‘Don’t give up’

Loyal speaker spreads message of hope

If there was one thing Terrence Talley wanted students from Loyal and Greenwood to get out of his presentation, it was: “Don’t give up.”

In a time when students and teachers have been struggling with adversity of all types, Talley had come to Loyal to inspire hope and strength to those who were struggling. While simple, his message to them of “Don’t give up,” was about letting the audience know that they were not alone, that there were people who cared for them, and to take care of each other in the face of difficulties.

The Milwaukee native was at the Loyal School District on March 6, giving separate presentations to the Loyal elementary, middle school, and Loyal and Greenwood high school students during school hours that day. He also spoke later that night in a presentation to the Loyal community.

Each time he spoke, the message had a powerful impact. The conclusion of his speech to the high school students left many in tears as they hugged their teachers at the program’s end. Talley said life has been difficult for both students and teachers alike in the past few years, and everyone needs to know they have friends and support.

“I want you all to come down and give each other a hug,” he said. “Make sure you know that there is someone who cares about you. That you matter. You are doing a good job. They may not say it or show it, but you are making a difference.”

Talley spent an hour talking to the high school students of Loyal and Greenwood, first loosening up the crowd of students with an impromptu dance performance by volunteering teachers. After that, his lesson began.

“I want to talk to you about one thing,” he said. “If there is one thing that I want you to leave here today with is that you don’t give up.”

In the next 45 minutes, Talley shared his experiences with numerous teenagers across the country. As he has traveled the U.S. for the past 12 years to deliver his message, he said it is not difficult for him to find someone who has been hit hard by life. Taking the time to reach out to them, he said, can make all the difference.

“Some of you in this room are on the verge. As you walked in here today, some of you totally shut down,” he said. “But I am doing this, the reason we’re here right now is because there is someone who cares about you... There was a boy earlier today from the junior high presentation who walked up to me and goes, ‘I hope my sister hears this today.’ I don’t know who that sister was, but I want her to know that there are people who care about her. I’m not here for everyone, but I am here for someone in this room. One thing you have to know is don’t give up.”

For many kids, Talley said it can be very easy to feel alone and that society is letting them fall through the cracks. Talley has met many kids who had such struggles over the years. A girl who always smiled, despite cutting herself; a boy who was on the verge of committing suicide; another boy who had to work every day after school, despite his young age, to feed his hungry family;

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and another girl who was denied affection from her mother because she was “too old to be a baby.” All those kids were hurting in different ways, but because someone reached out and let them know they weren’t alone, they were able to find a way to get through their darkest times.

“You can help someone else have hope,” he said. “These kind of things happen to all of us... they may not listen to me, but they will listen to you. Make sure they know you care and that they can do this.”

Sometimes, Talley said, it can be difficult to tell if a person is having a hard time. Masks that people create for themselves can hide their struggles very well. In the cases of some of those other kids he has met, Talley said others thought the kid was just acting weird, or were scary and unapproachable, or they didn’t even notice the child’s pain. But the pain is still there, and those who are struggling should not be afraid to remove their mask and let someone in.

“Some of you are very good at giving big smiles, but you’re hiding a lot. You can find yourself keeping up this facade, but you don’t have to keep up this facade for someone to like you,” he said. “The older you get, the more you wear a mask, the more you feel you have to keep that mask on. I would hate for you to feel like you have to do that for the rest of your life.”

Looking out over the crowd of students and teachers, Talley said it would be impossible for him to know each and every struggle that a person is going through. But he knows that life has been hard for so many in different ways. They need to stay strong and refuse to give up.

“I’m sorry for the person in here right now that feels they don’t have a future,” he said. “But don’t give up. That feeling you have when you feel like you’re drowning? You’re not drowning, you’re fighting.”

Terrence Talley (left) dances alongside some teachers at the start of his March 6 presentation.

Terrence Talley (right) directs a portion of his speech to the teachers from the Loyal and Greenwood School Districts during his high school presentation March 6. He thanked the teachers for the work they have put in to teach their students and encouraged them to keep making a difference in their student’s lives.

Students from the Loyal and Greenwood High Schools exchange hugs with their teachers at the end of Terrence Talley’s presentation. The two groups not only gave each other hugs, but also handshakes, fist bumps and other gestures of support and thanks.

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTOS