On Friday, February 13, we hosted our session of B2M Juniors at Cowherd Middle School. B2M Juniors is the service component to Boys II Men where we work with groups of elementary and middle school gentlemen throughout the area. We host sessions that are similar to our regular chapter meetings and are led by leaders of B2M.

This past Friday, B2M Co-President, Gilberto Chaidez, and I hosted a session entitled, “CSI: Choices, Sacrifices, and Inspiration” where we used such examples as Michael Phelps, Alex Rodriguez, and Chris Brown to underscore our message. Gilberto delivered a powerful message by telling his own personal story and how he plans to continue to inspire the world in the future.

As a gift, the 30 young men (6th-8th grade) received what I have come to call a ‘key to open all doors of opportunity to those who believe’ and that is a copy of ‘From the Barrio to the Boardroom‘. The young men were excited to have such a powerful session and even more excited to receive such a priceless gift.

It was nothing less than miraculous to watch these 30 young men (who were handpicked by the principal and assistant principal because they need some ‘extra attention’) sit with wide eyes and focused minds as they listened to Gilberto speak. When we took pictures at the end, they clamored to get next to him in the photo! In fact, one of the young brothers said, “I am a proud to be Mexican, so I want to stand by you!” lol. Gilberto never had to speak those words in order for these young men to ‘get it’…that you have to be proud of who you are and where you come from in order to be who you want to be and get to where you are going.

As I sat in the back of the room and watched this session unfold with little help from me and no prior planning on Gilberto’s part (I sort of sprung it on him when he came in the room and he knocked it out the ballpark), I couldn’t help but to hold back the tears. Remember, these were the ‘knuckleheads of the school’ who were shining like brilliant stars once they were in an environment where being smart, articulate, and aware was actually cool.

Then to take that message into real life form by having Gilberto present and allowing them to take a piece of ‘this miracle’ with them in the form of From the Barrio allows us to extend the purpose of what we do.

I can’t thank you enough, Roberto and Corey and Kim, for inspiring all of us. I am honored and humbled to have been Blessed by meeting you. We are on a path towards excellence and we are going to make it.

  How Blessed are we?