Opportunity Scholars Program participants at the David Eccles School of Business got a dose of energy, ebullience, and exuberance with a keynote address from entrepreneur, author, educator, and motivational speaker LaMarqué Ward Sr.

Ward, the president of Dream Builders University (a Cincinnati-based program that helps young people discover and achieve their potential through unique curriculum and workshops) addressed the collection of first-generation business students and shared his insights on personal growth, leadership, and the mindset needed to overcome obstacles.

While he touched on myriad subjects, the theme underpinning the entirety of the 90-minute interactive experience was to not let the backgrounds or circumstances they come from stunt their ambition or potential.

“Don’t be limited by what you see around you; the world is waiting on you to deliver your gift,” said Ward. “… Embrace your starting place — use it as fuel. Don’t be a victim of your start.”

To reinforce his point, Ward shared that as he grew up in the projects of Cincinnati, he was a mediocre high school student; despite being an All-American basketball player, he couldn’t accept a scholarship to a Division I program on account of his 1.9 grade-point average.

He knew that he was capable of more, though, and spoke of having “big dreams” — something he encouraged those in attendance to embrace and adopt.

After enrolling at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, Ward became familiar with the concept of “opportunity cost,” the loss of a benefit that arises from choosing one option over another.

To flourish in basketball, he had to go to bed earlier than his friends so he could get in 1,000 jumpshots at the gym every morning before going to class. And to keep his dream of D-I hoops alive, he had to forgo weekends out having fun in order to get extra tutoring from a professor, enabling him to earn his associate’s degree within two years. Ward subsequently was able to play two seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, and went on to play professionally overseas for several years.

He asked the students in attendance who also come from less-than-ideal circumstances to focus on the choices they make.

“What are you willing to give up so that you can have everything else? What does it cost to be successful? And what is success [to you?]” Ward asked. “Success is subjective. A big bank account doesn’t make you successful.”

Following the end of his basketball career, Ward was in his mid-20s, trying to support six children and just barely getting by while working an unfulfilling job. Once again, though, he dared to dream big. He didn’t even necessarily know exactly what he wanted to do, just that he wanted to make a difference somehow — for his children and for others. He started by making cold calls to some entrepreneurs he’d met; the end result was Dream Builders University.

That became another lesson he imparted — while it’s ultimately good to have a plan, sometimes you need to just get started by doing something.

“Me and my wife, we decided we’re going to be investors in humanity,” Ward recalled. “… I never thought that someone might depend on me. I just wanted to make it.”

While he praised the Opportunity Scholars in attendance for becoming the first in their families to pursue a college degree, he urged them to treat that as a first step rather than a final one.

“Finishing school is not enough. What a shame if that’s all we do as first-gen [university students],” he said. “Finishing school is just a pathway so that other folks who come from our homes and our communities can see it’s possible. It’s what you do after finishing school. … Focus on moving humanity forward.”

To that end, he encouraged the students to have big goals and ambitions, to recognize that they have the ability to encourage others, to shape lives, to “leave a ripple in the universe.

“… We want you to be a change agent — for your families, for your kids, for our communities,” Ward said. “But you have to be living proof that it’s possible.”

The goal of the Opportunity Scholars Program at the Eccles School is to support and enhance the educational experience of first-generation business students as they progress toward graduation. For more information, visit Eccles.Link/opportunity-scholars.