One day at five o'clock in the morning Rick Little fell asleep at the wheel of his car. The car flew over a ten-foot embankment and crashed into a tree. The next six months, Rick spent in the hospital, treating a broken spine. Free time Rick was enough, and he often thought about life. Rick made a conclusion is this: Thirteen years of study proved to be unnecessary and had not prepared him to address the problems encountered in real life.
Two weeks after discharge from the hospital, Rick came home and found his mother lying on the floor in a semi-conscious state: she took an overdose of sleeping pills. Rick again convinced of the correctness of its output - in school can help people solve important problems of life. The school does not prepare young people for adulthood.
The following months Rick has devoted the creation of an educational course, which would help young people develop a proper self-esteem, learn to communicate with people and provide skills for resolving conflicts. Being engaged in their educational program, Rick found out that there is a National Institute of Education, which trains thousands of thirty students. Rick knew that. question whether they helped in the life of education they received in high school, eighty percent of students responded negatively.
These thirty students were asked what they would like to learn. The majority answered: the ability to communicate with other people, that is, how to learn to live with normal people with whom you live under one roof. Also, the students wanted to learn how to choose the right job and do it well, and be able to settle conflicts, to become good parents, right to educate their children, to be able to handle money wisely, to understand the meaning of life.
Inspired by the creation of their own training program, Rick dropped out of college, he began to travel around the country and ask questions the students of secondary schools. He interviewed more than two thousand students, and the questions were:
1. What would you like to learn what knowledge can be useful in your everyday life in the future?
2. Select ten key issues that you just can not cope.
Rick was surprised by the fact that the responses of students were almost identical regardless of whether they studied in the rich private schools or in ordinary city, in the center or on the outskirts. Loneliness and low self-esteem - these are problems that were listed in the list at number one.
Within two months, Rick slept in his car, ate mostly crackers with peanut butter, and sometimes occurred days when Rick was not a crumb in his mouth. Rick had little money, but he lived the dream of creating an educational program that can facilitate people's lives.
Rick made a list of prominent educators and psychologists, has visited each of them, showed their program and asked to share their experiences and to support his endeavor. All of these teachers liked the program, Japan, and they promised him all possible assistance. However, they urged him:
"Rick, you're still too young. Go back to college. He received a degree, then graduated from the university, and only then grab for the educational program.
But Rick was not going to surrender. He was twenty years old, he sold the car, clothes, money borrowed from friends, but the means to implement the educational program still was not enough. Someone advised Rick to ask for help from a charitable educational fund.
The first call to the local branch of a disappointment Rica. Entering the office, Rick is very frightened. Vice-President of the Foundation - a man with a shock of black hair on his head - Rick met with a stony expression on his face. A quarter of an hour he sat without uttering a word until Rick told him about his mother's car accident and two thousand young people who are already studying how to live correctly and solve their problems. But how many more students in need of such a course ...
When Rick finished his story, the vice-president, with a sigh, said:
- Young man, I work in a charity fund for nearly twenty years. I have seen many such programs. And they were all doomed to failure. And your program will meet the same fate. Why? Because you're still very young, you have no life experience, money, even a diploma, a college education. You do not have anything!
Disappointed, Rick left the office fund, vowing to prove the vice president that he is wrong. Rick began to learn what other organizations are involved in youth programs. He spent a few months, sending their proposals to the various funds, which could give him a grant to implement them. Rick never lost hope, but the stability of the failures. After the fifty-fifth сто Rick dropped his hands, and he realized that his dream, obviously, never be realized.
Rick's parents urged him to return to college, and Ken Green, a teacher, left his job to help Rick, said:
- Rick, I have no money, but you have to feed the family. If the latter fund to which you sent the request, deny us, I go back to Toledo and again'll do the teaching.
So, Rick has remained one last chance. He was supposed to meet for lunch with Dr. Russ Moby, president of Kellogg. Going to lunch, Moby and Rick stopped at a tray with ice cream.
- You like ice cream? - Asked Moby.
Rick nodded in response. They bought ice cream, but Rick was so nervous he had not noticed, as melted chocolate ice cream dribbling down between his fingers. Rick hoped that the doctor did not notice that Moby, but he certainly saw, laughed and gave the young man a paper napkin.
When Rick sat in the car, his face glowing with shame and anger at himself. How he dares to ask a lot of money for an educational program, which can not even accurately eat ice cream?
Moby called two weeks later.
- You asked for the development of its program of 55 000 dollars, but the board of trustees voted against - he said.
Rick was almost in tears. For two years he has strived to achieve its goal, and now it's all over!
- However, - continued Moby - The Board of Trustees decided to allocate to you on the development of programs 130 000 dollars.
From Rick burst into tears of happiness and excitement could not even really like to thank Dr. Moby.
Since that time Rick Little has earned 100 090 000 dollars, realized his dream. Its educational program operates in more than 30 000 schools in 50 states and 32 countries. Three million teenagers a year learn how to live and to solve important problems that they face.
In 1989, the incredible success of Rick Little has provided him receive a second grant for the creation of a new, now an international educational program, which will be implemented throughout the world. The sum amounted to 65,000,000 dollars - the largest grant in the history of the United States.
Rick Little's life - an example of fortitude, dedication and desire in whatever was to carry out their dreams.
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