Speaker Uses Electric Grill and Beef Fajitas to Motivate Students to Pass State Tes

Youth speaker challenged students to get seasoned before they get grilled by the state of Texas.

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) March 23, 2010 -- In his speech, youth motivational speaker Fabian Ramirez used an electric grill to metaphorically represent how the state of Texas was about to grill their students with the TAKS test. Seasoned beef fajita meat was used to represent the student body.

“You have to be seasoned before you get grilled,” Fabian said while holding 2 lbs of seasoned beef fajitas in the air before laying a portion over an electric grill. “Seasoned students are well done after they have been grilled.”

Public schools in Texas are preparing to administer the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test to their students in April 2010. David Crockett Elementary students in Grand Prairie, Texas, will be among those taking the TAKS test.

In an effort to keep their students motivated through spring break, Crockett’s Principal Suzy Meyer and Fifth grade teacher Brance Barker, hosted a school assembly on Friday, March 12, 2010, and invited Fabian to encourage their students to do their best on the TAKS test.

Fabian connected with the students since he has walked in their shoes having attended public schools in the Houston Independent School District system and taking similar state tests such as the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS).

The assembly was held in the school cafeteria a day before the district was scheduled to be on spring break. The audience consisted of over two-hundred third through fifth grade students, all of which are scheduled to take the TAKS test in April 2010.

Responsive Students

The students responded positively to the message and left the cafeteria wanting to be a seasoned student so they can do their best on the TAKS.

"Fabian is the first youth speaker that I've seen that has kept the students completely engaged during the entire 30 minute presentation,” said Brance Barker. “They were cheering, sitting on the edge of their seat and volunteering to answer questions which kept them involved the entire time of the presentation. It is evident that Fabian has a heart for education and a gift for connecting with students. After the presentation, students shared with me different lessons or illustrations that stood out to them - like his fajita illustration about being 'well-seasoned' with education."

Response from Teachers

The teachers were laughing and enjoying the speech along with their students. "It was exciting seeing the principal, the teachers, and the students all smiling because of the joy and enthusiasm that Fabian brought to our campus,” said Brance Barker. “His heart and passion for students and education is contagious!"

About Fabian

Fabian Ramirez is a youth motivational speaker based out of Dallas, TX. Fabian has worked with at-risk youth for over ten years and continues to be a driving force in motivating students to finish high school and continue on to college. Fabian attended Dallas Baptist University where he finished with a 3.85 GPA while earning a Master’s degree in Management.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF to PR Gov: Keep Birth Certificates Valid Through December

LatinoJustice PRLDLEF wrote a letter to Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño, urging him to delay the new law that will require all persons born on the island to get new birth certificates.

A planned July 1st implementation of the law has precipitated much confusion among island residents and the more than 1.5 million Puerto Rican-born residents of the United States.

Under the law, every single birth certificate issued in Puerto Rico will become invalid starting July 1. After that date, those wanting proof that they were born on the island must apply to the commonwealth government for a new birth certificate.

Many stateside Puerto Ricans have expressed confusion and lack of information about the new law and its impact. The U.S. State Department has not yet decided how to deal with people who present invalid birth certificates for passports, according to a spokesperson.

Thus far, there seems to be little effort by the U.S. or Puerto Rico governments to educate people about the changes.

Government officials responded to LatinoJustice PRLDEF’s letter by saying they had plans for a public information campaign.

“The only way to address the confusion and angst this is creating is to allow all birth certificates to remain valid through the end of the year,” said Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “A media blitz at this late date will have little impact on allaying people’s confusion and fear over what will happen when their birth certificates become valid. We already have states denying birth certificates from Puerto Rico so whatever communication has come out so far hasn’t been very effective.”

People born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, are U.S. citizens at birth. Though the law does not go into effect until July 1, California, Ohio and Nevada have already stated they would not accept any birth certificates from Puerto Rico as proof of birth for driver’s licenses. This could effectively leave thousands of Puerto Ricans born on the island with no way of getting driver’s licenses in those states.

Creating confusion over birth certificates also fuels the real anti-Latino sentiment that has led to the escalating mandate to document the identity of Latinos for obtaining jobs, driver’s licenses, and government benefits.

Go to HAV columnist L. Patricia Ice's column--ICE ON IMMIGRATION-- for more information on these invalidations

Apply for an MBA scholarship up to $10,000 through NSHMBA

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