COMMENTS & FEEDBACK
What Adults are Saying…..
COL Howard Cohen, Former White House Communications Agency Commander:
I have personally known and worked with Darrell for over three years.
Darrell is an exceptionally gifted leader, teacher, coach and mentor.
His ability to motivate others, build and lead high performing teams was
unmatched. He always set exceptionally high standards and motivated
others to exceed those standards. Darrell always finds ways to
challenge young men and women to realize their potential and produce
exceptional results.
COL
Norvel Dillard, Recruiting Brigade Deputy Commander:
Darrell’s humble beginnings took him from the streets of Compton to the
White House. His life experiences enables him to connect with the youth
in such a manner that challenges any complacency issues and takes away
excuses that will prevent them from becoming the very best. Executives,
teachers, counselors and parents alike have all lauded him for his
ability to take impossible issues and easily turn them into workable and
applicable solutions for all with whom he teaches.
Mr. Curtis, Principal: I greatly appreciate your willingness to take time out of your busy schedule to share information about your life and how to make it in life with our students. Your inspiring words on various career options and how to attain them are greatly appreciated. I know our students will benefit from your presentation. As we continue to strive towards equity and excellence in education, we will remember your role on this special day. Thank you again for your time and participation in our event. You have made this event a success.
Ms. Langford, Career Connections Facilitator: The teachers and I were so impressed with the presentation and will hold in our hearts and implement in our walk of life the lessons and many of the quotes and positive comments you shared with our students. The students were very grateful that you shared your boyhood and overall life experiences with them. Some students exclaimed they enjoyed you because they could identify with you when sharing your high school experiences and it felt good to know that it is not too late to make a positive change in their life. I think what you are doing is wonderful. Again I thank you and look forward to an everlasting educational experience with you.
Ms. Beavers, Career Coordinator: Mr. Williams really captivated the young men that he spoke to during his visit here at Annapolis Middle School. He encouraged them to excel in their academics as well as in their perspective communities. Mr. Williams gave them words of wisdom regarding making good choices. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade male students were extremely impressed with the work he does at the White House and their questions about his work has stimulated them to begin to look at their own career choices. I personally recommend Mr. Williams as a wonderful motivational speaker for youth of all ages.
Ms. Hagans, Mentor Group Leader: Thank you so much for meeting with us today and speaking to our group. We were so impressed and felt uplifted with your kind remarks and wisdom; we must have you back again. I discussed it with the librarian who will post your appearance the next time. You left our mentor group spellbound and the adults were also spellbound and inspired by your talk. We want you to come back again. I will talk with you in a few days about your upcoming schedule. We are hoping that your talk today will instill in our young people to remember, "Attitude is everything."
Ms. McQuillan, Event Coordinator: The administration, faculty, staff, and students of Laurel High School would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to enlighten our students about what you do, how you got there, and most importantly, how they can accomplish their goals. We hope you had an enjoyable experience today and we would love to see you again next year.
Mr. Marchitolli: Mr. Williams has an amazing presentation that assisted the students in focusing on their future and not just one specific career. He is a very encouraging person that motivated and encouraged the students to make plans and work toward them. Many students need to hear real stories like the ones he told. What I enjoyed most was how Mr. Williams was so open and transparent with the students. A key thing he said that will help my students in the future was setting goals and telling them they can do all things. His life story, enthusiasm, positive attitude, and explanation how success is born on both sides of the street will motivate any student. The way you handled the question about the consequences of pregnancy and sex was perfect.
Ms. Davis: Mr. Williams has an outstanding presentation. I enjoyed listening to his loyalty to serve the leaders in the U.S. Government particularly in the White House. He is very energetic and has a great sense of humor. One thing he said that will help my students reach their goals was sharing his experiences when he was a student in high school, a true to life experience that enlightened the life of a learner and as a person. The information he shared encouraged the students to study harder, finish college, and be a useful person.
Ms. Geisler: Mr. Williams’ presentation is excellent because it is based on the students and encouraging them to succeed. What I enjoyed most was he is very personal made his focus on the children, their dreams and goals. One thing his said that will help my students reach their goals was he discussed a variety of ways to get ahead and reach their goals. The students had a handout with good information and I like how he shared real life situations about his own life and how he got to where he is.
Mrs. Rosario: I would give Mr. Williams the highest mark on a scale of 1 to 5. What I enjoyed most about him was his soft voice and manners. He even motivated me to work hard to impact my student’s lives. I really like when he told the students to work hard and don’t let society dictate who you are and what you’re going to be in life. I highly recommend Mr. Williams to speak at other student functions because he is a good speaker.
Mr. Smith: Mr. Williams relates extremely well to young people and I like the way the kept it real with his straight out of Compton example. He was able to wake up the students from their complacency and those who were not here may have missed an opportunity to hear about good options for their life. I thank you for your brilliant presentation that talks about not only what you do, but what the student will do in the future.
Ms. Sims: Mr. Williams, thank you so much for helping to make our event a huge success. The students and faculty were inspired and motivated. They were absolutely elated that you shared your profession and experiences with them. Our event was beneficial for those who received. It was successful because you so graciously gave. We look forward to having you back again in the future. Thanks again.
