WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 music 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Ovi David Vasquez went from a farm boy raised in a poor village 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:13.000 in the sugar cane fields of Central America 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:17.000 to being accepted to Harvard Business School online. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:19.000 He's the author of 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.000 six books and a number one best seller. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:25.000 He's a TEDx speaker on self-leadership and has 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.000 been a recurrent on-air collaborator for Univision. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:32.000 Ovi has worked for global corporations like Apple, 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.000 Tesla, Salesforce, Uber, and General Motors. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.000 Ovi is a role model 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.000 for first-generation college students. 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:42.000 He educates to connects with students by sharing 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.000 his story and insights on 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:46.000 succeed in school. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.000 media, Ovi has helped 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:51.000 thousands of students nationwide 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.000 by sharing over a million dollars 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:56.000 in scholarships for minority students. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.000 He emerges today as one of 00:00:58.000 --> 00:00:60.000 the most sought-after bilingual 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:03.000 youth leadership speakers of all time. 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:06.000 On applause for our keynote speaker. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:14.000 going to be the next time you 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.000 accomplishment. 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.000 Imagine for one second, 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:23.000 there you are 17 years old 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:26.000 in a high school where you don't speak English. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.000 You live in the garage, 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:32.000 you work in the warehouse of loading trucks. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.000 You live by yourself trying 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:45.000 driving your old 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:53.000 It was 2am and then I was driving on the freeway. Have you guys ever seen the movie Fast and Furious? 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:60.000 Say aye. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.000 I was going so fast, the police got furious. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:07.000 He pulled me over and there was, 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:12.000 We also [inaudible]. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.000 I was so fearful because I'm undocumented, 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:17.000 I don't have a driver's license at the moment. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:19.000 He's coming to me. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.000 Have you ever seen a scary movie before? 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.000 That's how it felt. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.000 Imagine there you are, 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.000 it's two in the morning, it's very windy, it's dark. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.000 The police come at you, 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:34.000 and you can hear the steps as he approaches your car. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.000 He knocks the window. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:40.000 I looked at him and he says, 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.000 Window count down. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.000 There you are. You don't speak English. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:58.000 You don't even have a driver's license, 00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:61.000 so you know this car is about to be gone. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:04.000 Young man, you know why I pulled you over? 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.000 I don't speak English. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.000 I just go like, "No." 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.000 as you were doing 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 in 35 mile zone. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.000 Where are you going so fast?" 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.000 I don't speak English. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.000 I just looked at him like, I don't know what to say. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.000 license and insurance." 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.000 There you are. You hand over the registration. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.000 You hand over the the insurance. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.000 But what do you not give him? 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.000 Driver's license. 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:39.000 Why do you not give him a driver's license? 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.000 Because you don't have one. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.000 I don't give them driving license. 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.000 the driver's license?" 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:48.000 I'm looking for it. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:51.000 You know what I mean? Police smart. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.000 He says, "You don't have a driver's license, do you? 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:59.000 Not tonight. Wait for me." 00:03:59.000 --> 00:03:61.000 He went to his car and he probably took two, 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:03.000 three minutes in the car. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.000 But to me, in that moment, 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:08.000 imagine you, a teenager, 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:11.000 very windy, is very dark. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.000 It feels like eternity 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.000 waiting for that police person 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:23.000 Young man instead of California, 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:28.000 in order to operate a motor vehicle, you need a driver's license. I'm afraid I'm going to have to tow this car. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:34.000 Step out of your vehicle, you hand me your key and take out your belongings. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:37.000 I get out of my 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.000 On the side of the freeway, take out my back back, 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.000 take out my stinking shoes from work, 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:44.000 take out my textbooks, 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:48.000 my biology books, my algebra books. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:50.000 I don't want to give him the key though, 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:53.000 because I grew up so poor. 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:57.000 I didn't even have a bike growing up in Guatemala. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.000 He says, "Come on, 00:04:59.000 --> 00:04:61.000 you got to hand me over those keys." 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:03.000 I give him the key. 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:07.000 A few minutes later, See you moving the tow truck comes in, hooks up the car. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.000 At 3:00 in the morning, I called my friend Luis. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:21.000 Can you come pick me up?" He says, "What happened fool?" 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.000 trying to get to go to sleep." 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.000 Sure, he goes pick me up. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.000 But I don't have a license, I couldn't get the car out. 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:34.000 The very next Friday that I got my paycheck, 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:36.000 what do you think I did with the money? 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.000 What do you think I did? 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.000 But another $700 bucket. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.000 There you are. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.000 You get off work at 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.000 You driving back home again. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:57.000 When I say home, I mean my garage. I'm going into freeway. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:60.000 Suddenly. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.000 I called the guy who sold me the car. 