The Virgin Islands Department of Education’s Division of Special Education, St. Thomas-St. John District, held its 7^th Annual Youth Summit, April 11 – 14, exclusively for the district’s high school students receiving special education services. During Thursday’s main session, renowned motivational speaker Andres Lara, “The Cuban Guy,” inspired students with an interactive presentation, often peppering it with humorous anecdotes about his own life and path to success.

In his 45-minute talk to Ivanna Eudora Kean and Charlotte Amalie High School students at the Frenchman’s Reef Resort, Lara asked the group of more than 200, “How do you go from point zero to living your dreams?” Lara was making reference to his humble beginnings, which saw him come to the United States as a 16-year-old Cuban refugee not knowing how to speak English. Ten years later, however, at the age of 26, Lara had worked hard and built three companies that now amounts to one million dollars in profit.

“Where there is a will there is a way,” Lara told students of achieving their dreams. And speaking of dreams, his was to become a motivational speaker, but his road to success was not an easy one. In fact, when he gave his very first public speech, Lara said he was “booed off the stage.” Not to mention the frequent ridicule he received when he told others he would one day become a public speaker. With that, he admonished students to believe in their dreams, when no one else would.

“People didn’t believe in my dreams and goals because I did not believe it myself,” he admitted, adding, “We must communicate our dreams to others so that they can support us.”

Lara went on to share the meaning of the acronym OYA: “Off Your Anatomy and Take Action.” “We could want more success or more money, but nothing will ever happen until we take action,” he said. He further noted that people generally don’t take action because they often use the excuse, “’I did my best’.” In an effort to debunk that line of thinking, he said, “If you tried something once, that is not your best; you need to try again.”

To demonstrate his point, Lara called for “the shortest person in the room” to assist him. Empress of Charlotte Amalie High School offered to participate. She was instructed to mark several pieces of paper taped to a back wall that were visibly higher than what would be considered her normal reach. After running and reaching high several times, Empress marked the sheets of papers at almost a foot higher that her height—proving Lara’s point of the importance of trying more than once in order to succeed.

A variety of small-group sessions were also conducted. Shayla Solomon of Banco Popular presented a workshop on financial literacy. There, she provided information on balancing a check book, saving, opening a bank account and other pertinent topics. Male students also received information about responsible internet usage at the “Internet Safety & Power of Social Media” session facilitated by Agents Louis Penn and Alicia Blyden of the Department of Homeland Security. Everard Potter, Esquire, also presented on behalf of the Office of the U. S. Attorneys. In a session titled, “Self Determination and Self-Respect: I am Responsible for All of My Decisions,” young women received tough love from Registered Nurse Geraldine Walters-Buncome. “One simple sex mistake can be the end of you, both fatally and in your career,” Walters-Buncome said. “You are not a sex object; you are in control of your body.” Nurse Walters-Buncome further told the students that “every choice has consequences. You should not feel forced to be in a relationship you are not comfortable with.”

During remarks, Commissioner Sharon Ann McCollum, Ph.D., encouraged students to embrace education and celebrated them attending the Summit. Assistant Commissioner Chermaine Hobson-Johnson told students that during her time as a principal, she would, “discipline fiercely and loved twice as hard,” adding that the conference attendees are loved by the Department’s leadership. Insular Superintendent Dionne Wells-Hedrington also encouraged the students to continue learning and urged them to take to heart the information presented at the Summit.

The event was spearheaded by Sheryl Serano-Griffith, director, Division of Special Education, St. Thomas-St. John District. She said the conference’s purpose was to “educate, enlighten, and empower our students to make responsible choices for themselves when faced with challenging personal life decisions, especially where social media, health, and long-term psychological consequences are concerned.”