Ms. Olson: Mr. Williams is very encouraging and instilled in the students to accept opportunities. I like the positive message especially when he said, "Poor is a state of mind." He made sure students learned that life can be different for them. He is excellent, professional and personal. He reinforced lifelong goals, introduced life skills, and encouraged my students not to let their beginnings in life be an excuse not to be successful.
Ms. Phillips: Mr. Williams’ presentation on a scale of 1 to 5 is definitely a 5. I enjoyed the fact that you can tell he loves what he does and believes that what he is doing can change students and how they think. I like when he shared with the students that it doesn’t matter where you come from, but where you want to go, and how you want to get there.
Mrs. Lopez: Mr. Williams is a very dedicated person who can help influence the life of young people. I like how he brought out the best of my class and the fact that he emphasized how much they can achieve. He did an excellent job. He encouraged and motivated my students about careers and making better lifelong decisions.
What Students are Saying…..
Shawn: I liked that Mr. Williams talked very brief but was still able to make us understand the reality of life. Mr. Williams would be the first speaker I would recommend to speak in front of the school because he's not boring and he doesn't talk a lot or brag.
Kathy: I like the fact that Mr. Williams talked in jargon that I could actually understand and he did not talk about what he did - but how he got there. I enjoyed his side comments; he had an air about him that captivated my attention. He was completely down to earth and you could tell that he cares and it’s not a front.
Krystal: I enjoyed listening to Mr. Williams. I learned that no matter where you grow up, you can still achieve a lot. This information could help my friends in not giving up just because they are going through bad times. You are very inspirational.
Jaime: I liked the information Mr. Williams provided and I found it helpful and it motivated me a lot. What I enjoyed most about Mr. Williams is the fact that he didn’t know what he wanted to do in High School and he started out as a nobody but became something great. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is when he said what you do now matters tomorrow. What he said that could help motivate my friends is it doesn’t matter where you come from as long as you work hard. Overall it was inspiring to know that one can rise to such great heights.
Tasha: On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give Mr. Williams a perfect 10. What I enjoyed most about what he said was the story of where he came from and where he is today, because it sounds like a Cinderella story and shows me I can do anything, no matter my environment. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is when he said stay focused and keep a clean record for that security clearance. Another thing he said that could have motivated my friends was what you do in school will affect your opportunities in the future 100 percent. Mr. Williams is an extraordinary speaker who I am glad to have the privilege to hear speak. I will never forget this career-day and most definitely keep his words of wisdom with me thru my entire lifetime.
Gloria: Mr. Williams was very informative and the details he gave were good. I enjoyed the part he said about start planning now for the future because I can relate. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is even if you can’t afford college, there are ways to still get there. Another thing he said that could have helped my friends is when he said stop listening to the crowd and wake up. It’s always nice to see examples that hard work really does pay off and one day it’ll be worth it.
Sam: I would give Mr. Williams’ presentation the highest score because it was just that good. I enjoyed the part about doing your utmost with your capabilities throughout life. One thing he said that will help me in the future is to not let senioritis get to me and make me lazy. Another thing he said that could have helped motivate my friends was to never follow the crowd. He was excellent and should come back to speak every year.
Jasmine: I would rate the information Mr. Williams gave us a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5 because I have learned a lot from this experience. I enjoyed the part where he explained what he gets to do on his job like meeting the President and knowing the President’s schedule. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is when he said to start trying to accomplish your goals now and keep my nose clean for the future because then I can get a top secret clearance. Something else he said that would have helped my friends is to stay away from bad things and don’t be afraid to do the right thing. I would like to say thank you, you have inspired my friends and I to reach our goals.
Jade: I would rate the information Mr. Williams gave us a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5 because he is trying to get us prepared for the future. The thing I enjoyed most about him was when he talked about the places he traveled around the world and another thing he said that will help me reach my goal was to keep my nose clean and don’t do nothing wrong to keep me from getting a clearance in the future. Mr. Williams is a wonderful person and he is an inspiration to children.
Joshua: I enjoyed listening to Mr. Williams. I have learned to value my life and be proud of my accomplishments. At first I didn't want to continue school after graduation from high school next year. But after listening to Mr. Williams, I have decided to chart my own future and not try to copy after my friends. I now want to attend college.
Miesha: What I liked most about Mr. Williams was when he shared with us that no matter where you come from, you can make it. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals was to bring good habits in your life and to pick your friends wisely. Mr. Williams was very interesting and makes me want to be better in life. I valued everything you said and I think your story is inspiring. I do believe I can do anything I can imagine.
Karen: I enjoyed listening to Mr. Williams because it was refreshing to hear from someone who went through what some of us are going through now. One thing I enjoyed most about Mr. Williams was he was down to earth and talked to us, not at us. Another thing he said that will help me reach my goals in the future was never let someone tell you that you can’t achieve something because of where you are from. I wish my friends could have heard Mr. Williams when he said stay on track with the positive things in life. Mr. Williams does a very good job at relating his experiences to everything students go through.
