No speaker has ever held the attention of our students like you did today. I was concerned that it would be difficult to hold the attention of so many students, but you had them spellbound with the honest way in which you told your story.
Growing up in a broken home in the Detroit, Michigan area, Chad learned at a young age that life is sometimes unfair. From early childhood, Chad found himself surrounded by some of life's cruelest realities. Chad grew up watching his mother violently abuse alcohol and drugs, and basketball soon became his escape from the troubled lifestyle that surrounded him.
He was labeled an at-risk kid and should have been a statistic, but instead he beat insurmountable odds and every obstacle before him and became a high school All-American in basketball while playing for Detroit's Catholic Central High School. After high school, Chad went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh where he was a two-time captain and Bell Atlantic Scholar Athlete. After college, Chad realized his dream of playing professional basketball in the European professional leagues where he became an all-star and won the slam-dunk contest his rookie season. Then, at the height of his career, with more money awaiting him than he'd ever imagined, he left it all to pursue a greater purpose: helping others achieve their dreams no matter the odds and obstacles before them.
Today, Chad is the CEO of The Chad Varga Company and has established a national reputation as a communication expert who has an undeniable ability to relate with audiences of all backgrounds. He has spoken to more than 3 million people throughout America and has been a featured guest on many of America's major television and radio networks. Chad was named one of six up-and-coming leaders in America by New York Times Best Selling Author Dr. John Maxwell and has recently been nominated as one of the REAL Richest People In America for his work with students.
He is the author of two celebrated books: "Bounce: Down is Inevitable, Up is a Choice," and "If You Only Knew." He and his wife Kristie make their home in Bradenton, FL and are the proud parents of two incredible children, their son Cameron, and daughter Kiersten.
No matter how gifted, smart, wise, or careful we are, we will all make mistakes. Life will beat us down. So much so sometimes, it seems unfair. Failure is inevitable. But what we do with failure is a choice. The strongest learn to bounce to someplace higher than before.
No matter what you’ve been told, your dreams matter. Pursuing them is the key to unlocking your passion and purpose in life. It is also the key to taking responsibility for your choices and becoming successful in the other areas of your life.
In the Digital Age, bullying is no longer merely the bigger, popular student picking on the smaller, timid student. It’s also less frequently tangible to the naked eye. The face of bullying has changed and it shows itself as much online as offline, and as often in the popular crowds as in the outlying ones. Here’s how to spot it and stop it before more damage can be done.
• Why Dreams Are the Key to Students Success
• Leadership: Why You Matter Now More than Ever
• Bullying, Teacher’s Edition: What It Really Looks Like and the Very Real Consequences
• Meeting Students at the Point of Their Greatest Challenges