[ Music ]
>> Ramsey: I want you to really get your mind right for the next few minutes that I have to share with you.
And a lot of comments that I'll share with you really to resonate, not just with you but for something bigger
than yourself, because that is really what is at the core of my spirit today.
Something bigger than me, is very resonant inside of me.
My comments tonight are actually governed by the principle that you see here, I really am --
really here today to talk about the empowerment paradigm for today's educator, for tomorrow's leaders.
Let me say it again because this really governs where we're going to go for the next handful of minutes;
empowerment paradigm for today's educators and tomorrow's leaders.
That's what I'm coming from today to share with you, and there are six frameworks that govern this paradigm
that I've put together to share for you this afternoon.
Let me first start by saying gratitude is the stance by which I accept this podium now as I begin my remarks,
gratitude for all of you honoring me with the space at your place on this great day,
gratitude for you the educators, gratitude for you President Castro and the cabinet for allowing me
to share this space with you today, the administrator, the faculty, the staff,
your labor of love to produce tomorrow's leaders today is not lost on your speaker, let that be very clear.
For those in the community that are watching and listening,
and will watch the replay, this is also for you.
I suggest that today you are part of the conversation that we say, we and us, not me and I,
in the nature of building a better tomorrow for all of us, I say good afternoon to all of you.
But perhaps most importantly, my debt of gratitude is a position for the student body here today.
For as I say and I wrote it down, because I want to say it just as I want you to hear it.
To the student body that is here, "I daresay that your tomorrow is directly tied to our today."
Let me say it again to the student body, "Your tomorrow is directly tied to our today."
And that is not lost on your speaker.
If you are ready to hear the empowerment paradigm I want you to say, "Good afternoon".
>> Good afternoon.
>> If you are ready to hear it, let me hear you say, "Good afternoon."
>> Good afternoon.
>> If you want me to get going say, "Good afternoon."
>> Good afternoon.
>> I'm going now.
Look at the picture if you will, I think you should recognize at least three people on that screen,
Fresno State, I hope you know at least three people in there.
Let me first tell you that the man in the middle is your former president,
that is the 44th President of the United States --
[ Applause ]
I love this part; you see the woman here is gripping tightly, so I don't make a move.
He whispered at me, "Now Ramsey, you know who I am."
I said, "Well, yes sir, I know who you are."
He said, "You know who this is?"
I said, "Oh yes sir, I know who."
He says, "She's mine."
And I said, "She's yours, sir."
That is me in the red tie right next to the first lady, and that is at the White House,
that is actually one year ago just this week, that I was there at the White House there
with President Obama, Michelle Obama and the other folks in the picture are trustees
and leaders of the Ray Charles Foundation.
We are here for a night that's getting ready to honor the life and legacy of one
of the greatest musical icons, Mister Ray Charles, and as a member of the board of directors
of the Ray Charles ahead in privilege and honor to be able to address the President's esteemed guess
in the east room, which is in the door, right?
To the left that you see on that screen.
I'm sure that to say, "Don't marvel at me being there, I want you to marvel at the process that I went
through to get there" much more than me actually being there.
One of the greatest dreams come true for me, I would say, and I would say if someone like me,
where I'm from could do what I did, then I dare to say that everybody
in here can do something pretty significant too, would you agree?
I hope you do, because that's what I'm going to talk to you.
My name is Ramsey J. Junior, and as I say I'm happy to be here, I'm a graduate of the Cray [phonetic] School
of Business of Fresno State, and also of the Fresno State Varsity Track and Field Team,
and I see one of my coaches Red Estus [phonetic] sitting back there in the back,
it is good to see you Coach Estus, who was here when I was a student athlete coach,
and Coach Frailey [phonetic] and Coach Estus, two parts of my foundational experience here,
good to see you coaches, thank you for being here.
[ Applause ]
I'm very respectful of the word success, but I want you to understand success as I did my homework,
is defined as the following, let's see what success is.
Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim, or purpose.
Success is the accomplishment of an aim, or a purpose.
As you will see I am in the empowerment business, which means I am about helping someone have the authority,
or power to achieve their aim and purpose.
I want to leave you with something that will allow you to achieve your aim, and your purpose.
I read this and then I will begin.
In the introduction I say the following, "It is one thing to tell a young person to have a dream,
it is something fundamentally different to empower them to realize that dream,
perhaps it is the unending blessings of my own childhood that have infused me with a spirit of hope
and optimism for all of our young people.
I'm acutely aware that some of our young people face unfavorable economic forces, a tattered social fabric,
a culture that seems considered to tell them they only make it if they live in a certain zip code.
But many of these young people as you know here at Fresno State are smart, they're talented,
they're passionate, they're filled with limitless potential, and I feel I have a call in my life
to remind them that in spite of everything the power to change their life, and reclaim their dreams,
remains yet in the palm of their hands."
