It is always an honor to address a room filled with bright, talented individuals who strive to be leaders.
As we begin this third National Youth Summit, I invite each and every one of you to become rebels. That’s right, a rebel. Now before you go home and tell your parents I said this and they forbid you to ever come to a National Youth Summit, I want you to hear me out.
I am not talking about the popular rebels we see in society like rappers Eminem, Fifty Cent or pop star Britney Spears. I’m talking about being someone who realizes that life is a gift and that all our talents should be put to good use. I’m talking about a rebel who is a shining example of what it means to be a leader, leading the less fortunate down happier trails.
The Bush Administration believes that youth are special.
Every single one of you is special, endowed with dignity. As President Bush said, “We are led by the power of our conscience and the history of our country to defend and promote the dignity and rights of all people. Each person, however frail or defenseless, has a place and purpose in this world.”
You all have unique talents unparalleled by any other. Maybe one of you is a gifted pianist who has the power to uplift people with beautiful melodies. Maybe one of you has a knack for listening to others and offering good advice. You may not be able to paint like Michelangelo or compose music like Mozart, but you have a gift. Despite your limitations in any particular field, you have something special to offer the world. Whatever your gift, it is important that you discover it and cultivate it. For once you discover what that something is, you will have discovered the purpose of your life.
By embracing your talents, you will be embarking upon a fulfilling mission of love and service. You will be a rebel with a cause. Your gifts will be nourishing and enlightening others.
Todd Beamer: Man with a Mission
I would like to now share with you the story of a young man who on the surface, seemed to lead an ordinary life. He was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. As a young man, he was a passionate athlete. Through strenuous training, he became a basketball and baseball star at San Jose's Los Gatos High School, where he graduated in 1987.
Despite his talents as an athlete, he studied and worked hard, realizing the value of a solid education. He received a B.A. in 1991 from Wheaton College and then graduated with an MBA in 1993 from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.
Not content to rest on his laurels, this young man quickly used his education to give back to his community. He joined the Oracle Corporation in 1994 as a field-marketing representative and within two years, became an account manager for Oracle's Mid-Atlantic region by 32 years of age.
But this young man was not just a successful businessman, nor did he perceive climbing up the corporate ladder as an end in and of itself. Success for this man was rooted in using his talents and education in order to give back to his community. His gifts and hard work were aimed for the good of society. He wanted to make a positive contribution.
Although this man was professionally successful, his success was not limited to the corporate realm. He fell in love and married a young woman and they had two children. He was committed to his wife and children. Never once did his love for his family take a back seat to his professional aspirations. Instead, this man dedicated himself to his family, always acknowledging that his selfless giving was the greatest gift he could offer them.
This man’s selfless giving also poured out into his community. He was actively involved in his church. He invested a great deal of his time and energy in the lives of teenagers. He served as a youth sponsor and taught Sunday school at Princeton Alliance Church in Plainsboro, New Jersey. He also built strong friendships with men in his suburban community.
This young man led his life with a strong sense of mission. He felt connected to something larger than himself. He was grateful for his talents and understood they were a gift to be used for a greater purpose. He did not hoard his talents, but shared them with others, enriching them as a result.
According to his wife, this man believed that every day he had to make "little decisions that were in line with the big goals he had for his life." That is why, on September 11, when he found himself on Flight 93 which had been hijacked by terrorists, he was able to take decisive action. Todd Beamer said the Lord's Prayer with a GTE operator, Lisa Jefferson, before he decided to valiantly lead a handful of passengers in an attack against the terrorists. The operator heard Todd Beamer's last words that will forever echo in the hearts of Americans: "Let's roll!"
Courageously, Todd and his fellow passengers were able to derail the terrorist’s attack against either the White House or U.S. Capitol. But unfortunately, the plane went down in a Pennsylvania field, killing everyone on board. Todd died that day, along with so many other innocent victims.
In an ash heap of smoke, Todd’s life was extinguished. But his legacy lives on. He continues to be a source of life and love in life as in death. His heroic example of selfless giving embodies maximizing the gifts we have been endowed with. According to his wife, Lisa, "Todd was able to make courageous decisions and take action on September 11 because that's what he practiced daily."
