Ashleigh Heaton
Editor-in-Chief
Video by Alex Smith, KCBY Special Features

On Monday, October 18, a handful of Coppell High School students, representing the several leadership organizations, filed in to the American Airlines Center to attend the annual Get Motivated! Business Seminar. What they learned there has impacted their lives and the school alike, a month later.

The main focus of the seminar was motivational speakers who rotated on and off the stage throughout the day. The most noteworthy speakers of the day included former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former First Lady Laura Bush, Hall of Fame ex-Cowboys players Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Steve Forbes and the most famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar.

Topics addressed throughout the day included personal financial management, spirituality in business, time management, team building, people skills and general “go get ‘em” pep talks. To say the least, there was plenty of advice to go around.

“If you always tell the truth and do the right thing, you will do well in your career,” said Ziglar. “You can have everything you want if you help other people get what they want.”

Smith, likewise, put a stress on honesty and integrity, while Giuliani said the main key was to be happy with your work.

“We all need a strategy to help fulfill our vision—listen to your inner calling,” Giuliani said. “Whatever you do in life, choose to have fun. Choose to enjoy work.”

CHS student groups represented at the event included Student Council, KCBY, Round-Up Yearbook and The Sidekick. Students in leadership roles were given executive tickets to the event by the CHS administration in hopes of inspiring these leaders to better the Coppell learning and extracurricular environment. The most drastic changes have been in the mindset of these teen leaders—even here on the Sidekick staff.

“A lot of the speakers I saw succeeded because they stuck to their path unwaveringly,” News Editor for The Sidekick senior Divya Kumar said. “It made me think about my goals on the staff, as an editor, and inspired me to be more focused in the newsroom. They demanded excellence in their lives, so why can’t I in the newspaper?”

The day was not just speakers and seminars, though. To keep participants entertained throughout the long day, the seminar featured short performances in-between speakers, from singers to a “quick change” circus act. Another notable in-between event was a dance-off, in which select members from the audience were asked to come on stage on compete for the audience’s approval in a dancing contest; the winner received an all-expenses paid trip to Disneyworld. The winner ended up being New Tech High @ Coppell senior Elliott Bell, who has not set a date for his trip, but anticipates it to be taken over one of the winter breaks.

“I was just on stage having fun,” Bell said. “I was basically shaking my booty, looking for laughs—I didn’t expect to win, but it was really cool that I did and I’m pumped for the trip.”

All in all, the trip proved to be a successful investment on CHS’ part. Whether it was a renovated outlook on leadership, a motivational boost, or a trip to Disneyworld, the Get Motivated! seminar benefitted the CHS campus and its students alike.