If you know a young person that needs to hear that, think about them, as I begin my remarks.
The power to change your life remains in the palm of their hands.
The paradigm.
You fundamentally change your life when you're willing to get uncomfortable
and expand your customary way of thinking.
I want you to expand your way of thinking today.
Anybody recognize this gentleman on the screen?
Talk to me.
Now, I'm not here to talk at you, talk with me, anybody recognizes this man on the screen?
>> Yes.
>> Who is on the screen?
>> Kobe Bryant.
Who did he play for?
>> Lakers.
>> How many years did Kobe Bryant play for the Lakers in the NBA?
>> 20.
>> 20 years.
Kobe Bryant played for the Lakers for 20 years in the NBA.
So, let me make sure you understand, this governs whoever -- who's on the screen?
>> Kobe Bryant.
>> How many years did he play in the league?
>> 20.
>> Who did he play for?
>> Lakers.
>> How many points did he average through in his 20 year career?
[Inaudible].
24.5 round up, sir you're correct, 25 points a game.
Kobe Bryant, man on the screen, played 20 years in the NBA, averaged 25 points a game,
five rebounds, five assist, 25, five and five guy.
Pause on that.
Who's on the screen?
[Inaudible].
How many years did he play?
[Inaudible].
How many points did he average?
Remember those numbers.
Then we walk over here and ask now this question.
Who's on the screen?
How many years did he play?
[Inaudible] How many points did he average?
[Inaudible].
Question; in his prime, how many shots did Kobe Bryant make in the off-Season before he left the gym?
[Inaudible] I heard 1,300, I heard 1,000, what else?
Nothing. I'm not hearing anything else.
Play along with me; this is a very important point.
How many years?
[Inaudible] How many points?
[Inaudible].
How many shots did he make every day in the gym before he left?
5,000, 100, here's my point.
How confident are you that he played 20 years in the NBA?
Average 25 points a game.
How confident are you in how many shots he made six days a week in the Off-Season?
Nobody is confident.
Here's my point.
We have become masters of marveling at performance.
We must now become masters at the process that one goes through to become an excellent performer.
Why do you know he played 20 years in the NBA?
Because you watched the games.
You watch ESPN, you look at it on your phone, and you engage in the process, you know that if you go
to your phone right now, and you Google, "Kobe Bryant Off-Season work out regiment" you know what you'll get?
You'll get a hit; you know what the hit will tell you?
In his prime Kobe Bryant didn't leave the gym until he made 700 shots.
If he shoots 50% in practice, how many passes does he have to make before he leaves the gym?
That's 700 times 2; 1,400.
Question, what's the capacity of Staples Center?
18,000. Question, what's the capacity in the gym, when he shoots those shots in,
and it got shaking [phonetic] the ball?
He became a great performer when no one was watching,
because of the process that he mastered day in and day out.
Paradigm number one, become a master of the process.
Master of the process, don't marvel at the performance, master the process.
Master the process.
Here they are, we'll do them quickly; process mastery didactic data analysis, redefine environments
and variables to humans, time, value, money, 3Ps and the motivator.
Process mastery was one, let me tell you this, did anybody see the 2015 OECD PISA report?
Came out a couple of months ago, if you don't, let me tell you what it basically says;
basically the takeaway is, every student in America needs to improve,
and we need to get better interventions in the classroom to help them do it.
How they do?
They did mediocre, as the image, media, the jobs, the future exists today,
with [inaudible] they simply going unfulfilled because too few Americans have the skills needed to fill them.
Now, the red line represents United States, the purple line represents the average of the 72 countries
that took this exam, these are 15 years old, and they're testing them on basic functions in math,
reading and science, to allow them to be competitive for the jobs of the future.
As you can see where we are as a country, 15 year old, we are decidedly mediocre.
Slaughter and Rees, the economists have a dark myth [phonetic] of professor who I studied under,
put this report together, decidedly mediocre.
This is us as a country.
Think about that, go a little deeper.
We are talking about didactic data analysis and thoughts.
How about this, let's make this a little more local, this is for the California County, Fresno score card.
Listen to this; 64% of families cannot afford basic living expenses in Fresno County,
four out of 10 children live in poverty, 68% of Fresno's undergraduate students
or approximately 16,000 are qualified as first generation, and approximately 60%
of Fresno's State matriculate from Fresno County, what should that tell you
about the students that are coming here?
They're coming from environments like these.
Think about that.
My bottom line when I say this is, "This to me, as I get ready to speak and what I wanted to say;
Fresno State is more than an education."
For many students, it is the oasis of life and sustenance.
What a powerful place to be, that it is an oasis of life and sustenance for so many
of our students that matriculate here.
This is their oasis.
Many programs that have started here have been started to be able to serve the oasis
that students, that come to Fresno State need.
Think about that.
But data projections are based on legacy inputs, therefore they're not absolute.
