizes smaller than my
own dress shoes so I would get teased
every day at school he’s called me
church boy because every day I dress it
was Church that’s all I had but I would
split those shoes every day and I would
come home and so go back to school the
next day
split them again there were two sizes
too small come back so a mom that’s
where I learned how to sew
well you see that didn’t deter me
because I knew what I want to do when I
knew my purpose but I also my parents
put a sense of pride not to disrespect
anything anyone she always said my
mother would tell us we’re in this
country were not of this country the
country outside is their country in this
house no matter how small how boy is our
country that gave me a sense of pride
beyond any other ridicule jokes anything
going on now the thing is I was into
sports
that was my outlet so I started playing
all the sports but gravitated one more
than the other football American
football from there I was fortunate to
get a full scholarship to University
where I study business management the
benefited gave is it took one college
education fee off of my parents burning
so they can focus on the children
so as I progressed I was fortunate
enough to even be recognized
by the professional league there to say
oh this app I think we want him now
along the way I got misguided too much
attention too much press too much at
late adulation by other fellow student
body to where I miss lost sight of
school in education which was the
primary focus on why I was doing
everything I almost failed out I was
fortunate enough to University my high
school coach before going to university
said I was undisciplined and I wouldn’t
last one semester this is my coach who I
looked up to everything everything sent
around him as far as sports is concerned
this is what he told me I said we’ll see
the draft came I was selected
where they thought I wouldn’t make it I
made it I achieved what they said I
wouldn’t achieve and I was on at 14
their first year we went all the way and
won the championship that first team
hadn’t won any game in the division the
entire previous season the longest odds
of winning where we won three games lost
13 we won 13 only lost 3 the only two
teams one of my teammates is here he
came for my wedding and he remembers
their days I said back tell me about
those days about the shoes and he said
there’s no way possible
I know people come hard times but no you
tell these stories I said ok
offseason I flew home back to use my
city collected those shoes cuz I kept
them I still had them to this day it’s
not that is momentum there’s a reminder
the shoe the cars anything else all the
things that I’ve accomplished trophies F
delays plaques nothing is more important
in those shoes because they reminded me
o where I came from to where I was
standing at that point in that moment in
time but it also reminds me to be humble
from that day I always wear I always
wear every shoe I wear there’s two
pennies one an issue what it reminds me
is you’re only two cents or less from
being broke never be engulfed in your
own accomplishments I never put any
trophies up my wall you’ll never see you
plaques you will never see anything open
unless someone else puts it up reason
being is you’re only 2 cents from being
broke don’t sell adlai either don’t self
promote yourself you need to be humble
but still but yet confident
you need to be soft but yet steadfast
those are the things that made up why
now the funny thing is with all those
accomplishment there comes a point in
time an expiration date with Linux and
usually there’s a lot more life if
you’re fortunate when the playing days
are done so it’s still being young I
want to still pursue other things the
problem is is once you’ve attained that
level of accomplishment that’s the only
thing people highlight then it’s well ok
this athlete do anything in any other
field now it became a challenge in
trying to get in regular employment
going to me before people individuals
cuz why isn’t that deep no no no no I’m
very well educated very very well-read
like I told you my father’s a PhD my
mother’s a double double degree holder
so the first thing I did went back to
school I could MBA program two-year
program I completely they went one year
then I worked my professional
certification and project management
there’s only 700 to 1 million
certificate holders in that field
globally that was before I even walked
across stage for my MBA I only say that
to say those are my drives my
determination and what I saw for myself
rather than what someone else saw of me
that progression met with its own
challenges but the fruits of those
challenges are wonderful I’ve been
coming home for over 20 years almost 20
years now since the time that I left
I’ve been placed as even fellow
Nigerians they Wow I’ve never been there
I’ve done things then and I just say no
no okay we can stop here no no this is
not enough for me I say that is saying
right here as it was eloquently spoken
by the previous speaker is the fact that
this soil has riches but it’s not going
to just open up and give it to you
that’s well there has its own riches but
it won’t open up and give it to you and
it doesn’t have time to hear your story
or why you can’t get it or why you can’t
achieve it it only has time to allow you
opportunity if you want to work cut your
fingers break bones and split your cues
in order to get what it is that you want
what you desire the fruits of those
labors of those trying moments are I
became one of the first Africans to win
a Super Bowl championship which makes me
by fault the first Nigeria
I also became the first African to be it
into my University Sports Hall of Fame
which also makes me the first one and I
also receive a political appointment in
the u.s. in 2015 the first African
American and African to be the chairman
for the mayor’s international cabinet
[Applause]
I was asked earlier give us your titles
give us all these I said no I don’t do
it well what do you name I said no I’m
gonna go by one name pal Jack that’s it
that’s all you need to know why it’s my
great great grandfather with the one
that birthed my father my grandfather
birth father birth me when I decide
which name they want to go by but I’d
ask the names I want to honor
I took my titles those are my past
accomplishments you can’t do anything
with it
so I don’t need to present it to you I
cannot do anything with it
it was my moment in time I chapter
that’s why I came here to say that was
the me that I saw was greater than the
that day saw what you do you see in
yourself versus what you that everyone
else sees I leave you with one quote and
it was something we had it for I learned
it young young age the first years
university is called the me I see the me
I see is the me I be if I cannot see it
I cannot be it until I believe I will
never achieve it I thank you for your
time
you
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