Featured Speaker
Carlos Ojeda, Jr
He’s been called one of the most dynamic speakers under thirty in America today. The remarkable journey of his life began in the streets of Newark, New Jersey and later to Reading, Pennsylvania where his immigrant parents saw opportunities for themselves and for their first generation Puerto Rican children. Growing up proved to be a difficult task, particularly school. Not understanding his socio-economic and cultural background, many of his high school teachers told him he would never amount to anything. One teacher once called him, “the greatest piece of garbage he had ever seen.” Yet his drive, passion and dreams led him to overcome those obstacles and pursue a career of life learning and educational success, being the first person in his family to graduate from college with honors. His experiences have led him to always remind Latino youth to, “never, ever, ever let anyone tell you who you are or what you will become. That’s your destiny to fulfill, no one else’s.”
His mission to live life completely and passionately is only rivaled by his desire to share his message. Because of this he has become a published writer, poet and speaker. His ability to extend the touch of mere spoken words, to transform them into powerful thought-provoking, emotionally charged commentaries about life, education and society have been highly praised from print media to public radio after his first speaking engagement as the Keynote speaker at the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition Conference in 1997. Like his praises, he continues to represent a model of transformational leadership throughout the community, speaking on issues of education, empowerment, and progress.
He lives his life according to the saying, “life is not measured by the breaths that you take, but rather by the moments in life that take your breath away.” And adds to it by proclaiming, “it doesn’t matter how long you live, it matters what you do while you live.” It is his belief that human progress comes through the determined efforts to promote education, social activism and entrepreneurism in our youths. According to him, “every second that you live, every breath that you take, is a second and a breath that you have to turn it all around.” He sees now as the time to transform the youth into leaders of today, not tomorrow.
Ernesto Mejia
Ernesto Mejia, the proud son of Mexican immigrants, is a true example of the American dream. Diagnosed with the rare disease of Guillain-Barré Syndrome at the age of 16 that left him temporarily paralyzed, he was not supposed to be a successful student, much less a College Dean of Students. Through his hardships, Ernesto learned to never give up on life.
As a Latino in the USA, Mejia had to learn to navigate two entirely different worlds and live in two completely different cultures. Like many minorities, Mejia learned at an early age that racism and prejudice are still alive and well. He shares his experiences with audiences to help them overcome discrimination. Today, Mejia stands strong as an educated, professional Latino that never apologizes for his success or his roots.
With a full ride to Eastern Michigan University, Mejia fell victim to the lifestyle of partying. After three semesters, Mejia lost all of his financial aid and was dismissed. To return to school, Mejia had to pay back what he partied away. He finally decided to take school seriously. So, to finish his degree, he worked full-time, bartended part-time, and took 18 credit hours for two straight semesters. Mejia tells his story in efforts to help others learn from his mistakes.
Several years later, Mejia earned his Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership with a focus on Higher Education. He soon started to climb the ranks of administration at several colleges. On the track to becoming a college president, Mejia chose to pursue his own personal dream of motivating young people to enroll in college. Mejia speaks on the importance of finding the strength and confidence to follow one’s dreams; he hopes to make a difference in the world by helping one person at a time to realize their potential.
Mejia has been speaking formally and informally to youth for over ten years and is a mentee of Motivational Speaker Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch. From being a student in one of her speeches, to following in her footsteps of being a role model and a servant leader, Mejia has become one of the most inspirational speakers our youth has seen. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mejia now lives in Chicago, Illinois with his lovely wife, Laura, and their two children.