Students at Emerson J. Dillon Middle School were recently inspired by guest speaker Jeff Yalden, who encouraged them to make good choices and be resilient.

Yalden, a motivational speaker who tours the country sharing his story of tragedy and triumph, connected with the students as he told his story. He noted that his life circumstances were challenging, but he continued to rise to the occasion.

“Becoming the victor and not the victim in life is a choice that we make every day,” Yalden said. “Wake up, get up, dress up and show up.”

Students were engaged as Yalden recounted some of his most heartbreaking moments and they were inspired by his resiliency and persistence. He admitted to making bad choices at times and urged the audience to think of the potential consequences of their actions.

“The four Ts are so important: take time to think,” Yalden said.

His visit was part of Red Ribbon Week at EJD, which encouraged students to make good choices and increases awareness of the dangers associated with drugs and alcohol.