By Diane Zhang
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
On Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22, Rim High students flocked to the New Gym for what seemed like any other assembly. Waiting for them stood Keith Hawkins, a professional speaker who travels the globe delivering messages of self-empowerment, inclusivity and understanding.
“I’ve been doing professional youth speaking for 28 years,” Hawkins said. “When I was 17 years old, I heard a speaker talk, and he said something that I said today: It’s not just the stuff on the outside that makes you who you are, it’s the stuff on the inside.”
Keith Hawkins guides students through teamwork challenges.
Hawkins spoke to Rim High students about the importance of unity and created a safe space where students could voluntarily express struggles they may face in their lives, whether it be grades, family or perhaps even the recent loss of a loved one.
He emphasized the longevity of life, and how high school is but one brief moment of a person’s entire life. Comparing the vast length of the New Gym to a person’s entire life span, Keith took one footstep forward.
“That’s how long your high school life is,” he said, pointing at the mere two feet he traveled. In this context, the current challenges in a high schooler’s life seem much more inconsequential. There are always more opportunities for happiness, and high school is not the be-all and end-all of a person’s life; Hawkins summarized that perfectly with a single step forward.
Hawkins’ sincere outreach to the approximately 900 students of Rim High left a deep impression on many. Following his speech, many students crawled down from the stands to greet him and exchange hugs.
“Life is hard, but you’re still here,” Hawkins said. “Don’t ever be ‘most people.’ Just be yourself!”
Following his speech on March 21, on that same day, he trained select Rim High students on guiding the sophomore class through the second phase of the Days of Understanding, which would take place the next day. Designated as “team leaders,” the 25 or so Rim High students were instructed on how to lead the sophomore students through a series of activities and challenges geared toward creating a culture of openness and acceptance.
Team leaders guide student testimonies about their experiences at Rim High School.
On March 22, the team leaders were ready to lead their own small groups of five to six sophomores through the Days of Understanding program. Sophomore students poured through the doors of the New Gym as team leaders cheered and guided them to the center of the gym. After a short dance break between the team leaders and sophomores to break the ice, sophomores were led into their assigned groups with two team leaders at the helm of each.
The team leaders guided their respective groups through a series of challenges, beginning with the “Straw Challenge,” in which students delicately balanced straws on each other’s hands and accomplished tasks without dropping the straws. This icebreaker challenge allowed the students to warm up to each other. After roughly four more challenges, the students ended with the “Paper Tear” challenge, where each student could voice out some of their concerns and inner struggles with their fellow peers.
This created a safe discussion space where students could realize the true message of the Days of Understanding: “I hope you guys walk away understanding that you are not alone. In this journey of life, this journey of high school, the times you think that you are alone is that little thing in our head called self-doubt, which isolates us and makes us feel alone,” Hawkins said.
“There are 900 kids at this school, and I want each of you to know that when you come here, we see you, and we are here for you. We are all in this together.”
And thus, Rim High’s first ever Days of Understanding drew to an end. Hawkins concluded the event by saying, “I will leave today. You guys stay. This is not about a speaker. This is about Rim. This is about you guys. Take care of and support each other, forgive and help each other. By doing so, we can create a culture at this school where people can thrive!”
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