Students learn about acceptance, inclusion during interactive assemblies at Aliso Niguel High

By Lou Ponsi

After conflicts between students were disrupting campus life at Aliso Niguel High School, Principal Michael Hatcher, along with students, parents, and administrators felt it was time to take action.

The vibe on campus didn’t feel right, Hatcher said.

“There were some cultural issues on our campus,” Hatcher said. “We had some instances where students weren’t getting along as well as we’d like. There were some concerns that parents and students had.”

Keith Hawkins, a motivational speaker, is joined by about 20 student volunteers who helped facilitate a series of Creating a Community of Care assemblies at Aliso Niguel High School, as they discuss ways to help students get along better with each other. Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer

Waiting to address the issue wasn’t an option. Something had to be done immediately.

“We didn’t want to wait until the beginning of next year,” Hatcher said. “This is so important to us and the entire staff is supportive. What we found in the feedback that it is super important for the kids to be talking to each other as opposed to us talking to them.”

Bringing in someone from the outside to connect with the students could also have an impact. Enter Keith Hawkins, a noted motivational speaker known for his ability to connect with students.

As co-founder of Real Inspirations along with his wife, Lori, Hawkins speaks to hundreds of thousands of students, educators, parents, and business professionals annually. Through interactive assemblies and workshops, with plenty of student involvement, Hawkins takes a deep dive into issues centering around acceptance of each other’s differences and inclusion.

*Speaker Keith Hawkins is joined by about 20 student volunteers who helped facilitate a series of Creating a Community of Care assemblies at Aliso Niguel High School.*
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

Hawkins led a series of Community Care student assemblies at Aliso Niguel from April 24 to 28. Students gathered in groups of 200 to 250 in the gymnasium, with every student in the school attending over the five days. Hawkins also led discussions with parents on one of the evenings and spent an evening involved in leadership team training.

While discussing the topic of maturity, Hawkins recalled an interaction he had with a student during leadership only a day earlier, which provided an indication of the negativity that existed on campus.

A girl began crying, he recalled. But while she was crying, she kept apologizing.

“I said, ‘Why are you apologizing for crying? You can’t cry here?’”

The girl said, “‘Well it’s weird. It makes me look weak.’”

“I said, ‘Who told you that?’”

Iris Berbee, one of about 20 students who volunteered for the leadership team to help facilitate the Creating a Community of Care assembly, speaks during one of the assemblies in the gym at Aliso Niguel High School on April 25.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

It happens at every school he visits. Here’s the lesson:

“If you don’t control your mind, other people will control your mind,” Hawkins said. “If you don’t know who you are, other people will tell you who you are. If you don’t own your life, somebody else will.”

Hawkins began a discussion about acceptance of others, or the lack of it, in many cases.

A student who appears different than you on the outside because of elements such as nationality, clothing, taste in music and other factors, might be experiencing the exact same feelings beneath the exterior, he said.

Shay Mandel shares his thoughts about what it’s like to be a student with autism at Aliso Niguel High School during a Creating a Community of Care assembly featuring motivational speaker Keith Hawkins.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

Hawkins said self-doubt “is that little thing that you have in your head that keeps lying to you. Self-doubt is that thing that keeps telling you nobody understands. Nobody knows what you’re going through. You’ll walk around not trusting anyone.”

Self-doubt causes students to compare themselves to each other in every possible way, he said.

“I cannot place a lot of energy in people judging me,” he said. “I cannot put a lot of energy at those who are going to talk about me. I’ve got to figure out in my life, what is permanent versus what is temporary. When you start to figure that out, you don’t put all this energy into things that are temporary.”

The administration had been planning for Hawkins to lead an assembly at the school since about February, Hatcher said.

Motivational speaker Keith Hawkins gives instructions as Aliso Niguel High School students pair off and take to the gym floor during an exercise as part of a Creating a Community of Care assembly on April 25.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

The principal also said Hawkins’ appearance was only the first in a series of initiatives and programs that will be implemented over time.

“Our multicultural work on campus and creating an environment where students feel welcome is multi-layered so this was just kind of a kickoff,” Hatcher said. “We didn’t want to wait until the beginning of next year. This is so important to us and the entire staff is supporting. We just really wanted to give our students the time to be able to talk to each other.

Whether the assemblies would lead to positive change will take time to determine, he said.

“They’re listening, Hatcher said. “The true test is to see how it transpires over time. It’s not just a one-day thing. I think the students are starting to get the message that we value this as a school. I value this as principal. This is just one step. We are going to continue the conversation in different ways.”