Hall of Fame linebacker tells high school seniors who are preparing for college: “Keep going, and you can accomplish anything.”
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis met with five students in the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) CURE Scholars Program on Dec. 6, offering them advice as they prepare for the next chapter in their educational journey.
“You all are about to head to college,” said Lewis, who is a member of the UMB Foundation Board of Trustees. “Life is waiting for you, and you’re going to be ready for it. … Keep going, and you can accomplish anything.”
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The students who met with Lewis are high school seniors from the program’s first cohort who have been applying to colleges over the last few months, with some already receiving acceptance letters.
This phase is the culmination of their seven-year commitment to UMB CURE, a groundbreaking academic pipeline program that seeks to empower and prepare West Baltimore students, starting in sixth grade, for competitive and rewarding research, health care, and STEM-related career opportunities through mentorship and hands-on learning experiences.
Each scholar had an opportunity to ask Lewis about his experiences. Shakeer Franklin talked about how he spends a lot of his time taking care of his family and siblings and often neglects his own needs and mental health. As the oldest in his own family, Lewis felt a strong connection to this question.
“I can tell you from my own life, as an adult, that doesn’t change,” said Lewis, who played for the Ravens from 1996 to 2012 and is a two-time Super Bowl champion and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I still do everything I can to take care of my family, and I have a hard time saying ‘no’ to them. But you have to remember to take care of yourself, too, or it will burn you out. You’re still young, so start practicing now.”
Lewis gave the students several other valuable pieces of advice. He told them to make peace with things that cause them pain, to have passion in everything they do, to “let the haters be your motivators,” and to turn their failures into steppingstones toward their successes.
“My greatest strengths come from my failures,” he said.
Lewis’ visit will be featured in the fifth installment of the “From West Baltimore” documentary series, which has followed CURE Scholars Franklin, Tyler McKenzie, Princaya Sanders, Courtney Jacobs, and Davioin Hill since middle school. The documentary’s release date has not been announced.