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:16.000 I called you this time in the morning but the car died on me. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:25.000 I just wanted to know if something's wrong with this so I can fix it." He says, "Did you put gas in the car?" 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:29.000 I said, "No," because I can see it has gas. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:31.000 It shows me the little gauge. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.000 He says, "Man, I forgot to tell you, the gauge doesn't work." 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:38.000 There you are, 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.000 teenager. It's really cool. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:45.000 It's really windy. But I ran over to the gas station. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.000 I get the little red gallon of gas, 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:50.000 I fill it up with gas, ran back to the car. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.000 As I approached the car, 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.000 who do you think was with the car? 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:59.000 The police. There you are approaching your car. 00:06:59.000 --> 00:06:61.000 He sees me approaching, he looks at me, 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.000 points at me and he says, 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 Yes. Can you tell me what happened? 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.000 I show him the little red gallon, 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:18.000 He proceeded to ask me this very next question. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.000 What do you think he asked? 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:25.000 driver's license?" 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:31.000 to have to tow this car." 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:34.000 There you are, a teenager, 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.000 you don't live You're undocumented, you have to with your parents. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:39.000 work on a warehouse to support yourself. 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.000 You don't speak English in the classes, 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.000 people make fun of Can you all hear accent? Say hi. you because you speak with a super broken accent. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.000 But, I wanted to let you know this. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.000 If you speak with an accent, if you work with the student that speaks with an accent, 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:59.000 that we may speak with an accent, 00:07:59.000 --> 00:07:62.000 but we don't think with one. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.000 When I applied to the Harvard programming, 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.000 it didn't say on the application, 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:08.000 do you have an accent; yes or no? 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.000 It just says, what do you wish to 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:14.000 do if you get accepted into this program? 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:18.000 My question to you is, when you graduate, 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.000 when you go to college, 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.000 when you graduate from college, 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:27.000 what do you want to do when you get in college? 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:31.000 The very answer that to that question is going to make 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:34.000 experience in school. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:39.000 I didn't know about Cesar Chavez. 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:42.000 I didn't know that someone previously had worked 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:44.000 to build something for me 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.000 of inspiration. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.000 this three powerful words. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.000 What are these three powerful words? 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.000 Let's see if you know them. The first one is, one? 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:58.000 Si se puede. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:61.000 together. 1, 2, 3. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.000 Si se puede. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:08.000 I began to learn that I 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.000 exactly, si se puede. He didn't 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:14.000 say si se puede, if you have papers, 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.000 your parents. What did he say? Si se puede. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:23.000 that's all you have to keep on telling yourself. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:25.000 When you get stuck in school, si se puede. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:27.000 Why do you think they failed me? I was in that biology class and they failed me. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:34.000 Because I couldn't understand the terms. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:37.000 I was sitting next to my classmate, 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:39.000 this Mexican guy who was born and 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:42.000 raised in the US, but he was Mexican. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.000 He was acting a fool every day. 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:49.000 One day I notice we walk out of biology class, 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:52.000 he goes to another class and I go to another class. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:57.000 I said [inaudible], 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:59.000 where do you go after the class? 00:09:59.000 --> 00:09:62.000 He says, oh, I go to AP English, 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:07.000 counselor and I said, 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:10.000 Ms. Vasquez, I want to go where he goes. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.000 I want to go to the advanced English 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.000 because I thought maybe I'll learn English quicker because 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.000 I don't speak English at the moment. 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.000 My counselor said, I'm 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:21.000 so sorry miho I can't put you there 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:25.000 because you're not going to be able to handle it. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:27.000 But in my mind there were 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:29.000 only three words ringing in my head 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:32.000 I'm thinking if he's 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:34.000 always acting a fool in class, 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:36.000 I'm thinking, well if he 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.000 can go because I thought he was stupid. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:43.000 I'm thinking well he's stupid, if he can go, I can go. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.000 I said to myself, oh, I didn't ask him. 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:49.000 Do you live with your parents? 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:51.000 Do you not work? I didn't ask him. 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:53.000 I just said where do you go and if you go, 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.000 that means I can go. That is the very first 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.000 thing that you have to keep in mind. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:60.000 If someone has done something for you before, 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:05.000 we have to honor what we build upon it. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.000 you're here today 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:09.000 is because somebody brought you here. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:13.000 Now you get to stand on the shoulders of giants. 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:16.000 As you know, giants is a word metaphorically 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:19.000 because you're not literally standing on the shoulders of giants. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:21.000 This is how I grew up. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:24.000 In Guatemala I was a cowboy because you see a cow and 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:28.000 boy, and I was working. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:30.000 When I began to speak English, 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:33.000 I used to say, hi, my name is Ovidilio. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:37.000 How are you? I'm fine thank you, and you?. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:42.000 Then you begin to learn more advanced sentences. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.000 Hi, my name is Ovidilio, how are you? 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:47.000 I'm fine thank you, and you? 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:51.000 Where are you from? I'm from Guatemala. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:55.000 Guatemala, what country is that? 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.000 You don't know watermelon? 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.000 People were like do you mean Guatemala? 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.000 Yes, Guatemala. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.000 Oh, it's Guatemala. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:09.000 You'd never think to yourself, 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.000 oh my God, my accent is not perfect. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:14.000 I won't be able to make it. The only thing you have to keep reminding 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:17.000 yourself are these three powerful words. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:29.000 What are they? there you are sometimes in 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:31.000 the people that are 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:34.000 your friends try to derail you from your education, 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:36.000 try to derail you from your dream, 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:38.000 try to derail you from how far you can go. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:42.000 I had a girlfriend. Her name was Carmen. What was her name? 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:49.000 Michoacan was everywhere. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:51.000 Carmen was from Michoacan 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:54.000 but here's what happened with Carmen. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:59.000 Carmen loved to cut class at lunch to go get drunk. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:12:62.000 She would tell me, hey, 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.000 you're my boyfriend. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:08.000 If you love me, you got to go with me cut 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:10.000 classes because if I get too drunk, 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.000 you got to take care of me. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:16.000 You see what I mean? Are you seeing the problem already here? 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:20.000 I would say to Carmen, Carmen, but how 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:24.000 am I going to learn English if I'm not in class? 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.000 She didn't care about my goals 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.000 because she already spoke English. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.000 She didn't care about my future because I was an undocumented immigrant, 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.000 she was a legal permanent resident 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:36.000 so she didn't care much. She wanted to manipulate me just 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.000 because she was giving me a little bit of love, 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.000 a little bit of attention. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:43.000 know what l mean? 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.000 She wanted to pull me away. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.000 About a year ago I spoke with Carmen. 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:54.000 She works in a dead end job. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:56.000 She has three kids. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:58.000 She married her husband that works in construction, 00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:60.000 and we know there's nothing wrong with those jobs. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:04.000 But she had a much brighter future because here I am 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:08.000 traveling throughout the United States and [inaudible]. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.000 When I got on [inaudible], I send the video to my mom 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.000 and she called me back immediately. 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:16.000 I don't think she finished watching the whole video. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.000 Oh, my God, miho you're famous now. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:22.000 She asked me this very next question. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:28.000 miho [inaudible], when are you 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:31.000 the Soap Opera? This was the kitchen where I grew up because 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:36.000 sometimes here in the US you say to yourself, 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:39.000 oh, I live in a poor small town, there's no future for me. 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:42.000 Imagine you live in a poor small village 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:47.000 in a third world country. Yes? When I say [inaudible] 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:49.000 I don't add [inaudible] if 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:52.000 you don't come from a small village, have a girlfriend that tries to manipulate you. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.000 counselor says, 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:59.000 no, that's too hard for you don't go there. 00:14:59.000 --> 00:14:68.000 All I said to myself was [inaudible], 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.000 I'm going to take advantage of these opportunity. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:13.000 There I was in the classes learning to speak English, 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:15.000 just remembering where I'm from. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.000 Remembering that I grew up like this with 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:20.000 a bathroom with no water because there's no running water. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:23.000 Remembering that I was working in this warehouse. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:27.000 I don't know how it occurred to record 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:32.000 this video but there I was moving trucks, 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:36.000 offloading boxes, trying to learn to speak English. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.000 My car gets taken away. But before I was able to go to school, 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:43.000 my mom brought me to the US. 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.000 Because you know how sometimes your own parents 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:47.000 don't want you to go to school? 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:51.000 My mom didn't let me go to let me go to school. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:56.000 didn't speak English and I 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:59.000 didn't speak English 00:15:59.000 --> 00:15:61.000 No, miho I 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:04.000 brought you here so that you can help me what? 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:08.000 Work. You know this thing. So that we can pay the? 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.000 my mom would say. 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:16.000 Have you ever had a situation where you had to 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.000 go to an appointment with your parents and you had to translate for them? 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:22.000 You ever had that day? My mom had those doctor's appointment. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.000 We got to show up to the place, the door was closed. 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:27.000 She doesn't know how to ask the nurse, 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:31.000 so she says, excuse me. so sorry. No, I don't. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.000 My mom goes to the second nurse and she says, 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:37.000 excuse me, do you speak Spanish? 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:39.000 I live in California, so that was really 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:42.000 my lucky day that she didn't find somebody who spoke Spanish. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:44.000 The second nurse said? 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.000 What do you think she said? I'm so sorry. 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:49.000 No, I don't speak Spanish. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:53.000 In that moment, I saw my window of opportunity. 00:16:57.000 --> 00:16:59.000 why I need to go to school so I could 00:16:59.000 --> 00:16:63.000 speak English so we could should we go? Is it the wrong floor? 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:10.000 She said to me, very audacious. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.000 She said, you really want to go to school miho? 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:19.000 I've been telling you. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:21.000 That's how I was able to go to school. 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:23.000 I love to share this story with you 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:25.000 because I learned in school. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.000 There's a baby camel and mama camel. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.000 The mama camel would represent my mom. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:34.000 The baby camel would represent me. