Richard’s Emotional Speech at DreamMakers
Richard touched the hearts of everyone in attendance at the A Bridge for Kids DreamMakers fundraiser in 2019. During his keynote speech, he expressed gratitude to the organization for teaching him the importance of choice, self-worth, and pursuing meaningful paths in life, and then passionately asked supporters to give back by mentoring teenagers through the charity. Below is Richard’s speech as he presented it 4 years before his passing.
A Bridge for Kids helped teach me that I have a choice, that I have the freedom to pursue a meaningful life, and that I am worthy of love and connection.
When I was a kid, I had several limiting beliefs that stemmed from one core principle: "No money, no honey." What follows from that principle is that without money and success, I am worthless, that I am undeserving of love, and that nobody would love or care for me. I concluded that I needed to do well in school so that I could get a good degree, a good job, and finally be worthy of love. I also concluded that my interest in fiction, heroic journeys, fantasy, and having a meaningful life, wasn't going to make me money.
My late mentor Kevin picked upon this belief of mine, acknowledged my fear that I needed to choose and commit quickly to a career, and advised me instead to revisit and explore my interests. A Bridge for Kids taught me that even if I didn't pursue the money-making track, they would still support my desire to grow and explore and encouraged me not to lock myself into a choice too soon. They taught me that I have choices and that I am cared for. They provided financial support so I could focus on learning.
It's thanks to A Bridge for Kids that I got my first pull-up bar to continue my exercise journey, was able to afford clothes to wear and attend senior prom, had a laptop to take notes with, and could afford my textbooks and school supplies for class. I was even able to fly home from college, on occasion, to be reminded of my roots. All of this freed me up so that I could discover who I was, what I wanted, and what would be meaningful to me.
Kevin taught me to embrace the arts, to focus on serving others, and to focus on pursuing learning opportunities. Kevin's influence helped me overcome my fear of social embarrassment, learn to swing dance, play Japanese drums and perform Taiko, explore groups like Swarthmore's Christian Fellowship, and put myself out there. He helped expose me to service beyond fundraising, beyond protests, and helped me move into the realm of concrete actions like teaching, mentoring others, and giving back to A Bridge for Kids. Kevin's influence and his commitment to valuing me for who I am rather than for what I can do gave me the confidence and desire to give back to a future generation and be the mentor that I wish I had had as a high schooler.
Thus, when Mr. Nance presented me with the opportunity to mentor Billy (who is going to speak next), I decided to do it. This was another learning opportunity for me because Billy humbled me with his dedication and drive: running his junior ROTC program for tens of different schools, doing band camp, preparing for the SATs, doing exceptionally well in school, preparing for and now doing research on the side, and somehow still managing to find some pockets of time for his friends and family. Billy taught me that no matter how hard I worked, with the right reasons, I could work harder and smarter, I like to believe that while I am learning so many things from Billy, I am also teaching and guiding him as a mentor. In short, we have become great friends!
I thank you for supporting A Bridge For Kids tonight, and I hope you will consider sponsoring and mentoring a teen yourself and make a difference in a teen
If you are interested in mentoring a teen, please contact Grace at gjo@abridgeforkids.org or click here to make a donation.