On Tuesday, May 31, Quinsigamond Community College and Early College Worcester hosted a Day of Empowerment for 200 Worcester high school students featuring former NFL player and motivational speaker Shawn Harper, along with workshops on goal setting and motivation.
Early College Worcester is a partnership involving Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester Public Schools and Worcester State University that enables WPS students to earn college credits while still in high school. These early college high school students also participate in college and career readiness activities that help to prepare them for higher education.
Giselle Rivera Flores, director of communications for Senator Robyn Kennedy’s office, opened the event with a powerful welcoming message.
“I went to Quinsigamond Community College and it was critical in creating opportunities. Education allows us to break generational struggles that many of us have experienced. Early College Worcester also does just that; it opens doors for you,” she said.
After leading a rousing rock-paper-scissors tournament, Keynote speaker Harper told the students about his journey from struggling student, to award-winning athlete and business owner.
“I wasn’t that star jock. I was called dumb. I was angry, living in poverty and told I had four learning disabilities,” recalled Harper. “But football did keep me out of trouble.”
Harper was invited to play football for a community college in Iowa where he was disappointed to be sat on the bench for the first year, but he stuck it out thanks to encouragement from his mother.
“After that first year, I realized your greatest competitor is yourself and I could win this game called life. I trained twice a day and I took night classes every night. In my second year, I got into the Junior College Hall of Fame,” he told the students.
After completing community college, he continued to play football at Indiana University where he received a National Achievement Award. Harper then went on to play in the NFL for the Rams and the Colts as well NFL Europe.
When returning to his high school years later, a former teacher asked if he got his degree. He recalled the teacher saying that football can be taken away, but education is everlasting. This interaction had a large impact on Harper and he went back to finish his degree.
"My greatest accomplishment is my degree from Indiana University," Harper said.
Harper encouraged ECW students to prioritize education on their journey to success.
“You are going to have a dramatic impact on our future. Be all in. Give studying your full attention because education gives you leverage,” he said.
Harper's advice to students included taking control of their identities and reframing failure.
"I still have struggles and weaknesses but I’ve been able to break some chains, he continued. "We're taught that failure is the final destination. I’ve failed so many times... in school, in football. But failure is your friend and it teaches a valuable lesson."
After Harper's speech, students participated in workshops including one led by Professor of Psychology and Coordinator of the First Year Experience Program Lizette Cordeiro.
For more information on Early College Worcester contact Director of Educational Partnership and Early College Initiatives Christina Hebert chebert@qcc.mass.edu.