Brian White recounts success story | Old Gold & Black

Life rarely goes as?planned, and nobody understands this better than Brian White.

On Oct. 9th, Brian White, actor, entrepreneur, youth activist and former athlete, spoke to a receptive student body as the latest installment of the Journeys to Success speaker series.

Juliet Beckstrand/Old Gold & Black

Currently traveling the nation as an inspirational speaker and as the founder of Black Carpenter, a youth philanthropic initiative, White impressed with his incredibly eclectic background, warm personality and sound words of advice.

The son of former NBA star Jo Jo White, White graduated from Dartmouth University in 1997, where he double-majored in Political Science and Philosophy while playing football and lacrosse. Despite signing contracts with both the New England Patriots of the NFL and the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League, White?s athletic career was cut short by a hamstring injury.

However, rather than allowing this injury to end his ambition as well as his pro-athlete career, White took a 48-hour break at his parent?s house before travelling to Wall Street to try his hand in stock brokerage. His plan paid dividends as he quickly restored his financial stability, in conjunction with his foray into Hollywood acting.

White has played roles in both television shows and films, most notable for his roles in Stomp the Yard, Men of a Certain Age, Mr. 3000 and The Cabin in the Woods.

White?s triumph despite tribulations provides the foundation for his most important message to the audience.

?There is no end game in life,? White said. ?Life is all about the journey.?

White argued that while the definitions of success vary, success is never truly achieved because no one should ever finish improving.

Indeed, despite his undeniable accomplishments, White applies this philosophy to his own life. ?I am still not a success,? he said.

In stressing continuous self-improvement, White implored students to ?never take anything at face value? and emphasized that ?learning does not just take place inside the classroom.?

Students marveled at White?s eloquence and sense of humor.

Sophomore Femi-Ann Balogun noted, ?He was very inspiring and I love the fact that he?s humble about his background and can still relate to students.?

Sophomore Alexis Moore agreed. ?His story about success from failure encourages us to stay focused, especially at Wake Forest where many of us experience our first failures.?

If?university?students learn to handle adversity as well as Brian White has, they?re undoubtedly bound for success, if not a career as diverse and unpredictable as his has been.

Source: http://oldgoldandblack.com/?p=23411

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