APW Students Learn Life Lessons From Guest Speaker

by Contributor | April 13, 2023 6:00 am

ALTMAR, PARISH, WILLIAMSTOWN – APW Junior-Senior High School was recently visited by Brandon McCall from TEEN TRUTH, a national program that works to empower student voices and enhance school culture. In a series of motivational talks, McCall worked with APW students to address key issues and promote positivity and inspiration in the face of adversity.

McCall’s talk began by sharing his own story, detailing a world whose conditions were stacked harshly against him. Despite family poverty, lack of education and a history of gang violence, he was able to overcome his circumstances and now leads a successful life assisting teens in their own struggles. McCall emphasized the importance of making positive choices and encouraged students to do the same.

Another TEEN TRUTH speaker had visited the district at the beginning of the school year, allowing McCall to continue the discussion. He spoke to APW senior and junior high students in two separate presentations, receiving positive feedback from both groups. Many students eagerly stayed after both meetings to speak with him about their own personal struggles.

“We’re really hoping that this inspires our kids to start making better choices and understand that there is more to life than what they experience in middle and high school,” said Hillary O’Hagan, the district’s SEL specialist who helped to organize the event.  “McCall spoke to the idea that even when we struggle at school and at home, we can make better decisions and rise above any circumstance.”

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/apw-students-learn-life-lessons-from-guest-speaker/

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