Student Tells Secret to His Success

Last night, Pulitzer Prize winning-writer Ron Suskind spoke with Cedric Jennings, the subject of his new book, A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey From the Inner City to the Ivy League.

About 300 people came to see Suskind and Jennings at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Askwith Education Forum.

Suskind's novel and Pulitzer-Prize- winning Wall Street Journal articles document Jennings' journey from one of the nation's worst inner-city public schools, Frank W. Ballou Senior High School in Washington D.C., to Brown University.

Although Jennings' life story has been likened to that of Hiawatha and Homer, Sandy Seddacca, dean of external relations at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, introduced him as one survivor among tens of thousands of inner city kids.

"He makes Gulliver's travels look like a cake walk," she said. "He is not only a surviving and enduring man, but he is a thriving man as well."

Jennings, who grew up with a drug dealer as a father and an average of 12 homicides every year at his high school, named three specific factors in his life that enabled him to escape from the inner city.

Both Suskind and Jennings agree that the unwavering motivation of Barbara Jennings, Jennings' mother, was a prerequisite for his success.

"My mom was not a player," Jen-

joked, explaining that his mother juggled the traditional roles of both parents with a "tough and hardcore attitude."

In addition to this guidance, Jennings said his own desire to succeed and the destruction he saw in his neighborhood motivated him.

"When I saw the other kids dropping out of school, or dealing drugs or breaking the law, I was moved to do the right thing," he said.

Although Suskind believes Jennings possesses admirable traits, including "faith, perseverance, self-knowledge and grit," the author admits that Jennings is "nothing special."

"Cedric is no Einstein with a broom," he said. "This is not a Good Will Hunting success story here."

But because there are "10,000 other Cedrics" waiting to break out of their "separate America," the inner city, Suskind hopes Jennings' motivation will encourage others to believe in the possibility that they, too, can dream of escaping.

"By the time inner city kids are 16, they are locked in despair," Suskind said. "And if these kids have never met anyone who has played by the rules and won, why should they even try?"

But motivating others to hope and dream and educate themselves is central to Jennings' mission.

"With the publishing of the book, I was willing to bear my soul to others," Jennings said. "I wanted to show others what determination could do and what I have been able to do."

In addition to lectures and book signings such as last night, both Jennings and Suskind also appeared on a broadcast of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that aired on July 23.

But even when discussing with Suskind the profits for A Hope in the Unseen, Jennings showed he has not lost sight of his original intention to share his story with others. When reminded that profits would be split fifty-fifty, Jennings shrugged his shoulders and reminded Suskind why he wrote the book: to educate others about the power of hope.

"Hey, a guy's got to dream," Jennings said

joked, explaining that his mother juggled the traditional roles of both parents with a "tough and hardcore attitude."

In addition to this guidance, Jennings said his own desire to succeed and the destruction he saw in his neighborhood motivated him.

"When I saw the other kids dropping out of school, or dealing drugs or breaking the law, I was moved to do the right thing," he said.

Although Suskind believes Jennings possesses admirable traits, including "faith, perseverance, self-knowledge and grit," the author admits that Jennings is "nothing special."

"Cedric is no Einstein with a broom," he said. "This is not a Good Will Hunting success story here."

But because there are "10,000 other Cedrics" waiting to break out of their "separate America," the inner city, Suskind hopes Jennings' motivation will encourage others to believe in the possibility that they, too, can dream of escaping.

"By the time inner city kids are 16, they are locked in despair," Suskind said. "And if these kids have never met anyone who has played by the rules and won, why should they even try?"

But motivating others to hope and dream and educate themselves is central to Jennings' mission.

"With the publishing of the book, I was willing to bear my soul to others," Jennings said. "I wanted to show others what determination could do and what I have been able to do."

In addition to lectures and book signings such as last night, both Jennings and Suskind also appeared on a broadcast of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that aired on July 23.

But even when discussing with Suskind the profits for A Hope in the Unseen, Jennings showed he has not lost sight of his original intention to share his story with others. When reminded that profits would be split fifty-fifty, Jennings shrugged his shoulders and reminded Suskind why he wrote the book: to educate others about the power of hope.

"Hey, a guy's got to dream," Jennings said