Todd did not let his talents and gifts wither away. Instead, he cultivated them every day of his life. We can learn an important lesson from Todd: Your gifts cannot remain stagnant. They cannot remain on the shelf, but rather, they must be put into practice.
One of the gifts I have been given is a boat. And what I have learned is that boats work best when you use them. The hull of the boat – that part of the boat that stays under the water line – stays cleaner with regular use. The fluid lines are less likely to get clogged. And all of the various systems of the boat are less likely to develop problems if you use the boat regularly. The bottom line is that boats were made to be used. So it is with our gifts, talents and abilities. They are made to be used.
The Bush Administration believes that youth ought to put their gifts and talents to use by serving others.
The Bush Administration firmly believes this. They strongly encourage youth to put their gifts and talents to use by serving others. Serving others can happen through formal, organized opportunities like volunteering at a human service center or at your local school, church or hospital. It can happen by volunteering your time at a soup kitchen or a 4-H program.
Serving others can also just as easily happen through less formal opportunities as you go about your daily activities. It can happen as you are walking down the street and see an elderly lady who needs assistance carrying her bags. It can happen in your home through a variety of chores. It can also happen as you try to educate and set a good example for your younger siblings. These are just some of the ways you can help others with your gifts and talents.
The Bush Administration has seen its role as empowering youth though a variety of efforts.
In this vein, the Bush Administration plays a vital role in empowering youth to maximize their talents to serve others. President Bush has encouraged men and women to commit to at least two years of their lives or 4,000 hours to the service of others. The Bush Administration has coordinated a variety of volunteer programs through the USA Freedom Corps. President Bush’s Call to Service reminds young people that the summer months are an excellent time to strengthen communities, and extend the compassion and greatness of America.
Positive Youth Develop is also encouraged by the Health and Human Services Department. We incorporate positive programming for youth into existing programs by focusing on the strengths of youth instead of their weaknesses. We promote ongoing relationships with adult role models. We also give youth safe places to go after school with structured activities. This gives them opportunities for community service and civic participation. Head Start also includes programming for older siblings of Head Start children. Youth are given the opportunity to be mentors and coaches to 3- and 4-year olds in the program. They are also provided with opportunities to get involved in government and participate in grant reviews and summits such as this.
Why does the government play such an active role in empowering youth? Because it believes adolescents have the gifts and talents to be leaders today – and potentially even greater leaders tomorrow. The talents and skills of youth are unique. They offer the community an unparalleled innocence and exuberance. When youth are empowered to share their gifts to our communities, our nation and the world becomes a better place.
It is probable that many of you will not be called to martyrdom as Todd Beamer was on that fateful September day. But you are called; right here and now, to make heroic verse out of the prose of each day. It is right there in your home, school and church community, that you are called to give of yourself and your talents. In this way, you will be counter- cultural rebels, serving the greater good.
Yes, you must become rebels like Peter Parker. In the blockbuster smash Spiderman 2, Peter questions whether he should continue using his gifts to save others or lead a simple life where he is free to pursue love. Peter believes that if he continues to be Spiderman, he must sacrifice the woman of his dreams. He is reminded of what his uncle told him in the first Spiderman movie: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
By the end of the movie, Peter decides that he cannot stop being Spiderman – he cannot stop being a hero to so many young children – he cannot stop saving people – even if it means sacrificing his dreams. But the moment Peter embraces his gifts and decides to fulfill his mission, he is surprisingly rewarded. Not only does he regain his powers which he temporarily lost, but he gets the girl. Now, how’s that for a happy ending!
But this happy ending doesn’t just happen in the movies. The fulfillment Peter achieves is within each and every one of you. All of you have the seeds of greatness within you. We encourage you to cultivate those seeds and not let them be buried by a complacent society that lauds the likes of Eminem and Fifty Cent.
Do not let yourselves be content with anything less than the highest ideals. Do not let yourselves be dispirited by those who are disillusioned with life and have grown deaf to the deepest and most authentic desires of their heart. You are right to be disappointed with hollow entertainment and passing fads, and with aiming at too little in life. If you have an ardent desire to help others you will steer clear of the mediocrity and conformism so widespread in our society. And you will become a leader, lighting the path for others.
As President Theodore Roosevelt said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the great twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
Thank you and God bless you!
-Speech delivered by Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Families and Children for a National Youth Summit on July 22, 2004.