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:37.000 Baby camel looks up to mama camel and he says, 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:40.000 mommy, why do I have these very wide feet? 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.000 Baby camel begins to look at himself. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.000 His traits, his characteristics 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.000 begins to see what he was born with. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:50.000 I was born with a desire to learn. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:55.000 I was born with the feeling in my heart [inaudible], 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:58.000 not just being the warehouse offloading truck box after box after box, 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:60.000 thousand boxes and then get into 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:03.000 the other truck and then box after box after box, thousand boxes, and then get into the other truck until you offload 10, 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:12.000 The baby camel says why do I have this very wide feet? 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:14.000 Mama camel says, baby, 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:18.000 because we are animals of the desert. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.000 We need these wide feet. We can easily stand on sand 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:28.000 mama camel and he says, 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:31.000 but why do I have this very thick and furry skin? 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:34.000 Mama camel says, because we are animals 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:36.000 of the desert and we 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.000 need these very thick we can easily stand the heat of and furry skin, 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:43.000 the sun so we can travel the long distance. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.000 Baby camel still looks up and he says, 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:47.000 but mommy, why do I have 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:49.000 this very large hump in my back? 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:54.000 Because baby, we are animals of the? 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.000 We were born to travel the long? 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:60.000 We need these large hump so we can easily 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.000 store fat and water so we can travel the long distance. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:07.000 The baby camel asked this very last question. 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:12.000 Mommy why do we live in the zoo? 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:16.000 That's exactly what I'm saying to you. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.000 I was figuring out why am I working in a warehouse? 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.000 Why do we live in a two-bedroom apartment where 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.000 I have to sleep in the couch in the living room, 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.000 my mom lives in one bedroom and 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:29.000 we have to rent the other bedroom because my mom can't 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:31.000 afford to pay the rent even though she takes 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:34.000 my whole check and only gives me $50 back. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:36.000 I'm telling her, please let me go to school, 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.000 maybe I can become something and she's 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.000 telling me, miho [inaudible]. 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:43.000 But guess what? I brought you to? 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:49.000 So we can pay the? That's when I realized 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:59.000 this that I had something in me very special. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:19:61.000 Even though I grew up poor. 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.000 I want to show you what I had in me. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.000 Even though I never met my dad, 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:12.000 even though my mom would beat us up really bad, 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:16.000 I knew it in my heart that inside of me 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:20.000 I had a professional. That's what I had. 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:32.000 yourself in the mirror 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:36.000 and you remind yourself of these three words. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:39.000 What are the three words? You say three words, you say 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:52.000 three times until it becomes part of you, 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.000 until it becomes part of your being. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:58.000 Some people say to me one time, have you ever been discriminated before? 00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:62.000 Not really. I don't wake up thinking, oh my God I'm brown today, 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:05.000 I'm going to be discriminated. You know what I mean? In fact, 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:08.000 I never knew l was brown until I came to the US 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.000 brown is going to be hard for you. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:13.000 But they told me in English and I didn't understand, 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:15.000 so it didn't really register in my head. 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:17.000 You see what l mean? I just woke up 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:20.000 thinking I'm in the United States of America and this is the land of? 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.000 land of opportunity. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.000 No matter how the political movement may be, 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.000 still people are willing to die to get here, 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:31.000 to get to where you're sitting here 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.000 now and that's what you must not forget. 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:36.000 In Oakland Unified School District, 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:41.000 they compare the data. The immigrant kids of the same household 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:43.000 have better grades than 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:45.000 their brothers and sisters who were born in the US. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.000 You may say, now there's no difference in income, 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:51.000 now there's no difference in neighborhood. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.000 What is the difference now? 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:07.000 take full advantage of all these cake and you're going to enjoy it. 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:09.000 But sometimes you think to yourself, 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:13.000 I had it my whole life so I don't want this cake anymore. 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:16.000 But the cake is still sweet, 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.000 the cake is still big and there's 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.000 enough cake to go around for everybody. 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:23.000 Somebody said to me, 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:25.000 should even go to college because l don't have money. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:27.000 Well, I didn't have money either. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:31.000 Guess why they gave me a full ride? 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:34.000 Why do you think they gave me a full ride? 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:36.000 Because I was poor. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:39.000 The reason for which you think you shouldn't 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:42.000 apply is the reason for which you should apply, 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:44.000 because it's the reason for which they will 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:46.000 give you more resources. You see what I mean? 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.000 If you apply to an Ivy League 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:55.000 and your family makes less than accepted, tuition-free. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:57.000 Who knew? 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:59.000 Nobody told me this when I was in 00:22:59.000 --> 00:22:61.000 school. Nobody told me this. 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:04.000 They just told me mijo, 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:09.000 I brought you here to help me work so we can pay the bills, 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.000 so we can pay the rent and we can go back. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.000 My mom had a mentality. Come here, but let's go back. