At first appearance, one might question how a jumping challenge in front of strangers can teach Elgin-area parents about motivation and encouraging their children.
But with every repeated jump, every attempt to go higher, a girl tried to top herself, with the adults in attendance cheering her on. When she failed to top her previous best jump, Andres Lara pointed out the collective sighs heard after she missed.
“Do you think that’s the best she can do?” Lara asked in Spanish. “Well, we won’t know unless she tries again.” The girl ultimately topped her high mark again.
Lara, a motivational speaker known as “El Cubano” — “The Cuban Guy” in English — spoke to Hispanic parents of School District U46 Wednesday evening at Elgin High School, just hours after he had done the same thing for students at earlier assemblies Tuesday and Wednesday. The 39-year-old hoped his message would strike a chord with adults and children, especially among the Hispanic parents, who may have had similar coming-to-America stories and adversity as he did.
“We’re all common in that most of us came here, to a foreign country, looking for a better future,” Lara said after Wednesday’s presentation. “We came here to give Elgin-area parents and families a positive message on how to be successful, ensure that success doesn’t stop just by being here.”
Much like some families in U46, Lara is an immigrant, having left Cuba more than 20 years ago on a refugee boat. He left with nothing, and had no close family or friends join him. For some time, Lara was homeless.
Three years later, Lara was in college, he told those who attended the presentation. He still couldn’t speak English entering college, he added, and was ridiculed at times for his inability to do so.
It was when he met a public speaker during a lecture in one of his classes that Lara said he began setting his sights on major goals: learn English, finish college and channel his success story into motivational speaking.
“If there’s a will, there’s a way,” he told parents.
According to his website, Lara has now spoken to just under 4 million students, written four books and started his own company.
Lara stressed the adults to encourage their children — and in fact, also better themselves. He said to not let positive opportunities go away when they think they’re not ready. But if they do, don’t let the missed opportunities sour them, because their children will notice.
Annette Acevedo, U46’s English Language Learners program director, said her department brought Lara to talk with students and families because of his never-give-up, education-comes-first mentality.
“There’s nothing more important than for the students to be following and pursuing an education,” she said.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, U46 brought in Lara and Shayla Rivera to speak this week to students. Rivera is a former NASA rocket scientist and aerospace engineer, who has since shifted into the entertainment world, through writing, acting, TV hosting, producing and comedy.
According to U46, more than 52 percent of district students are Hispanic.