I have an MBA from one of the top schools on the country, worked on Wall Street,
that means I've taken more finance and tax classes that I can forget.
That's what that really means.
So, think about this when someone suggests data like that, and they just put it out to projection
on where we're going; there's no way you can put a forward projection in front of anybody,
without that projection having legacy data inside of it, which means it is not absolute.
You cannot guarantee they extrapolate the data I just showed you and say, "How dire the picture is,
and how wow [phonetic] is that" because that data is based in legacy inputs by definition, which means,
as we sit here today, I'm going to suggest my paradigm has elements in it, that will allow us to change some
of the ways those statistics may read for us today.
In order to do that, you got to look at that data differently,
and I have an image that I think will begin to show you where I'm going,
because data doesn't show you what this picture should show you.
Fresno State, African American Graduation, I am on the other side of that table, I do not know how old
that young boy is, but what I do know, I'm talking to him like he probably has not been talked
to in some time, he is holding that book and more importantly he is holding
on to every word that I'm speaking into his life.
The sentence in project will tell you that one
in three African American males will spend time incarcerated in his, or her life time.
Ladies and gentlemen I'm here to suggest,
what about the one that I'm talking to right here in this photograph?
What about the book that he's reading?
What about the message that's being imparted into his heart?
Is this one young boy potentially the answer to the other two?
I would suggest Fresno State created an oasis for me, to be an oasis to him,
and I daresay that he could be an oasis to so many others.
Remember when you look at data, data doesn't show you what this one picture should show you,
this picture is not in the data, but this picture is in front of you today.
Let that be part of what you look at, when you look at data going forward.
I'm not here to suggest its easy work, but I'm here to say profoundly,
optimism is the spirit with which I've come today.
And optimism is pictures like this, that are not few and far between, but they're happening constantly,
and I'm going to continue to push them forward.
Does anybody believe in the power of one?
Because before there was 100 there was one.
I say to you, Fresno State, keep getting one.
I also say this to you, whenever you ask, "Where you are from?"
your answer should also state where you're going.
It's OK if you come from the left side, but if you're going to the right side,
make sure you tell them when they ask.
Every time I've talked to young people it's not about where you're from, I want to hear you're from,
but I want to hear where are you going.
Here at Fresno State, where are we going?
Bolt to the top, bolt to the top, bolt to the top.
Controllable variables; what can we control?
Attitude, preparation, work ethic, faith and belief.
What we can't control by the way, I define it, family structure, socio-economic status,
education inefficiencies, as I want to put this list together, my tag line is able to influence
such that change is evident nearly instantly.
The column on the right will continue to work
on structural policies reforms, I'm with that, I'm pro that.
But what I'm most pro, is the column on the left; controllable variables.
Because if we can help students master their attitude, preparation, work ethic,
faith and belief in themselves, I'd like their chances with uncontrollable variables.
Follow me.
Help students navigate the uncontrollable by having an acute focus,
and equipping them the master; the controllable.
Back to what they were, attitude, preparation, work ethic, faith and belief.
What is the most powerful element of this equation?
I'm a finance guy, so I had to give you a little bit of math.
What is the most powerful element of this?
If if say to you $1,000 invested at 10% compounded annually for 20 years is 6,627 in the 20th year, yes.
One, two, three, four variables to choose from;
which of those four is the most powerful element in the equation?
-- Talk to me.
[Inaudible].
I hear N, I heard future value, I heard present value, I heard R, I heard all of them Doctor Castro.
That is not what we're looking for here.
I heard every answer that you could have given me here, so let me take a quick pull,
handful of people believe it's the present value; PV, hands up?
Nobody. If you believe it is the rate of return, R; put your hands up.
Pretty clean [phonetic], if you believe it is N; the period of time,
pretty clean more than, OK -- more -- future value, FV.
Who's with me there?
So, it looks like we're torn between N and FV.
N represents the period of compounding time that you have for that money to reintroduce its proceeds back
into the principle and compound over and over again.
So, the most powerful element of this is actually N, the number of period, which is why to say,
"Start saving early, so you don't have to worry about it later" it's the period
that your money has the ability to compound.
Now, I'm not going to speak finance, but I want to give you a little bit.
So, you know I earned my degree at the Cray School.
[ Laughter ]
But what I really want to do is show you what happens if you use this equation for the human pursuit.
The human value of this equation I've -- transferred it into the following, and actually I think it works,
listen, present value is the sum total of everything you have done, the decisions you have made,
the people you have touched as of right now, the rate you implement processes
to improve all those things is your R, the N as the period that you have that you could repeat the process
to refine themselves, and FV becomes the sum total of everything that you will do,
the decisions that you will make, and the people that you will touch.
The human equation of the time value of money, in case you're not following here's your takeaway.
When it's the time?
Now it's the time to make calculated investments in processes to underwrite your future as milestones,
Fresno State; it's today, it's a today decision, to do little things incrementally every day,
to underwrite the milestones that you want to achieve tomorrow.
