Edwin Link: Between Hope and Fear
By Ben Gross

After a short vacation for the winter holidays, Grady Talks returned to the halls of Atlanta’s Grady High School with a presentation by Edwin Link, Director of Program Management at the Young Audiences Woodruff Arts Center. Link began by sharing what seemed, at first, like a somewhat out of place message: young people don’t always listen to what adults have to say!

To illustrate the point, Link told the class that when he was a kid, he really wanted to be a fireman. If the adult Edwin had traveled back in time and told his younger self that he wouldn’t be a fireman, Link said he never would have believed it. Still, Link is not a fireman and he loves his job. Thus, Link promised not to get bogged down by specifics that may or may not resonate with the students. Instead, he shared a general rule of thumb – almost a philosophy – that he has developed over the course of his life: the need to maintain balance on the “Hope/fear continuum.”

All of us feel fear, and all of us are hopeful of certain outcomes, Link stated. He continued: when we make decisions, our hope and fear play a role. The secret to good decision-making is to always ask yourself before making an important decision: “Where am I on the hope/ fear continuum?” According to Link, decisions made out of fear amount to inaction and missed opportunities, whereas decisions made strictly out of hope are often impractical. Balance on the hope fear continuum, Link explained, ensures that we can follow our dreams but also have practical and realizable goals.

Link also shared a story from his adolescence with the students. In his first year of high school, Link was a D student and the faculty had all but given up on him. In his sophomore year he was placed in a remedial English class. After a few weeks of school, a student threw a chair at the teacher (which luckily did not hit her, but did destroy the blackboard). That was Link’s “Aha” moment. “I’m not in school to be in classrooms with dented blackboards and crying teachers,” he thought to himself. But when Link went to the guidance counselor to ask to leave the remedial class, the counselor said: “You’re Edwin Link, D student.” Link had been labeled. People expected him to play his part. They expected him to get Ds. It’s hard to overcome expectations, Link continued, especially when they’re negative; but it’s never too late.

Labels are not permanent, no matter what anyone says. He told the students: your life is always yours, and you’re free to take it in whatever direction you please. Link eventually did convince the guidance counselor to remove him from the remedial class, and, despite the labels, he improved his grades and became an accomplished student.

Woodruff Art Center’s Edwin Link recently spoke at Grady High School as part of The Grady Talks Program and received high praise from the students.  Check out his entire 37 minute presentation and read the student comments below!

• You are my favorite presenter. What you said about balance really stood out to me.  I completely agree that living your life in any extreme, being it fear or hope, is not the best thing to do.
• I took what you said to heart.  You asked us to write down our hopes and fears and surprisingly, I’ve never been asked to do that before. Thank you for sharing your story.
• You are the best presenter we’ve had. You have a gift for working with people. Your concepts and ideas are easily understood and very effective.
• I liked your perspective on hope and fear.  I think this outlook will help me make holistic decisions in life.
• The presentation was remarkable and very informative. The balance between fear and hope is important and you really have to be in between both.
• Thank you for sharing your ways on decision making. Hopefully it is not patented, because I will be using it.
• Your speech was amazing.  I am inspired and encouraged.  I encourage you to keep speaking to our generation and make an impact on peoples lives just like you have do for me.
• I really enjoyed your presentation and found it most inspiring.
• The information that you shared was eye-opening.  I learned that I should know what I don’t know and explore every option and career.
• The information that you shared was eye-opening.  I learned that I should know what I don’t know and explore every option and career.
• I learned some valuable information today and a better perspective for my future.
• Today was a good day due to the fact that you came to speak with us.
• Your talk was very enlightening and taught me to try different activities.
• You give me hope to know that other people who slack a little in school can make a good life.  I’m looking forward to the future.
• I really enjoyed your presentation.
• You are pretty cool.   I like the continuum, it made me re-evaluate some of the choices that I will be making about my future.
• Thanks Mr. Link, it was great, the best one yet!

Edwin Link: Know What You Don’t Know from Grady Talks on Vimeo

Don Cornwell: Top Ten List for Career Success
by Ben Gross

A previous speaker told us that we all have an inner genius, a personal set of skills that makes us unique, which helps us find work that we enjoy and in which we excel.

So, how do we know what our inner genius is?  For some of us, that’s easy.  We may have been playing golf since we were 3 or solving complex differential equations before we knew that the Tooth Fairy didn’t exist.

Still, for a lot of us, finding our inner genius is a little bit more complicated.  That’s where Don Cornwell comes in.

Don is the Associate Director at the Emory University Career Center, and he spends his days working with college students to help them discover what it is that they will find rewarding as a career.

Don recently came to Grady High to speak with the students about the process of laying the groundwork for a successful career.  Don began by telling the students that he himself did not know what he wanted to do for a long time; he said that in his experience working with college students, it’s common not to “know what you want to be when you grow up.”  Don explained that even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, there are certain practices which will help guide you in the right direction.

Doing his best Dave Letterman imitation, Don presented the students with a Top Ten List for Career Success:

1.  Believe in yourself
2.  Become a life long learner
3.  Be ethical…in everything you do
4.  Listen to your heart
5.  Get experience
6.  Challenge yourself
7.  Appreciate diversity
8.  Build relationships, find mentors
9.  Make good grades/Do good work
10. Be a team player and develop leadership skills

And, he told the students to always keep an eye open for opportunities and to approach every situation with enthusiasm and dedication.  Don told the class: “if you do your best and make the most of every opportunity, one thing tends to lead to another and good things are never too far away.”

• Telling your story motivated me to be more serious about my education.
• The most important thing that I’ll always remember is never give up and listen to my heart.
• What really got my attention is that you overcame a bad lifestyle and that is inspiring for all of us.
• Your story and information was so helpful.Being a less than 3.0 student, you are proof that if you just put your mind to something and try hard, you can become someone.
• It was a very inspiring and enlightening story and it really inspired me to apply myself academically in order to achieve my goals in life.
• You were very inspirational and influential, thank you so much.
• Thank you for letting me realize you don’t have to choose what you want to do in a rush and that what you choose to do if you love it you won’t regret it.

Amani Channel: Imagine Your Future
By Ben Gross

The first key: Have a Mentor.  Amani found a mentor at his first jobin DC, who guided him and counseled him, and who has continued to provide himwith insight and advice.

Second:Do Whatever it Takes.  Amani toldthe students that he would not be where he is today had he not always focusedon putting himself entirely behind his work, and showing coworkers andemployers that he is ready, willing, and able to accomplish any task put beforehim.  No job is too small or toobig, no time commitments too demanding, and no project too difficult if you’repassionate about it and desire success, Amani said.

And third: Be the Best.  Amani shared the following advice his father once gave him:“If you’re not learning something new everyday, you’re doing somethingwrong!”  By doing his best work andalways focusing on ways to improve and learn, Amani told the students, he hasbeen able to always be the best person he can be.  With this attitude, he has been able to set his own goalsand reach them with confidence, knowing that good work and a positive attitudeare rewarded with personal fulfillment and positive career results.

Amani concluded by telling the studentsthat if they are confident in themselves and remain passionate about all thatthey do, they will find that they, too, can “go against the grain,” stand outfrom the ordinary, and accomplish anything that they put their minds to.

• I especially liked your point about staying positive and exuding positive energy.
• I feel that your presentation really helped me understand the essentials of working professionally.
• Thanks for everything you all have done for us.