Can $1,000 Cash Motivate a Student to Succeed? Students from disadvantaged backgrounds received some cash to keep them focused on tomorrow.
By Timothy Sykes •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A few weeks ago, I visited People's Preparatory School in Newark, NJ, to talk with some of the school's top students about focusing on their passion. I spoke on subjects surrounding the importance of following your dreams, staying focused, and pursuing their passions in a world full of adversity. I took my words a step further by gifting each of the students I spoke to with $1,000 cash each to motivate them.
My goal in speaking to the students was to actually make them remember my speech! Hopefully $10k cash did the trick. Most of these kids have never seen that amount of cash in person before, and my hope was to motivate them to stay in school and continue to be high achievers to that they one day could be successful. The bottom line is that if you work hard and follow your dreams, the money will come. It can be hard to lose sight of the path to success, especially as a teenager in high school. Other challenges will always arise, but it's important to just keep pushing forward and keep yourself on a goal-oriented path.
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Following the Path to Success
I went through my fair share of challenges, and wasn't always successful. With determination and the right work ethic, I am now able to travel the world, continue to love what I do and inspire others to follow their dreams and do the same.
I've done well in the stock market, and I've enjoyed quite a bit of luxury in my life. Trust me, it's not the money, vacations or exotic cars that has made me the happiest. My recent involvement in charity has really helped me give my life a whole new meaning.
My primary goal in everything that I do is to inspire others to give back to causes they feel passionate about. I have found my passion through The Timothy Sykes Foundation where I am committed to building 1,000 schools worldwide to support global education opportunities. We already have 22 schools built in Laos, Ghana and Guatemala. Education is a passion of mine, and I have made it my personal mission to support education in communities that are in need of everyday resources. Last year I made a $1M donation to Pencils of Promise, and have supported this organization by continuing to further our mission of building schools globally, and empowering the students and teachers to further their education.
In order to be successful, you are going to hit bumps in the road, and that's okay. Embrace the journey, learn from others who pave the path to success, and you will find triumph in your own passions.
Related: 10 Ways to Motivate Yourself When You're Really Not Feeling It