Sarah: The information Mr. Williams said really related to our lives and will help us with what we need to do to succeed. I enjoyed the part when he asked us what we didn’t want to do in life because there is so many things that we don’t want to be. One thing he said that will help me reach my goal was to never give up and stay in school because it is very important for your future. My friends could have really been helped by Mr. Williams especially when he said don’t be greedy and know when to stop chasing things. I am very glad that he came and spoke to our class.
Keisha: The information Mr. Williams gave us was excellent. Personally he was loud and clear, had very good eye contact, and he talked about things we could relate to. I enjoyed the way he explained things and how he talked about his life when he was young. One thing he said that will help me reach my goal is you have to pick something you like to do and you got to work hard to get to where you want to be. My friends would have been motivated by him when he said there are many ways to get into college and the military could be an option, but you have to get a job you like.
Kimara: The information Mr. Williams gave us was very helpful. I enjoyed the fact that he put himself on a teenager’s level instead of talking to us like we are partners in a law firm; it was cool. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals was you have to develop a new attitude, develop new habits, and develop a new strategy for success. Another thing he said that could have motivated my friends was to try to be the smartest person out of the group and be the most positive. I would like to say he did a good job.
Brenton: The information Mr. Williams shared with us was good. I enjoyed what he shared because he also showed us the work behind the scenes that is done in the White House. One thing he said that will help me reach my goal is to never give up and with determination you can reach your future goals. Another thing he said that was motivating was you should be smarter than your friends when it comes to making decisions. You can tell he is a very self-driven individual.
Jennifer: The information Mr. Williams gave was helpful and will make me a more successful student and person. What I enjoyed most about him was when he said we are all going to be successful and that I can be anything I want. I also like when he said being successful at whatever we do just depends on how well we do in school and being a good student. Mr. Williams was very nice and helped me decide what I want to be.
Juan: I really liked the information Mr. Williams shared and it was very interesting how he compared things to our own lives. I enjoyed hearing about his life backgrounds and how he got out of Compton. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is when he said I should focus on my books and I am able to be successful no matter where you come from. He is a great speaker and knows how to entertain the crowd.
William: On a scale of 1 to 5 I would rate the information discussed a 5 because it was encouraging and helpful. I enjoyed the developing new habits segment because he interacted with us and the information was helpful. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is to develop a new attitude when you need to accomplish things because that had a lot to do with what was accomplished in his life. Another thing he said that could have motivated my friends was to invest in your future and that was very insightful.
Brian: I like that Mr. Williams talked about how great I could be and he convinced me that I can be great. I enjoyed him talking about what can make us better in life and to always use all of our talents. I also like when he said never strop trying and believe in yourself because your talents will take you where you want to go. He was great and I thank him very much for opening up my mind to how great I can be.
Donald: The information Mr. Williams gave was very useful and I believe that it will help me many years from now. I enjoyed how kind and friendly he was during the seminar. I noticed that all of my classmates were really attentive when he was speaking. I like when Mr. Williams said that you should use your talents to help you advance in life and to always be kind to those you meet along the way to success.
Frank: I enjoyed listening to you and learned that the one main thing that will help me in life is when you said no matter where you come from and who you are, you can do anything. Another thing that helped me was when you asked us what we didn't want to do in life and how you didn't want to end up, and you told us to use that as motivation in our life and use that to push us forward.
Maurice: I enjoyed listening to Mr. Williams speak to us. The speaker really made me think more positively about my attitude towards others and improving my self-esteem. I learned about having a positive attitude. I hope that Mr. Williams will return and talk with our group next spring. It was a good workshop. I can relate to his words and suggestions.
Kenneth: On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give Mr. Williams a 5 because his information was helpful to me. What I enjoyed most about what he shared was his speech about life. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals in the future is if you want something or want to do something, don’t wait to do it. I wish my friends were here so he could have told them everything he told us. Overall the information he shared was wonderful and I enjoyed Mr. Williams.
Blythe: I liked what Mr. Williams said especially the positive message he sends to us. I enjoyed everything he shared because he broke down what he was saying and it made it better for us to understand him. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals is when he kept saying that if he could make it, so could we and I think that was a big influence. Everything he said was motivating to my friends and I would like for him to attend another one of our events.
Jonathon: The information Mr. Williams provided was very useful and enlightening. I enjoyed how he was honest and open and how he put us at ease. One thing he said that will help me reach my goals in the future is when he told us not to settle for less and to trust yourself. I enjoy the way he speaks and gives out information. He really did a great job of speaking to our class and made me think that it doesn't matter where you come from but it matters where you're going.
Jason: I enjoyed Mr. Williams because he was interactive, he didn’t just talk about himself, and the information he gave us was helpful. Another thing I liked about him was his formula for success and his story of growing up in Compton and then working at the White House. Mr. Williams has an interesting career and is a great motivational speaker.
Tayonda: I enjoyed listening to why an attitude is important and why you should use it wisely and what the outcomes can be if you have a positive attitude. I liked hearing Mr. Williams because he talked about things we need to hear before the time comes and everyone needs help. And it is better to hear it while I am young because when you are older it might be too late.