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When Randy Stumpfhauser got his newest teaching job, Success 101, at Selma High School in Selma, CA he started brain storming the idea that he would have me come in one day to speak to the students in his classroom. Regardless of it being stump I was willing to go, but the fact that it WAS STUMP, well that’s what made this day special.

Randy’s classroom is such a special setting. The kids who are placed in his classroom are students who have lower than a 2.0 GPA and Randy’s job is to help teach these kids how to become successful. I loved the setting of this classroom because in my heart our students are just being fed school work and they lack the inspiration they need to become whatever they dream of being. Our country allows people to become whatever they want and that’s what makes the USA special. Randy’s classroom is that environment where students are inspired to set goals, create plans, and be successful.

I spoke on five separate occasions for about forty minutes each. My voice was pretty flat by the last speech and believe me I was drinking tea with my wild honey as soon as I got home to make sure that I didn’t totally lose my voice. I think that the students were receptive to my message. I tried to explain to those kids that they were in the classroom with Randy not because they did not have a choice but because they have chose not to do the things required to be successful and that if they just applied themselves they could be doctors if they wanted. I told them people thought I was crazy as an inmate who said he wanted to be a professional athlete and that in comparison it was no different then them telling the 4.0 students of their school they wanted to be doctors. If I could make it to the professional athlete ranks than they could become doctors.

It was great to spend the day with Randy, he is such a special person in my life and such a caring person. He is the right man for that job without any doubts in my life. Any kid that crosses his path is more than blessed!