Final week, Harlem Academy’s Visiting Creator Collection welcomed Tony and Grammy Award-winning performer and bestselling writer Leslie Odom Jr., who will quickly reprise his function as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.”
Mr. Odom spoke with college students about his life, the significance of schooling, and his two books: “I Love You Extra Than You’ll Ever Know,” a touching ode to the bond between dad and mom and youngsters, and “Failing Up: Easy methods to Take Dangers, Goal Increased, and By no means Cease Studying,” a memoir charting his journey to success and insights on overcoming challenges, embracing failure, and pursuing goals.
Harlem Academy repeatedly seeks revolutionary methods to encourage college students to dwell its Faculty Creed, together with connecting them with leaders like Mr. Odom. “Leslie represents one thing we speak about typically at Harlem Academy – Black excellence,” says Assistant Head of Faculty Khaliah Adams-Joseph. “Which means displaying the world the energy, brilliance, creativity, and management that dwell in our neighborhood and in every considered one of our college students. It means giving your finest, studying out of your errors, and at all times attempting to develop, and Leslie reminds us that greatness comes whenever you by no means cease believing in what’s doable. We’re thrilled that our college students had been capable of spend time with him.”
Throughout his dialog with college students, Mr. Odom extolled the worth of studying. “To this present day, I imagine within the energy of schooling,” he instructed college students. “It’s the passport to your goals.” He additionally expressed his deep love of books and their capacity to make advanced concepts and emotions accessible, pointing to authors resembling Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and W.E.B. Du Bois. “Books are a means for us to spend time with these nice minds,” he mentioned.
Mr. Odom additionally defined that the title and overarching message of his memoir, “Failing Up,” symbolize the significance of taking massive swings in life, placing in each effort, and having the braveness to fail. “You at all times come out forward whenever you’re finding out, whenever you’re getting ready for one thing, whenever you’re attempting as laborious as you may. Whenever you actually give it your finest effort, you may’t lose. You both win otherwise you be taught.”
To commemorate the go to, every pupil acquired an autographed copy of considered one of Mr. Odom’s books.
