Former president of India inspires students
Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, April 15, 2010
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A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a former president of India, encouraged students to pursue their dreams in math and science.
A former head of state offered sage yet simple advice to Fayette County high school students: “Excellence is not by accident – it’s a process. Work on your dreams with focus, and do not get deterred by failures,” A.P.J. Abdul Kalam told the crowd gathered at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
Kalam, who was the 11th president of India from 2002 to 2007, is a renowned scientist and engineer as well. He spoke to a couple hundred students representing each of the five high schools about the “Importance of Math, Science and Technology for a Brighter Future.” A live Webcast of his April 8 speech was available to schools across Kentucky.
Kalam discussed discoverers and their discoveries, inventors and their inventions, and how they have impacted society – including well-known figures like Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers as well as international experts in physics and number theory.
“Dream to have this type of mind and intellectual capacity,” he urged the students, citing the power of creativity, initiative and perseverance. “Education gives you wings to fly!”
The approach clicked with the teenagers in the audience.
“His examples proved math and science are useful in the real world,” said Nickolas Graczyk, a junior at Bryan Station High School. “Math and science create the basis of our modern world. And as long as our current generation continues to focus, we can benefit the world.”
Bryan Station classmate Jasmine Brown added that people sometimes take conveniences for granted, so Kalam’s message was a poignant reminder.
“It helps us appreciate the value of math and science and to continue asking more and never stop questioning things,” she said.
Before taking the stage, the 78-year-old Kalam spoke with a handful of Paul Laurence Dunbar students who shared a little about their senior projects in the school’s Math, Science & Technology Center program. Rahul Joseph, for instance, talked about his research on aging and its effects on the brain.
Students from special programs in the other schools also came for the speech, representing the pre-engineering program at Lafayette High, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Tates Creek High, the Academy of Information Technology at Bryan Station High and the Liberal Arts Academy at Henry Clay High School. Members of Stu’s Crew, a group of teens that advises Superintendent Stu Silberman, also attended.
Silberman and Dunbar principal Anthony Orr welcomed Kalam, who was also greeted by school board members Melissa Bacon and Kirk Tinsley, and high school director Mike McKenzie.
Rahul, who introduced Kalam to students waiting in the auditorium, anticipated the speech would “inspire the next generation of scholars and scientists.” And he was not disappointed.
“He took a broader approach and related science to personal growth and the advancement of the human race,” Rahul said afterward. “He really showed science is an integral part of life. It should inspire you to make each day count in achieving goals, whatever they might be.”