The Pact Inspires Young and Old

One of our teachers told me about a movie she was showing and discussing in her class called The Pact. It's a movie about three kids who live in the inner city world of drugs, thugs, and poverty who make a promise to each other that they would go to college and become doctors.

Sound far-fetched?

It's a true story of Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins. (You can read more about them at their website, HERE.)

Because the boys had intelligence going for them, they tested into University High where they got into trouble and did as little schoolwork as possible, until they heard a presentation by a representative from Seton Hall.

It is extraordinary that three boys from such dire circumstances could have the tenacity and courage to see their goals to the end. In the epilogue of their book, they share points that are applicable to many of us in situations where we are working towards a goal. I want to share them with you here:

• Join trustworthy friends who have the same goal.
• Find strength in your differences. Friends don't have to be alike to be a part of a pact.
• Believe in yourself and your friends.
• Compete in a healthy way. We learned from one anther and leaned on one another's strengths.
• Communicate openly, honestly, and often.
• Lean on your friends and allow them to lean on you. One of the main benefits of forming a pact with friends is that you have an automatic network of support.

These ideas are not new. Through experience, we know that accountability is important. We know that support systems are important. We forget that we can create for ourselves a situation that gives us both. And we have to help kids to understand that they are empowered the same way.