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:17.000 I thought to myself, no, come here 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:19.000 and let's take it even farther. 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:23.000 Sometimes our own familia cannot 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:25.000 imagine that maybe one day 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:27.000 you're going to publish six books like I did. 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:29.000 Maybe one day you're going to get accepted 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:31.000 into a Havard Program like I did. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:33.000 Maybe one day you're going to show up on TV like I did. 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:35.000 Your family is going to call you and be like mijo, 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:40.000 can you take me there? know what l mean? 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:43.000 It's going to be so cool. You're going to need mentorships. 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:47.000 You're going to need guidance. In this case, the mentorship sometimes is in-person, 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.000 sometimes it's through YouTube videos. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.000 I watch many YouTube videos of people who changed a lot of lives. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:56.000 Then I worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, Uber, 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:64.000 and then I was on Univison por la manana. (video with music plays) 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:07.000 But when you are in school you have to envision 00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:11.000 One skill of a leader is to be able to have vision. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:14.000 You have to envision yourself in the future and say, 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:16.000 what am I going to do for me? 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:19.000 What am I going do for my [inaudible]? 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.000 Who are you going to dedicate this success to? 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:51.000 You have to envision yourself in the future and say, 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:53.000 I imagine how proud my mom would be 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:55.000 to see me cross the stage, 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.000 not only from high school, 00:24:57.000 --> 00:24:59.000 but cross the stage from college and say, 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:06.000 My daughter, she's an engineer now. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:08.000 She's a lawyer now. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:10.000 She's an astronaut now. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.000 But you have to see it for 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:15.000 yourself because even my own mom couldn't see it. 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:18.000 One time I was giving a speech similar to this. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:21.000 I finished the speech and I called my mom and she said, 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:25.000 Mijo,how did it go? 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:32.000 She said, "How much did they pay you?" 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.000 I immediately thought to myself, 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:36.000 if I tell her the real number, 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:38.000 she's going to ask me for some money right now. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:45.000 I said, "Mom ellas me pagan 5000 dolares,they pay me $5,000." 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:51.000 My mom said, "And how long do you speak for?" 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:53.000 I said, "45 minutes." 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:55.000 She asked me this very next question 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:57.000 that I didn't expect to get. 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:64.000 She said, "Mijo and what do you tell these people?" 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:07.000 Then I realized something. 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:11.000 My own mother, even though I've already been to college, 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:14.000 even though I already published books, even though I already been on TV, 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:17.000 even though I already traveled all over nations, 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:20.000 she still yet can't 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:25.000 see that I have value to provide in this world. 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:28.000 Sometimes the closest person to you 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.000 is going to be the most difficult one to persuade, 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.000 to convince that you can do great things in your life. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:36.000 But when you go back to the classroom, 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:40.000 as long as you remember these three words and what are they? 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:52.000 the toughest class and you know man if this person is doing it, 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:54.000 I know I can do it too. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:57.000 If you can leverage technology, sometimes you have your phone and you spend two, 00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:59.000 three hours on Instagram on TikTok, 00:26:59.000 --> 00:26:62.000 but you spent three hours now on trying to 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:05.000 master this subject and you get it over with. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:07.000 In college, I was doing some classes 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:09.000 that I hated with all my life. 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:11.000 Then I thought to myself, man, 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:18.000 I better get it done faster so I don't have to deal with it now, just get it over with. Because then you have to see this other thing. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.000 As a leader, you have to build community, 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:26.000 you have to build partnerships, you have to get mentorship, 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:28.000 you have to also deliver mentorship, 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:30.000 you have to tutor some other kids because if you 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:32.000 can explain to them 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.000 a subject that you're currently learning, 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:36.000 you can learn it better yourself. 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:41.000 This is the thing. Sometimes us we look for someone 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:44.000 that they must speak Spanish and if they don't speak Spanish, 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:46.000 we don't really trust the person. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:50.000 These people, none of them are Latinos. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:53.000 None of them spoke Spanish, and they made the biggest difference 00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:55.000 in my life in high-school. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:58.000 Here we have Ms. Zigoha, 00:27:58.000 --> 00:27:61.000 Mitch and his wife Lynette. 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:04.000 This is Ms. Zigoha's son, Mr.Pipin graphic design class, 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:06.000 Chris and Ms. Morris. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:09.000 None of those people spoke Spanish and 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:15.000 yet I was wise enough to listen and 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.000 to be led by their great intention to me 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:24.000 is going from class to class and to be able to graduate school. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:26.000 How long does it take to graduate high school? 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:31.000 How many years? I graduated in three. 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:35.000 English learner, immigrant kid, 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:40.000 in three. Gracias familia. 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:43.000 If you're really getting the point, 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:45.000 say I'm getting the point. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:47.000 If you're really getting the message, 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:49.000 say I'm getting the message. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:53.000 Now turn to the person next to you. Give him a high-five. Say I'm getting the point. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:28:61.000 that I would like for you to say to yourself. 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:04.000 Are you ready for this phrase? 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:07.000 This phrase is made up by my friend. 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:10.000 He's an older gentleman, retired superintendent. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:13.000 His name is Mr. Martin Mares. 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:17.000 He trains my grandkids to get accepted into Ivy Leagues. 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:20.000 There's one phrase he uses with them all the time. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.000 I said Mr. Mares, 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:25.000 can I borrow your phrase? He says, men, 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.000 if you charge for your speeches, I'm going to have to charge you for the phrase. 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:31.000 This is the phrase, 00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:34.000 he has them go like this with the hands up, 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:36.000 like when you're winning and you're celebrating. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:40.000 He says, I'm destined for greatness. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.000 He does it with little kids, 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:46.000 with middle schoolers, with high schoolers. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:50.000 He does this so much that they believe it. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:56.000 He has helped exactly 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:60.000 from Central Valley in California get into Harvard, 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.000 Yale, UPenn, 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:05.000 and all the Ivy Leagues because that's all he does. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:07.000 He has helped over 2,000 other 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:10.000 students get into the best universities in California, 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:13.000 but these students are all poor. 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:16.000 There's a little town in California, 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:20.000 they don't even have lights. I thought to myself, in California? 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:23.000 How is that possible? 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:25.000 The fifth biggest economy in the world? 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.000 You see, you may be struggling one day in your class, 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:31.000 you may be struggling one day in your home. 00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:35.000 But just remember this, somebody probably has it worst than you. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:37.000 You just have to keep reminding yourself. 00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:43.000 this and you're going to say, 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:45.000 I'm destined for greatness when I say three. 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:47.000 Yes? 1, 2, 3. 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:51.000 you mean it, 1, 2, 3. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:59.000 hear my accent? Say aye. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:03.000 still judging me. 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:08.000 I traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:12.000 I gave a 45 minute speech to 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:17.000 billion-dollar corporation, 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:21.000 I step off the stage and they hand me a $15,000 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:27.000 check for speaking in English with an accent. 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:32.000 Can you still hear my accent because it doesn't matter? 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:34.000 I'm only alive for two reasons because my mom would 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:37.000 beat me up really bad when I was growing up. 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:39.000 your mom beat you with the chunk and be 00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:43.000 like, not my mom. 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:48.000 She would grab the chair. 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:52.000 This is how bad it was. 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:54.000 I never met my dad because 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:56.000 someone killed my dad when I was born. 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:58.000 My mom literally stabbed 00:31:58.000 --> 00:31:61.000 my sister with a knife in the back, like literally stabbed her in the back. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:03.000 My mom was cruel. 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:06.000 My mom was no one to challenge. 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:09.000 I'm only live for two reasons. 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:14.000 Because God is great and because he made me good looking. 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:19.000 I know some of you are laughing because you think, 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:21.000 actually, I think he is ugly. 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:24.000 But it doesn't matter what people say about you, 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:26.000 it matters how you talk to yourself, 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:30.000 it matters what you see in the mirror, it matters how you feel about yourself. 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:32.000 Because how you feel about yourself is 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:34.000 the energy you transmit to others, 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:36.000 is the confidence you transmit to others. 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:39.000 When you're interviewing for a job and you interview for 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:43.000 an internship and you're interviewing and they're going to say to you, college acceptance, can you tell me about yourself? 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:48.000 And you confidently will say, 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:51.000 I grew up in a very challenging situation in my home. 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:53.000 I had to move from place to place. 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:55.000 We had very little resources. 00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:57.000 But there's something about me. 00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:59.000 I am very resourceful. 00:32:59.000 --> 00:32:62.000 I like to go the extra mile. I don't want to become an engineer 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:06.000 just to make a lot of money, I want to become a mechanical engineer 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:09.000 to create items that will change other people's lives. 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:11.000 I want to become a scientist that will 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.000 be known around the world. 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:15.000 The person in front of you is going to say, 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:18.000 oh my gosh, she's so confident. 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:20.000 If they don't accept you, 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:22.000 if they don't give you a scholarship, 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:25.000 they're going to won't be able to sleep feeling go home and they 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.000 guilty that they're killing your big dreams. 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:33.000 So you have to exude confidence. 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:37.000 Everybody, say, confidence. Everybody, say, I'm destined for greatness. 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:40.000 Everybody, say, I am a leader. 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:46.000 Defy the odds and set a new standard. 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:50.000 Because sometimes, you know how your mom says, 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:54.000 can you please Mijo help me wash the clothes, 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:57.000 and you're like, but I'm tired mum, 00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:59.000 I don't want to do it. 00:33:59.000 --> 00:33:62.000 You have to remember this thing. 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:07.000 Your mom is probably 30, They don't have as much energy as you do and 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:12.000 somehow they still come from their work, 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:14.000 which they may not like, 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:17.000 which they may hate how much they get paid, 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:20.000 which they may not like the schedule. 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:23.000 But somehow they still come home. 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:26.000 They still cook for your favorite pupusa 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:35.000 your favorite enchiladas, your favorite mole poblano. 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:37.000 How do they get the energy? 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:41.000 They have a reason to keep on pushing, 00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:43.000 to keep on moving forward, 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:47.000 and that reason is you. 