It's a today equation.
Humanize the time value of money.
Now, I'm going to talk about my principles, Doctor Castro you're going to be featured, sir.
Time to wake up.
This slide is here on purpose, this is about the time in a presentation when people can lose their interest.
I'm done enough of these to know; this is the time when you can afford to lose your interest.
You need to get honest about what would happen if you didn't change anything today, tomorrow.
You need to get very honest about what would happen in your life
if you didn't start changing things today, right now.
You need to be honest about what would the picture of your life 10 years from now look like today;
you didn't start changing things right now -- and be honest about that picture.
It's time to wake up.
It's in the book.
For those that haven't bought the book, now it's on the screen.
I'm having fun with it, but I'm also being very serious, it's time to wake up.
Six isms [phonetic] get comfortable being uncomfortable, talked about on the last panel
of students; there is no rule in the pursuit of excellence
that says you should be comfortable all the time.
I'm here to say get comfortable by being uncomfortable.
Number two, earn two F's early and often, I want you to be the first, because if you're the first,
you can make sure you finish, and if you finish you can make sure you're not the last.
Be the first, be proud, but make sure you finish.
Number two, I want you to find something, and if it hasn't been here, start it yourself.
I know I can represent for the cabinet's perspective, that if you see something here that needs to be done;
this is a cabinet under Doctor Castro's leadership that will say, "Be bold, and show us how."
Do not wait, be the first, and if it's not here, create it.
Be a founder.
The methodology three P's; possible, probable, predictable.
I'm going to introduce you to somebody that you may not know like you would know right now, may I show you?
Instead of asking, "Why you?"
start asking yourself, "Why not you?"
Instead of asking, "Why you?
Why not you?"
This first scene, grandson of farm workers from Mexico.
This person's mom supported the family as a beautician.
This person was first in their family to graduate from a university -- let me say those three things again;
grandson of farm workers from Mexico, mom's supported the family as a beautician,
first in the family to graduate from a university.
I want you to keep that in mind.
That's not that person.
That's your speaker in fifth grade.
Thank you, I knew it all I get is sympathy.
That's me in the fifth grade, why I am showing you that picture?
Why would I show you this picture of me in the fifth grade?
The picture on the right is me when I'm 29 years old, that's Morgan Stanley; the upper caption,
that's the president on the cover, that's when I became one of the 30 young leaders
on the 30 [inaudible] magazine, the picture on the right is me at my office at Morgan Stanley
in Central City, Downtown, as a finance professional.
The picture on the left is me in the fifth grade, as a fifth grader.
The principle here is believing that it is possible, I want you to listen to this,
I wrote this because somebody needs to hear this, "What is your calling?
What is your gift?
What is that you want the world to know?
When I was very young I wanted to work with money, as faith would have it, my first job was as a teller
in a small community bank in Santa Paula, but the patrons came in after work,
and them feels as my grand -- farm workers.
They worked long hours, and I loved the feeling, I had a gratitude that I was actually playing a small part
in helping hard working citizens put food on the table".
Why am I pausing here?
As a fifth grader I did not know anybody who did the kind of banking that I went on to do.
I did now know anybody that looked like me that had the career that I ended up having.
I didn't have access or exposure to the career that I ended up building for myself.
But I sat there and ventured in my room, by myself as an only child, and believe in my mind
that my mind would allow me to continue to believe it's possible, then guess what?
Even now that I'm going to get a chance to enter a little bit closer to the reality.
Put a picture in this.
This picture that you see with me, doesn't happen if I'm in fifth grade,
and I don't believe in my mind that it's possible.
If I've made up my mind in fifth grade because of what's happened it's not possible,
the picture on the right has not happened.
You got to believe that it is possible.
Back to the person I was thinking off, grandson of farm workers from Mexico, mom supported the family
as a beautician, first in his family to graduate from a university.
Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce you, the president of your university.
[ Applause ]
Now, I want you to enjoy the story, but more importantly I want you
to understand the power of the truth of your president.
President Castro was the first to do a lot of things, because he believed it was possible;
remember what I said about those statistics?
Be more didactic at how you look at them.
I wonder if Doctor Castro is the one has -- he had not an exponential influence on hundreds.
If you don't believe me, when I ask Doctor Castro about supporting my vision for this book,
he said send me the first three chapters.
The first endorsement on my book is your present, not the second, not the third; the first.
And if I showed you university wants students, if I showed you first year experience students
who had me laid like I was today pro [inaudible] because they would not let me and the information
that I shared in that book go with my whole schedule, I was late all day.
And I'm proud to say I was late, because your students were hungry for the information
that this book provided, and here's where I'm going with that.
If I sit here at this agency, say it's not possible, Doctor Castro sits there during his journey
of being the first and says, "It's not possible" then all of these students, in university one,
first year experience don't know it's possible either.
