For the hundreds of students at Hillsborough Community College’s “Black, Brown and College Bound” summit, it’s all about pushing minority males to choose higher education and to graduate.
“A part of you has to want it,” said student Java Royal, 22.
Royal is a first generation college student and wants to finish for his family.
“I looked at my surroundings and told myself I don’t want to live in this situation and I want to be a good example for the other kids around me,” said Royal.
That’s the message NBA star and business mogul Earvin “Magic” Johnson shared with students at the summit.
“They should be saying OK I can do it, I can do this,” said Johnson.
Statistics show many minority males enroll in college but only a few graduate.
That’s a statistic Hillsborough Community College and the summit wants to turn around.
“I want these young men to know that they can do the same thing, they’ve just got to educated themselves and go for it,“ said Johnson.
Royal plans to do exactly what Magic says.
He has his eyes on the goal of graduating in the spring and says he’ll only look back to empower others.
“I would like to be up there saying look at what I accomplished even with my circumstances and you can do the same exact thing,” said Royal.
Magic Johnson was just one of the many speakers at the summit.
The summit runs through February 15th at the Tampa Marriott Waterside.