He came. He spoke. Then, he left. But while he was here in Chino Hills, he touched the lives of thousands.
On Tuesday, February 19th, Soroptimist International Chino Hills/Inland Empire sponsored Tyler Durman, a popular high school and motivational speaker to speak to about 400 students at Ayala and the entire student body at Chino Hills High School. Tyler entertained them with his fun and casual speaking style, but his message provided them serious insight to share their life's troubles with trusted people instead of burying heavy feelings inside. With permission of past counseling clients, Tyler shared stories of teens that avoided painful feelings and how doing so was destructive in their lives. Through these stories, though, he also shared hope. He closed each session by saying that everyone writes their own story by the choices they make; every story, no matter how badly it began, doesn't have to end that way.
That evening, Soroptimist International of Chino Hills/Inland Empire also hosted "Girls' Night Out--Be the Real You." Held at Chino Hills High School, the event invited mothers and their daughters between 8th and 12th grades to listen to the uplifting words from Tyler. In his talk, he expanded his earlier themes to describe how love and respect are at the heart of relationships between men and women, while educating the ladies about the inherent differences between the genders. He made it lovingly clear to the girls and their mothers that they all should live by their own values and standards, while not using the attention of others, including men, as a means to validate themselves.
The night included opening remarks from City Council Member Ed Graham, with introductions by Soroptimist Grace Capps. Chick-fil-A supported the event by donating food trays for the evening's refreshments in the "Meet and Greet" portion of the evening, just prior to Tyler's speech. Non-profit groups were also invited to provide information on their causes. In attendance were Soroptimist Chino Hills/Inland Empire, The Let It Be Foundation, Carbon Canyon Women's Club, The Sheepfold, The Women's Care Center, and the Chino Hills High Spiritleaders' Book Drive Collection.
Approximately 150 mothers and daughters from the community attended. Many girls were so impressed by Tyler during the school assemblies that they came back with their mothers to hear him that night. Many said they were touched by his message and wondered if he could come back next year. Soroptimist Brenda Rojas, a mother with grown children of her own, said that she wished she had heard him when she was a teenager.
Grace Capps introduced the idea of bringing Tyler to Chino Hills. "I met Tyler Durman at a student leadership conference and wondered why he hadn't spoken to the high schools in Chino Hills. He obviously connects with kids." After learning that it was difficult for the schools to bring him in due to budget constraints, Grace proposed the idea to Soroptimist International of Chino Hills/Inland Empire. "They embraced the idea and supported the concept wholeheartedly," said Ms. Capps. "Our mission as Soroptimists is to improve the lives of women and girls. We brought Tyler to Chino Hills to affect lives." And, on that day, he did.
For more information on Tyler Durman, see his website at www.bswisdom.com.
and is not a part of nor affiliated with the City of Chino Hills.