An Excerpt from Pioneer Award Co-Winner, Ron Mambu's Speech to the Assembly

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You are the most important people in the room because you are the future.  You are part of our future.  And I know you’re interested in your future success, and we are too. 

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POSITION YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS

 

Because as you become successful, that makes life a little better for everyone else.  So what can you do to assure your success?  What can you do to best position yourself for success?    There’s really not one thing to assure your success, but there are things you can do to best position yourself. 

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EMBRACE A LIFETIME OF LEARNING

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And at the top of that list I would put education—education plus some things I’d like to talk about.  But the kind of education I’m talking about is continuing education--a lifetime journey and a love of learning.  You have a long runway ahead of you.  And it’s my hope that each of you, whatever career path you ultimately take, causes you to want to learn more. 

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I’m sure you’ve heard, the more you learn…the more you earn.  And it’s generally true.  What I hope that your level of learning will cause you to want to know more about whatever interests you; because that will enrich your life in non-financial ways.

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I can tell you this…it will take you places you can’t imagine sitting here today.  So, it’s before you, it’s in front of you, so I would encourage you to go for it.  As the Nike ad says, just do it.

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A DIFFICULT TASK

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I believe you have a more difficult task than what I had.  And I say that because I’ve read the essays over the past ten years written by every student who has applied for our scholarship.  …Accept the convictions of honor and common sense. That’s Churchill.  I think his words speak volumes of persistence. 

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A LESSON FROM DAD

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There was another man, who knew something about this.  He was no Churchill when it came to being eloquent or having a way with words.  I’m talking about my Dad.  He grew up in Southwestern Pa in a small coal mining village.  When I graduated from Frankford High, I enrolled in Notre Dame.

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I would really love to see another Frankford High School student, boy or girl, enroll in Notre Dame.  When I was at Notre Dame my dad wrote me a handwritten letter, multiple pages every week.  Before I opened the letter, I knew there would be one line in every letter.  He would say, Ron study hard and you’ll reap the rewards later.  I think he was right. 

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One of the things that Mrs. Mambu and I enjoy is coming here and helping students with the cost of their education.  Now I exchange emails  with students and leave with “Study Hard.”

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YOUR ASSIGNMENT

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I have another assignment for you.  We all have talents and gifts, unless we share these talents and gifts they’re worthless.  So, I would ask each of you to share these gifts and talents with someone else everyday as an act of kindness. 

Do something for a family member, friend, classmate, stranger or even a Frankford teacher.  The effect of that will be to make you a much better person.   The collective of that—of everyone doing that will have a massive and positive impact on your environment.