On February 15, 2024, youth speaker Laymon Hicks came to Taylor Middle School to entertain and inform us about never giving up. Laymon talked about his life stories, each including a life lesson in them. Laymon came to motivate us and put smiles on our faces. He told all of his listeners that they are the bomb.com!

As a kid, Laymon bullied others and instigated fights. He was the type of kid who would pull down his pants and cause trouble within the school. He later realized that he wanted a better life for himself and yet his path remained difficult. Laymon then tells a story about cheating on a test when he was in highschool. Laymon had his finals and didn’t study so he decided to cheat. His teacher passed out the test papers and accidentally gave Laymon the answer sheet. Laymon raises his hand and tells the teacher about the answer sheet but forgot about his cheat sheet under the paper. He got caught cheating and was kicked out of his highschool’s National Honor Society. Laymon says he suffered from depression and wanted to give up. Laymon suddenly remembered something his grandma told him. “When you fall down, you get back up.” This quote inspired Laymon to keep pushing forward. His determination helped him push forward and he eventually graduated his highschool as the only African American male student in his class with over a 4.0 GPA. His success led him to enroll as a student at the Florida State University. After his cheating incident, Laymon learned a lesson which he shared with others. He said, “Get up, Get out, and Go Get it!” This quote taught others to pursue their dreams and work hard for what they desire. 

Laymon then tells another story about the time when he went to the Santa Cruz beach with his friends. He was on a break and his friends invited him to go to the beach with them. Laymon had never been to the beach before so this was a first for him. When he arrived at the beach, he was amazed by the things he saw. He saw carnival rides and games. He wasn’t dressed for the proper weather so he came to the beach in a suit and tie. Laymon noticed a man who was dressed in long sleeves and thought to himself, “Man this guy is weird.” The man approached him and that’s when he realized that he too, was wearing a suit. The man came to Laymon and asked him for advice since he was going through some tough times. As Laymon talked to the man, a bird pooped on him. He was embarrassed by the whole situation but decided to remain calm about it. He didn’t want something so little to ruin his day. He quickly cleaned up and told the man to push through and never give up. The man later emails Laymon after he took Laymon’s advice and told Laymon he saved his life. The lesson of the story is that there is always someone who cares about you. 

In the middle of the presentation, a student was messing around on the balcony when Laymon was entertaining the crowd. Laymon called the student down to the front of the auditorium. He told the student that he was ruining the presentation for everyone and had him sit in the front where Laymon could keep an eye on him. Later, Laymon asked the student to stand up. Laymon had noticed that the student had a phone in his pocket. He asked the student to call someone he cares about and tell them he appreciates them. The student called his mom in front of everyone and told her how much he appreciated her. The entire scene was very emotional and caused the audience to tear up. 

Here is a picture of the student calling his mom and telling her how much he appreciates her.