During his graduation speech at Open Doors Academy in June, Rzarian Hill reflected on how his ODA journey began.
After basketball practice, he would stop by the ODA program at Max S. Hayes High School looking for something to eat before heading home. That's where he met Ms. CeCe, who greeted him with the same invitation each time:
Stay a while.
At first, he declined.
"One day, Ms. CeCe insisted I stay for a bit and tried to get me to join the program," he said. "At the time, all I cared about was to not be hungry, but every day after that, I found myself staying a little longer and getting involved in the activities. When I heard about the trip to visit colleges in Canada, I made sure all my enrollment documents got finished quickly."
From there, one opportunity led to another.
During Entrepreneurship Month, Rzarian developed ideas for his clothing brand and, with encouragement from ODA staff, entered the Entrepreneur Showcase. He arrived with a limited inventory and sold out in just two hours, leaving with greater confidence in himself and a clearer vision for what could be possible.
Today, it's the relationships he remembers most.
"It is those little moments of support that mean the most, including staying in touch with us and offering resources five years after graduation," he said. "It may not be much for some people, but for me, it means the world that I know I'm not alone on this shift into adulthood."
Looking back, Rzarian offered one piece of advice to younger scholars:
"Enjoy the moment. You never know when it is going to be the start of something great."
