DeAnna McLeary-Sherman, co-founder of True Star Foundation, spoke last week at Ombudsman South and West to encourage Chicago students to live their best lives. McLeary-Sherman also promoted the Foundation’s summer jobs program. True Star will have over 150 jobs for youth in digital media, journalism, radio broadcasting, marketing, and promotions; students can sign up on onesummerchicago.org and should reach out to info@truestarmagazine.com for more information McLeary-Sherman encouraged students to:
1) Find Yourself – Get to know you, learn your likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. What are you good at, what do you do better than others, what is your gift? Your gift or purpose is usually something that draws your curiosity. The greatest gift you can give yourself is finding out who you are.
2) Pick Your Friends Wisely – If you don’t know who you are, look around you. You are who you hand around. Pick your friends wisely, hang around people who are smarter, better, wiser, etc. Surround yourself with those who can bring you up.
3) Don’t Be Afraid of Hard Work – Successfully people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Do not be afraid to work hard, create the habit of a strong work ethic. It is not how smart you are, it is not how fast you learn, it is not your skill, but it is your will, the will to succeed, the will to not quit, the will to hold on when everyone else has let go, no matter how many talents you have been blessed with, your will needs to be always stronger than your skill. Trust me, the harder you work, the luckier you’ll be. McLeary-Sherman closed with, ” I don’t care what neighborhood you come from, how bad you have had it, how many people have mistreated you, who let you down, it gives you no excuse to fail, no excuse not to do your best and try your hardest.”