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:51.000 My question to you is this, 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:57.000 when you are feeling like you want to give up, 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:61.000 like you want to give in to your friends' peer pressure, 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:03.000 because they're like, hey, you got to go with me, 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:05.000 you got to be cool. 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:07.000 When you feel like you're giving in, 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:09.000 you have to remember who is the reason. 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:11.000 Who will you make proud. 00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:15.000 When I was walking across the stage and getting my diploma, 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:20.000 nobody was taking pictures for me in the audience because I live by myself. 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:24.000 But there's one person that was watching me graduate from heaven, 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:26.000 and it was my grandmother. 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.000 you the picture really briefly here. 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:32.000 This is my grandmother right there. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:34.000 Who will be the reason 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:36.000 that you will set a new standard for? 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:38.000 Who would be the reason 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:40.000 that will help you keep reminded, 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.000 why are you going to do this? 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:46.000 Because the leaders set the new standard, 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:48.000 the leader set the example, 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:51.000 the leader puts in the action, the leader not only talks, 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:53.000 the leader also do the work. 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:55.000 You walk the talk. 00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:58.000 When you really say, I want to do something great with my life, and then they say, would you like to come to 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.000 our after-school programs so that you can get yourself ahead? And be like, "No, I got something to do after school." 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:07.000 In that moment, 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:10.000 that's when the incongruence comes in. 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:13.000 The reason why I was able to graduate high school, 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:15.000 I took every extra class, 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:18.000 I went to every summer school program, 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:20.000 I went to the zero period classes 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:22.000 where you could go early. 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:24.000 But the reason why I would go early 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:26.000 is because they give you free food. 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:28.000 They say you come to the zero period class 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:31.000 we'll give you free food. I live by myself, right? 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:34.000 So I want somebody else to give me some food, 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:37.000 and they say if you come to after school program, 00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:39.000 we're going to give you some, 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:42.000 so I go to where there is the food. 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:45.000 Sometimes those little things 00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:47.000 keep you motivated to go to 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:50.000 the next step and you don't realize. 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:53.000 How do you get to graduation? 00:36:53.000 --> 00:36:55.000 You show up every day, 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:57.000 and you show up every day, 00:36:57.000 --> 00:36:59.000 and you show up every day. 00:36:59.000 --> 00:36:62.000 It's not rocket science. 00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:05.000 Because I never thought to myself that I was smart. 00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:08.000 I knew I was good looking, 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:12.000 but I never thought I was smart. You know what I mean? 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:14.000 So that's why I like to show you this right here. 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:17.000 The mentorships, the scholarships, the people, 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:19.000 you got to keep on working on your dream 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:21.000 regardless of immigration status. 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:24.000 Why? Because I was 00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:27.000 undocumented throughout my high school. 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:30.000 Then 2011, '12, '13, 00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:33.000 I work in gas stations, 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:36.000 I work in construction, until I got my Dhaka 00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:38.000 with my social security number 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:40.000 so I could be able to work. 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:42.000 But I had already graduated, 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:44.000 so now I can go to college easily, yes? 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:46.000 I applied to college, 00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:49.000 and when I applied to college, person called me two days later and he says, 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:54.000 may I speak to Dolby Vasquez." He says, "I have a couple of questions for you. 00:37:56.000 --> 00:37:58.000 You applied for a college program, did you not?" 00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:61.000 Hispanic?" "Yes, I am." 00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:03.000 be the first in 00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:06.000 your family to go to college?" "Yes, I am." 00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:10.000 He says, "Not only do you qualify for a college program, 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:15.000 but someone already paid for you in full." 00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:22.000 I would have never gotten that call. 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:26.000 Would you agree? My advice to you is this, 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:29.000 leaders take action. Leaders take what? 00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:33.000 action. The action is filling out the application. 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:35.000 The action is meeting up with the counselor. 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:37.000 The action is going to the mentorship program. 00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:39.000 The action is going to the other programs that are here. 00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:42.000 The action is waking up today in the morning so that you could be here. 00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:44.000 The action is telling your mom, mom, 00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:46.000 sometimes you when you tell her I love you, 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:48.000 you got to show with the grades because the mom says, 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:51.000 okay, you love me, but show me with the grade. 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:56.000 See, you know this already 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:59.000 or did we practice this last night? 00:38:59.000 --> 00:38:65.000 Your parents say, my job is to work and your job is to? 00:39:09.000 --> 00:39:11.000 it's not rocket science. 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:14.000 As leaders, we have to look ourself 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:16.000 in the mirror and know that we are congruent, 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:18.000 that we can inspire our little ones at home. 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:20.000 Sometimes you see your mom, 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.000 sometimes you see your grandma, your grandpa come visit you and you have 00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:27.000 to tell them how great everything is going and then they will know. That everything they've sacrificed for 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:38.000 you was totally worth it. 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:40.000 I like to show you this because 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:43.000 sometimes the students say, I don't want to go to school because I 00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:46.000 don't even know if I'm going to get a job because you watch too many news and the news 00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:48.000 says, everybody is unemployed. 00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:50.000 Nobody can find a job. 00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:53.000 This is what I discover. 