CANTON — Superintendent Derek Folan and Principal Jeffrey Sperling are pleased to announce that former Boston Celtic and well-known inspirational speaker Chris Herren spoke to students at Canton High School recently.
One Tuesday, Sept. 20, Herren spoke to all 11th- and 12th-grade students as part of a special assembly put on in part by the Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA). CHS faculty and members of CAASA were also in attendance.
The assembly began with a video chronicling Herren’s life. Titled “The First Day,” it showed Herren from his childhood to his time growing up as a star basketball player at Durfee High School in Fall River, to ultimately playing college basketball and being drafted into the NBA. The video chronicles, through first-hand accounts and interviews with friends, family and coaches, how Herren eventually fell into substance use and addiction and the effects it had on his basketball career and life.
Herren then spoke to the students, and explained that his message wasn’t to simply “not do drugs” as they’ve heard before. He explained how discussions on addiction usually only start on the “worst” day, but that it is more important to talk about the “first” day — where and when addiction starts.
“I was once in the same exact spot you are in, sitting in my high school gym listening to the ‘drugs and alcohol’ assembly, and just like some of you I wanted to skip this talk,” Herren told students. “That’s not the talk I’m going to give you today.”
Herren used his own experiences as a way to connect with students, asking them to consider their own stories and how their decisions impact what is going on in their lives both in school and at home.
Herren used what he described as “brutal honesty” when speaking to students, and in addition to speaking about substance use he also touched on school bullying, depression, and the importance of looking after your friends and family members. He closed by talking about his own children and how he’s just as honest with them when it comes to their lives and the importance of the choices they make early in life.
“Our hope is that Chris’ talk resonates with students in one way or another, and that they challenge themselves to really listen to the message he delivers,” said Principal Sperling, who knew Herren from their time growing up together. “Our students should know that it’s perfectly OK to be uncomfortable or to struggle with these types of discussions. That’s really the whole point of Chris’ talk. It’s things all students their age really benefit from hearing.”
Copies of books about Herren are also available for students at the Canton High library, including Fall River Dreams, a book about the Durfee High basketball team that featured Herren and his teammates, as well as Basketball Junkie, Herren’s firsthand account of his personal struggles and road to recovery.
For more information, visit herrentalks.com.
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