The power of one person saying, "No matter what, I still believe this thing is possible."
Can be tied directly to someone else's destiny.
Don't ever sit here and say, "It's not possible" despite how it might look like,
that's a selfish position, and it could be directly tied to someone else's future.
I want to thank Doctor Castro for believing it was possible.
You have no idea sir, how many people had helped the ripple effect, because you said, "Ah,
believe" and you deserve public recognition for that, and I'm giving it to you.
[ Applause ]
Along the way, let me make it clear that if you're not here and know I believe, you're aiming too low.
Get comfortable with that no answer means you're aiming high enough, Fresno State.
We're not in the business of always hearing,
"Yes" because we're pushing the envelope of that expectation here.
WTYT, I had to learn how to keep the negative stares away from me, how did it happen?
True story; when I graduated from Fresno State, I wanted to go to a top 10 business school at the time --
at the time Fresno State had only one student in his whole story,
ever go to the top school of business; one.
They told me, "Ramsey, you can't go -- Ramsey you'll never make it -- Ramsey this, Ramsey that, Ramsey this,
Ramsey this, Ramsey that, Ram -- they didn't it".
[ Laughter ]
You'll never be able to do it.
Here's where I'm trying to go, has anybody been told you can't do something?
Has anybody heard that?
Hand up if you have.
If you haven't, you will.
Here's what happens when you start letting people get into your mind and tell you what you can't do,
you're processing that negative energy whether you realize it or not, it's getting into your subconscious,
you begin to doubt what you can do because you're letting people tell you what you can do.
So, here's what I decided, I wrote about and now I teach this,
someone tells me I can't do something, let me play this out loud for you.
Doctor Castro says I can't go to the White House and write a book,
Doctor Castro with all due respect, may I ask you a question to you sir?
Who told you that?
Unless you are the keeper of my destiny, which I believe is my lord and savior,
I don't believe any mortal man has the ability to take my dream away from me, unless I give it to him.
Let me say it again; unless you are the one up on high, no mortal man or woman has the ability to take my dream
from me, no matter what has happened in my past,
my dream of tomorrow is still mine, and I have the right to protect it."
Which means, respectfully I would ask, who told you that?
I've been asking for almost two decades, do you know, I have still not found who has that answer?
Who told you that?
Finding together what's your count ability partners.
A tooth [phonetic] take by itself easily broken, you bind 30 of those together,
the strongest person in this room could not break it.
You bind together with people who go the struggle that you're all in together,
you will all make it individually, you might not make it at all.
Find other people in the struggle, and bind together with them, stick together; together you will make it,
individually you will be tested and tried.
Bind together.
Work extraordinarily hard to make it probable.
Anybody know it's 1:00 am?
[ Laughter ]
Let me move out the way, some people are actually trying
and struggling to figure this one out [laughter].
This is the easiest slide I got [laughter].
Ramsey Jay, the anchor, the for by 100 relay team in Ventura County, the fastest relay team,
for many years we had the record there, I was the anchor.
I thought I was great, I was always in the lead, all I had to do is not trip and fall,
and I would win the race, but they gave me all the apt delays, because I was the anchor.
Yes, so be it.
I had a good time, [inaudible] all the way here in Fresno State, and I'm happy about that,
as a track and field athlete, but the story I like to share here, is always making some people know,
how do you actually get to the place where you made it on to the street?
And I like to tell the story every chance I get, because you need to hear it.
I wanted to work on Wall Street, at the time they recruited at four schools, you can figure them out;
Stanford, Berkley, USC, UCLA; Ramsey J. went to Fresno State, he's got a problem.
What do you do if your dream doesn't come to you?
Give up on it, or do you go to it?
You go to it, so I drove from here to Fresno State,
met the recruiter in the parking lot, he said, "Ramsey, how you doing?"
I said, "Oh boy, I'm doing great" -- "So, how you doing?
How you liking your time here?"
I said, "Like, it's brand new to me.
It's like I have never been here before, I love this campus, everything here is brand new."
So yes, that question is kind of funny Ramsey, I answered how you asked me.
If you asked if you're a student here, I said, "Yes, I'm student and I'm here."
[ Laughter ]
Stay with me.
I'm open. She asked me one more time, "Are you a student and you're enrolled?"
I said, "Yes, I'm a student and I'm enrolled,
and I'm here" I could do this the whole day, how long would you like to.
Finally she gets to answering the question, she wants --
she wants to know if I'm a student from Stanford taking classes, to which the answer is no,
and then she asked me a question that could have defined my destiny, and could define yours.
She looked at me and she said, "Then why are you here?"
How many times have you been in a point in your life, when you were close to something you wanted,
and someone in the other side challenged your truth in being at that door?
Somebody heard the same question; they turned around, and went home.
I heard the same question and I said, "I'm here because I read the flyer,
and the flyer said any student should attend, last time I checked I'm a student, I'm attending, I'm good."