00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:55.000 Big companies have what is 00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:57.000 called employee resource groups. 00:39:57.000 --> 00:39:60.000 These big companies are looking to hire people just 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:03.000 like you, just like me. 00:40:03.000 --> 00:40:06.000 When I used to work for Uber, 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:08.000 what do you think I did? 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:11.000 First thought most people say, 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:15.000 I think you drove cars around, but no. 00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:18.000 Uber flew me to Philadelphia. 00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:21.000 A chef would come and cook for us in the morning, 00:40:21.000 --> 00:40:23.000 in the afternoon, 00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:26.000 and at night when you decided to stay late. 00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:29.000 Everything was paid for, my gym membership, my phone. 00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:33.000 The only thing I pay for was my rent and I was making a lot of money. 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:35.000 When I was in Philadelphia, they say, 00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:37.000 after you finish your workday today, 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:39.000 you can go to your hotel and continue to 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:41.000 work and you can login over time. 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:43.000 I asked them, well, 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:46.000 how much overtime can we login every day? 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:49.000 The say six hours every day. 00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:53.000 I was making so much money, it was ridiculous. 00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:57.000 But unless somebody comes and tell you 00:40:57.000 --> 00:40:59.000 this, sometimes you don't. 00:40:59.000 --> 00:40:62.000 How many of you want to work for McDonald's say aye. 00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:08.000 say aye. Here's why. 00:41:08.000 --> 00:41:10.000 I didn't say who wants to work 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:13.000 for McDonalds flipping the burgers, did I? 00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:16.000 McDonald's is a huge real estate empire. 00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:20.000 The CEO of McDonald's makes $10 million a year. 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:24.000 How many of you would like to work for McDonald's now? 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:32.000 Please come here. Please. It would 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:35.000 be worth it, I promise. Please come down. 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.000 Give her a hand because we're about to finish. 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:43.000 Hi. What's your name? 00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:48.000 gets comfortable 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:50.000 being in front of 1,000 people, 00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:54.000 but if I may just ask, 00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:57.000 why do you say yes? There's no right or wrong, just give me 00:41:57.000 --> 00:41:60.000 your initial answer. Why did you said yes? 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:03.000 start off especially if 00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:07.000 you're trying to work up to do something better. 00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:09.000 answer. Don't go 00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:12.000 yet because gladly I 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:14.000 took my wallet out of my other pants. 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:17.000 While I want to leave this message with you, 00:42:17.000 --> 00:42:20.000 I want to give you $100. 00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:23.000 Is that 100? That's 100, yes? 00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:29.000 this message that when 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:32.000 you engage with something valuable, 00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:35.000 value will come back to you. 00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:43.000 I'm glad you're here today. The valuable thing is, 00:42:43.000 --> 00:42:46.000 if you show up, if you participate, 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:50.000 if you engage, if you do what you fear; she was fearful, 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:53.000 she was doubtful, she was probably anxious 00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:56.000 to come down here because too many people they may judge me. 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:60.000 If you're not afraid of the judgment, if you take the action despite the fear. 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:02.000 You know what I say? When I said I'm a leader, 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:05.000 this defied the odds. What are the odds? 00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:07.000 The people will judge me, that people will laugh at me, 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:09.000 the people would say that I don't 00:43:09.000 --> 00:43:12.000 like how the shirts fits on her, I don't like how the shoes look on him. 00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:14.000 It doesn't matter what other people say. 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:19.000 It only matters is that you put yourself in a position where the opportunity is. 00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:22.000 As a leader, you will transform 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:25.000 your life and your family's life too. 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:27.000 Allow me to finish with this last story 00:43:27.000 --> 00:43:30.000 with this piece of ham right here. 00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:33.000 The man comes to the house 00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:37.000 and the lady is doing the cooking. She cut the side of the ham off and he says, 00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:40.000 mi amor, why do you cut the side of the ham before you cook? 00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:42.000 Why don't you just cook the whole thing? 00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:45.000 She says because my mother taught me to cook like that. 00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:47.000 Call her mom. Ring, ring. 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:50.000 Mom, he came in, saw me cooking, cuts the ham off before I cook it. 00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:52.000 He said why I do it? Mom, 00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:55.000 we're wondering why do you cut this side of the ham and you told me to do it like that? 00:43:55.000 --> 00:43:57.000 She said, Miha that is very simple 00:43:57.000 --> 00:43:61.000 because your grand mother taught me to cook it like that. 00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:03.000 Cut the piece of the ham off. 00:44:03.000 --> 00:44:06.000 Call up grand Grand mother show me how. mother. Ring, ring. You don't call me no more. What's going on? Grand mother 00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:13.000 he came in, saw me cooking. He asked me why I cut the side of ham off. 00:44:13.000 --> 00:44:17.000 He called mom, mom said that you thought her to cook like that. Grand mother, why do you cut this out of the ham off? 00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:20.000 Miha, that's very simple, 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:22.000 I cut the side of the ham off 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:26.000 because my pan is too small. 00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:29.000 There are three generations doing 00:44:29.000 --> 00:44:32.000 a thing in the same way that the other one did it, 00:44:32.000 --> 00:44:35.000 but you see, grand mother did it because out of necessity. 00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:38.000 Sometimes we are young people and we say, 00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:40.000 I don't want to go to school because my mom didn't go 00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:46.000 because my dad didn't go because my grand mother didn't go. But you see, they didn't go because they didn't have resources like the ones you do. 00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:48.000 They didn't have scholarships like the ones you're getting, 00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:50.000 they didn't have a conference like this like the one 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:53.000 you're in here now. 00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:55.000 You see, your pan is too small, 00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:58.000 you have to expand your vision. Everybody say expand your vision. 00:44:59.000 --> 00:44:61.000 destined for greatness. 00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:06.000 we're going to say three times, One, 2, 3. 00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:11.000 One, 2, 3. 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:14.000 That's all from me. Thank you familia. It's my pleasure. 00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:20.000 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:26.000 Porque para mi, si se puedo. Thank you.