It is sort of on the edge of Riverside and San Diego Counties, but Temescal Valley High School has a vibe all its own. The Titans sit on a hill in a beautiful facility with a pretty large population, in the 2000s. For the first week, they were pretty relaxed, even though a schedule mistake caused some facility drama when I arrived. I had the opportunity to share a bit of love with 2 student assemblies in my final talk of this busy week. Again, couldn't be prouder of how respectful the students were; it's tough to stay engaged for 45 minutes, but they were awesome.
When I talk to kids, I use the phrase " AND THEN" to stress that bad things happen, but that isn't the end of the world. So many good things came after my injury, I try to make the point to persevere by counting your blessings and don't give up in that moment of despair. My dream would be to follow up with them in small groups to plan out their own version of the AND THEN story. I had a feeling that these kids were with me. Can't wait to see their stories and will always REMEMBER THE TITANS.