[ Laughter ]
I want you to enjoy this story, but also understand the truth, because somebody else read that flyer,
and it read something different to them.
Let me make point here.
Don't be the reason you get eliminated from the game.
Somebody said, "Wow", let me say it again, don't be the reason you get eliminated from the game.
You make them tell you, "No" and here's the beauty, when they tell you, "No",
how many people can honestly say they do this?
I taught this to your students Doctor Castro, and they took notes because they said --
how many people can say 100% of the time when you've been told, "No", in the middle of the rejection,
"I'm so disappointed, but may I ask you for feedback?"
in the moment of the rejection.
The feedback you get a week later or two weeks later,
is not the same as the rejection in the moment feedback.
How many people can say you took notes on that feedback and added it into your files,
so that the next time you applied for a position you can go back to the notes of the feedback from the past?
I went through my rejections 54 times, but at the 55 --
yes, I now request you, you're going to ask me, you had the higher of me.
How many people when they get told, "No", retreat?
Or come back and aim lower?
Both dream derailing activities and their habit?
Quitting is a habit, is easier the more you do it.
I'm glad to see here -- this is the dream plan, but I'm more proud of this young man,
and I'm going to tell the story, because he's here.
Now, I hear you like them, but let me tell you why we all need to learn from his process.
We love the story, but I love this process even more.
John Hunt Junior, born in California.
John Hunt Junior; siblings before him did not make it, and challenges -- leave it there.
John Hunt Junior said, "I'm going to find a way."
John Hunt Junior gets into Fresno State.
Torn between coming to Fresno State and staying home with his younger brother,
because his younger brother was looking up to John Hunt Junior to help him make it.
John Hunt Junior says, "I'm going to come up on here to Fresno State by myself,
in my Honda" John Hunt Junior moves into his living place here at Fresno State watching his classmate move
in with loved ones, and friends, no one was able to support John Hunt Junior move
into his facilities as a freshman, at Fresno State.
John Hunt Junior wondered whether or not he belonged here at Fresno State because he was here all
by himself, John Hunt Junior kept on keeping on.
John Hunt Junior found resources like the renaissance scales, and other organizations here that say
at Fresno City, "If you get here -- if you get here, we'll help you get across line, but get here."
And he got here, and he got across the line.
I'm so proud of this picture; this is me and John Hunt Junior
after he earned his degree, that's the first in his family.
[ Applause ]
I'm doing this on purpose, because John Hunt Junior now is working at Fresno State,
John Hunt Junior is now helping students, like John Hunt Junior when they get to Fresno State.
So, when the y get here, and they're not sure if there's anybody like them here,
John Hunt Junior should say, "Present, and accounted for, I worked hard to make it probable,
I have a process and I can help you do it too."
John now wants to get his PhD and become a leader for young people that need someone like him,
to be an expert on the processes, the systems and live the life
that these young people needs to see someone live.
Back to the data asset at the beginning,
at the didactic data analysis, what if that one is John Hunt Junior?
What if that one is John Hunt Junior?
I think we have a reason to have pride and hope in what we can do today,
despite what some of the data may suggest, and John Hunt Junior you've given me that hope, sir.
And he's here, if you didn't know, he's right over here, John Hunt Junior.
Why I still have hope?
Because it was just a few months ago, this entire auditorium was full, you can't even see all
of the students in this photograph because they're spilling out of the isles.
The African American student's success conference had a chance to speak here for more
than 400 African American students here from the County of Fresno,
and I said who doesn't understand, I say, "Where is this picture?
Where is this story?
Well, here it is."
And it happened right here at Fresno State.
Working hard to make it probable and I'll keep showing the story and the pictures
as often as I can, and you should too.
Because this is what we can do, not what we can't do, making it probable.
Every now you get is the positive, and the bank of an eventual yes, I'll close with that;
I'll close with that, but let me get to where I want to end with.
Two numbers and ages I remember as I close; the picture on the right was taken in 2005, what year?
>> 2005.
>> What year did I speak of the White House?
That's what's happening in the other picture.
What year was that?
It was a year ago this week.
So, what year?
So, your two numbers are 2005, and what?
[Inaudible].
There you go.
So, let me tell you about the picture on the right; that's me getting that card made in 2005
when I'm a student of the top school of business at Dartmouth College.
I walked in into the print shop, got the card made, told the woman I wanted it to say,
"Professional Speaker and Author on it, put my title on there, I'll come back in two weeks to pick it up."
Two weeks later in 2005 I picked that card up, walked out the same day someone walked in.
Haven't seen her in a while, like I haven't some of you in a little while,
the woman asks me, "Do you have a card?"
I say I have 250 of them, "How many would you like?"
[ Laughter ]
I reached into my pocket and gave her one of those cards, and she said, "Oh Ramsey,
I didn't know you were a professional speaker" I said, "Oh, shhh,
and author, don't cheat me, look at the card."
