Student Leader of the Year Speech

Middletown Youth Services volunteer and Middletown High Senior Leon Chandler was presented the Connecticut Youth Services Association "Student Leader of the Year" award at their annual conference held at the Aqua Turf on October 7, 2011. Here is his introduction speech and part (apparently we ran out of space on our memory card half way through) of Leon's acceptance speech. We've included the text of his entire speech below because even what we did catch on video isn't easy to hear.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2009, I WAS TWO YEARS INTO HIGH SCHOOL BUT DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE CREDIT TO MY NAME AND WAS GETTING READY TO START THE YEAR AS A FRESHMAN FOR THE THIRD TIME. I WAS SPENDING MY TIME GETTING INTO FIGHTS WITH OTHER KIDS AND DOING OTHER THINGS I KNOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO, .

WHICH INCLUDED BEING ARRESTED. THERE WAS A LOT OF SADDNESS AND ANGER BOTTLED UP IN ME AND AS I COMPARED MYSELF TO OTHER KIDS AND WHAT THEY HAD AND I DIDN'T, I USED THAT FRUSTRATION ON MY TEACHERS OR ANY OTHER ADULT WHO I CAME IN CONTACT WITH. I HAD NO GOALS OR EXPECTATIONS FOR MYSELF AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY I TREATED OTHERS, I THINK THEY THOUGHT THE SAME ABOUT ME AS WELL.

AND WITH THAT SAID, GETTING ARREST WAS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME. I KNOW MANY OF YOU OUT THERE ARE A PART OF JUVENILE REVIEW BOARDS, AND BECAUSE THIS WAS MY FIRST OFFENSE I WAS SENT TO THE ONE IN MIDDLETOWN. THE PAPER I HAD TO WRITE AS PART OF MY LIFE SKILLS PROGRAM I WAS REFERED TO, HELPED ME FIGURE OUT WHAT MY GOAL WAS AND HELPED ME GAIN A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK ON LIFE. BUT WHAT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR ME WAS WHEN THEY STARTED TO ASK ME TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS WITH THEM.
RIGHT BEFORE MY FIRST PRESENTATION WHICH WAS WITH A GROUP OF TEACHERS DURING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY I WAS REALLY NERVOUS. I WAS ASKED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT BEING (OR NOT BEING) IN HIGH SCHOOL WAS LIKE FOR ME WHILE MR. CARBONELLA WAS PRESENTING ON THE 40 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS. I WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE I REALLY THOUGHT NO ONE WOULD SEE ANY VALUE IN WHAT I HAD TO SAY AND THAT THE TEACHERS WOULD JUST STARE AT ME LOOKING BORED LIKE I USED TO DO TO THEM ALL THE TIME. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED AND AS A RESULT I FINALLY SAW SOMETHING IN MYSELF THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE (AND I EVEN MADE TWO PEOPLE CRY).

I'VE NOW PRESENTED IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, AND SAT AS A PANELIST ON THE STAGE OF THE BUSHNELL NEXT TO MEMBERS OF THE U.S .HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I'VE ALSO BEEN A MENTOR AT MY OLD MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ON ADVISORY BOARDS FOR MY YSB AND FOR REPRESENATIVE JOHN LARSON. AND IF ALL GOES THE WAY IT SHOULD, THIS SPRING I WILL HAVE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND HOPEFULLY BE ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE FOR NEXT FALL.

BUT IMAGINE IF I DIDN'T GET ARRESTED.
WHERE WOULD I BE?

WHO WOULD I BE?

WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IN ME, WHEN I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN MYSELF?

PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAD ALWAYS TOLD ME WHAT TO DO, BUT WHO WOULD HAVE SHOWED ME? AND THERE'S A REAL IMPORTANCE IN THAT. BECAUSE KIDS LIKE ME OBVIOUSLY WANT TO SUCCEED BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW HOW. AND EVERY DAY PEOPLE EITHER BURY US OR BUILD US UP BASED ON THEIR EXPECTIONS. THESE ARE THE SAME EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU GREET KIDS WITH EVERY DAY AND REINFORECE THAT YOU THINK HIGHLY OF US OR YOU DON'T.

TWO YEARS AGO, I WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN MYSELF UP ON THIS STAGE AND NOT THAT I COULD EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, BUT THAT I WAS NOT EVEN CAPABLE OF DOING IT IN THIS FIRST PLACE. BUT BECAUSE OF THE YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU I MET PEOPLE WHO SAW SOMETHING IN ME THAT I COULDN'T SEE IN MYSELF. BUT WHY SHOULD WE WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO HIT ROCK BOTTOM BEFORE WE REALIZE THEY NEED HELP. HOW MANY KIDS LIKE ME FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS BECAUSE THERE'S NO STABLE FOUNDATION AT HOME AND NO ONE ELSE REALIZES HOW IMPORTANT JUST ONE CARING ADULT CAN BE IN OUR LIVES. AND THAT ONE ADULT CAN CHANGE HOW WE VIEW OURSELVES AND GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THAT NEW VISION OF OURSELVES INTO ACTION. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE SOME KID THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS GIVEN UP TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON THEMSELVES, I WANT YOU TO ENVISION THEM UP HERE ON THE STAGE AND HELP THEM BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES IN A WAY THAT I'VE LEARNED TO BELIEVE IN ME.