Written by Newspaper Staff Reporter Derek Oliveros

On Friday, January 14th, Allatoona had the pleasure of hosting motivational speaker, Kit Cummings, where he expressed concepts found in his book, Protect the Dream, to the freshman and sophomore students at Allatoona. Cummings looks to use his experience in conflict resolving to bring change to prisons, rehab centers, and schools. Over his lengthy career of public speaking, he has “worked with over ten thousand prisoners and over ten thousand kids.” He has recognized the importance of bringing his message to schools and the new generation of youth, saying that “one way or another, they will change the world, and they will lead us one day.” Cummings stresses the fact that “we must invest in them and show them their beauty, brilliance, and potential,” knowing the impact that Generation Z will have on the world in the future. Allatoona Assistant Principal Christian Barnes agrees with Cummings’ view on the younger Allatoona students, stating that “Our focus was 9th and 10th grade in the assembly,” also adding that “since they have been out of school the longest, we thought that this would get them to focus and be back on track.” 

As said previously, Cummings’ discussed topics from his book, Protect the Dream, which urges kids to break their unhealthy habits and gain the tools to not only reach, but exceed their goals. Allatoona Principal Mrs. Candace Wilkes added that “part of our process as teachers and leaders is always to think beyond academics,” and spoke on the importance of, “go[ing] beyond just academics with students because we want [our students] to be well rounded individuals.” It is safe to say that the assembly accomplished its goal in inspiring the youth to begin thinking of the future. Tenth grader Benjamin Blocker said that “the assembly gave me a message that you should always think about how the now can affect your future”, especially because of “how Kit Cummings was very energetic.” Ninth grade student Micah Wetterhan expressed how “the assembly made me realize the impact that a young and impressionable person can have on the world.”  

Cummings was able to get his point across to the Allatoona students thanks to his ability to make his words reach a broad audience. Ninth grade student Sarah Grace McDowell talked about how she “took away a lot of life lessons, and it not only benefited me, but it benefited all types of people at school.” Many of the teachers who attended the assembly were able to appreciate Cummings’ ability to reach the entire student population; Mrs. Szatkowski mentioning that “his personal struggles might have been things that the students were able to relate to and could maybe take something away from his success story,” and Mrs. Forbes appreciating that, “Mr. Cummings really did understand them, and it was nice for our students to see that adults do get them.”  

Kit Cummings’ extensive experience in bringing change and his ability to be relatable to the students is sure to have an impact on the Allatoona students who attended the assembly, and we are proud to have said that we were able to have him speak here at Allatoona.