Fresno State, how many professionals speeches do you think I had given in 2005?
Zero, let me help you.
In 2005 how many books had I authored at that time?
Let me help you, zero.
What am I saying?
I'm getting prepared for an opportunity, not knowing when it's going to come.
So, I'm ready when it does come, not the other way around.
She said, "All right, I've got a gig come up, can you come by" You want to talk to 30 or 40 people
that I gave a speech, they asked for a card, I said, "I got 249,
but I'm big business better get me or you might never get me again."
I've been giving speeches ever since because I decided that I was prepared when it happened.
Now why am I giving you the -- the math?
2005, 2016; arguably the biggest platform you can have as a speaker is probably what happened
in that one in 2016, question for you?
What's the difference in years between 2005 and 2011?
2005 and 2011 is six, 2005 and 2015 is how many?
10, and one 2005 and 2016 is?
So, what was the difference in years between the day I decided to get prepared
and the day that my actual opportunity came?
11 years. Listen to this point.
Breakthrough opportunities that you want will not allow you to get ready today for them,
if you start getting ready today, you won't be prepared.
Speaking of the White House, I close with this, there was a camera like these two on the back,
had a red light on it, two dual prompters running on it, "Ramsey ever used one of this before?"
"a hundred times."
Some of you know that's not true [laughter].
But she -- guess what, you don't say that at the White House, "Oh, how do you do it?
What do we do?
How do we do that?"
Can't do that.
Lights went on; the prompter was running because it had to run on the minute;
on the minute Doctor Lans [Phonetic] had to run on the minute, on the minute;
because President Obama was going to take that podium at the minute
after the hour they said, no if, ands, or buts about it.
Which means you can't screw it up.
Lights went on, TV1, PBS was running and they were getting ready to say the president was coming
through that door in about eight minutes, "You're on."
I went up there and I decided in the moment of the moment, that I would not use the prompter,
when you watch that replay on TV; I am not using the prompter.
I did not know how to use it.
[ Laughter ]
How in the world can you be on that stage, at that moment and not know how to use the machine
that you need to use to be able to deliver the speech you need to deliver?
Unless you have been preparing years in advance.
So, when the moment came you can stand up, and deliver.
And it sounded as something like this, "We would like to thank President Obama, the First Lady,
and the Smithsonian, it is an honor and privilege to be able to celebrate the life and legacy
of Mister Ray Charles, one of the greatest musical icons, and in the name of Mister Charles
as himself he was here I think he might say, you got the right one, baby" And you enjoy it,
and they enjoyed it, and at the whole time I was not using any of the machines
that they said I needed to know how to use.
Imagine how different the moment would've been, if I wasn't prepared for my opportunity before it came.
Last thing, you can better recognize this gentleman, if you don't, that's -- you guys remember who that is?
Well, talk to me, who is it?
[Inaudible].
David Carr, and he played for what team?
[Inaudible].
Carr, Derek Carr, he played for what team?
[Inaudible].
But he came from where?
>> Las Vegas.
>> Say it like you know.
[Inaudible].
>> Here's an interesting thing as I close with this story, remember the story I showed
on the front who's after I showed you?
How many years he played?
[Inaudible].
How many shots did he make in the Off-Season?
[Inaudible].
He made 700, he made 700.
I haven't changed the answers; watch the tape [laughter].
But I want you to see how this story ties together, this is a predictable athlete,
that became very successful and I'm going to show you why I believe he was so successful.
This is an Instagram post that he posted when Kobe was getting ready to retire.
I will ready for you, in case you can't quite see it, "Kobe Bryant, started with me wanting to be the best
at what I do, so I sought out the best, most competitive, hardest working person I could find,
I copied every move, every shot you made in my driveway as a kid, then I took that competitive drive
and intensity that you have, and put it into working my tail off the term hard work is thrown around loosely,
but you taught me what it really means.
So, thank you for everything.
Hopefully one day some kid will be saying the same thing about me #respect #mom #24 #greatest
of all time" So, guess what I can guarantee you, if we had Mister Carr here, I guarantee you if we had him
in the front row and I called on him, and I asked him that question about how many years?
He would have told you 20, how many points?
He probably would have given me the 25.
But you know what else I bet he probably would have nailed?
How many shots he made in the gym when no one was watching.
Think of that picture, think of that lesson, think about the difference
if you would have not know how many shots he's made.
It was predictable for him; let me leave you with this --
I'm purposely not speaking because I want you to actually interpret this, before I interpret it for you.
The only consistent thing in each picture in there is myself in Fresno State.
I want you to think about that.
Those were the only two consistent things in these photographs; it's me and Fresno State.
Start with the picture on the right, these are members of the Cray School
of Business advisory council, we had a breakfast.
Here's what I can tell you about every person on that screen -- lots of Fresno State students.
Once the mentor Fresno State students, believes in Fresno State students.
Dean Van Harper [phonetic] to the left, lots of Fresno State students believes in Fresno State students,
would do whatever he can to support Fresno State students.
Lower right, that's me talking to Fresno State students, well after the bell had ended
for class to move on, and they stayed there.
Lots of Fresno's stayed along to come back and talk to Fresno State students.
Upper right, leadership coaching session, seven Fresno State students coupled among there in the picture,
had me late for my next appointment, because they wouldn't let me have a lunch.
Lots, Fresno State along coming back and coaching them up, and the last were a room like this,
with the first year students, the first year experience, and aspiring business majors,
learning about making their dreams become a reality.
I want to close by telling you, when you believe that things like this can happen, and you come from a place
that allows you to make them happen, you'll put more into it than you will
into anything else because you know it can happen.
And when you see people rise up like this, the diversity of the people that are here all say
on one accord, "We love Fresno State and our student body."
What a special place to be, and what a special time to be in a special place.
What a special time, to be in such a special place.
Let me leave you with my gift, and I'll close.
Close your eyes for three minutes, and I will leave on this note --
close your eyes for three minutes, and I'll leave with this note.
This is the quintessential motivator, the one thing that I believe all of us must possess --
this is the quintessential motivator, the one thing that we all must possess.
As we close the 2017 Fresno Student success summit, I want those that are here to isolate the one person
who you know, you would not be here hearing me speak if not for the person that you're thinking of, right now.
The one person who you know has made extraordinary sacrifices, investments for you to be able
to pursue your career, or your education, here at such a fine institution like Fresno State.
Paint that picture crystal clear so if that person was knows to --
knows to you, that picture couldn't be any clearer.
Who is that person in your life?
Take time to burn it in, three, two and one.
Eyes closed, stay there second frame, I want you to think about specifically,
what things did they do to help you get here?
If they wrote cards, read their handwriting, if they sent texts to that [inaudible] pipe up again,
they worked two jobs, where jobs that they worked if they went without,
so you could go with what they go without, so you can go with.
For you playing very specific things that they did for you, in your life.
What did they do?
Replay those things in three, two, one.
Eyes closed, we know who they are, number two, we know what they did, number three,
imagine we gathered the students success summit in 2027, 10 years from today,
you have not seen the person you're thinking of in 10 years.
And you come back together at the 10 year anniversary of the 2017's students success summit,
and the person that hasn't seen you but it's excited to see you, it's been 10 years since you decided
that you were going to do some things differently, and they ask you a simple question
at Fresno State, they ask you how did you do?
With all the love, all the support, all the sacrifice, all the investment, how did you do?
And while some of you are emotional thinking about the question,
I'm excited because you have an opportunity to make it the right answer.
There's only two answers; one of them is well, well as it qualifies means you get rated safe,
while you didn't do everything you could've done to make them proud,
so let's not even answer the rest of that one.
The second one, our answer here at the success summit is this, "I finished the race --
I finished the race" And the reason you finished at the success summit is because you thought
about where you would be if the person you were thinking about in your life right now,
would've ever given up on you, and your race.
And you know that answer is not the answer you'll ever want to be your answer going forward again.
So, the charge is clear from here forward at the summit, you finish the race,
and honor the person you're thinking of right now, in legacy and spirit with which they've given you
to be able to be here at such a time as now.
To make Fresno State what it is, the oasis of hope that it is, for so many of the next leaders of this state,
perhaps this country, and who knows, maybe even the world.
What an opportunity for us to make sure we say, we're going to finish the race,
in the spirit of those that finished it before us.
If that's you, put your eyes closed; just give me a quick hand if you got somebody
that you can think about, to make sure you finish the race.
Hands up all over.
With your eyes closed, you might now open them in three, two, one.
I'll leave you with this, my quintessential motivator Mary Lee Beret [phonetic] grew up in the south,
Tim Crow [phonetic] era, color of her skin says she couldn't pursue an education like her grandson did.
But I graduated from high school, college, and grad school, and all three times Mary Lee Beret was there
in the audience, graduating with her grandson on stage.
She passed away a few years ago, but her proudest moment she'd probably say it was when I got my degree
from the Top School of Business at Dartmouth and the first African American speaker over 105 years got
up there and delivered the commencement address, and she said, "That's my grandson."
And when I graduated, my grandmother graduated.
So, leave me this promise, whoever that picture that you have in your life is, as you leave this summit
and go back to a normal activity, maybe take this portrait with you wherever you go,
and make that activity a little something more every time you get to do a little something for someone else.
I'm not interested in what the statistics say, I'm not interested in what the trend says,
I'm interested in what your heart says, I'm interested in what your soul says,
I'm interested in what this picture says, I'm interested in how that makes you do what you do
on behalf of someone else's at a school like Fresno State, that is needed more now in the State
of California than it'll ever be or -- what an opportunity we have to be bold.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]