All About the Effort

“In school, you learn the lessons first, then take the test. In life, you get the test, then learn the lessons,” Arel Moodie told the WCSD senior class Tuesday morning. “That’s the difference.”

Moodie, a professional speaker who has presented at the White House and given three TEDx talks, spoke to the Class of 2019 about keys to success in college and beyond. He shared lessons from his own life, from growing up in the projects of Brooklyn to completing college as the Most Outstanding Graduating Senior from Binghamton University. 
 
Arel Moodie 

“I want students to not make their identity based on how smart they are or talented they are, but based on their effort. Do they volunteer? Do they take leadership roles? If they got a question wrong, do they work at getting the answer?” said Moodie. “Their identity should be based on aspects they can control.”

Moodie shared his belief that being smart doesn’t necessarily correlate to being successful, and that talent is overrated. Conversely, Moodie believes, effort is the key to success and you have to do what most people won’t in order to have what most people don’t. 

“So many students say, ‘I’m not a math person,’ or, ‘I’m not a science person.’ But if you study, you can learn anything,” said Moodie.  
 
Arel Moodie at the front of an auditorium. 

Visions Federal Credit Union is sponsoring a series of talks featuring Moodie at schools in New Jersey as well as locally at Union-Endicott, Windsor, Maine-Endwell and Binghamton. Visions is offering five $500 scholarships to students who take the steps found in Moodie’s book, The Student Success Action Guide

Visions gave a free copy of that book to each senior, and is also offering to contribute $25 to all students who open an account at a Visions branch, including the one located at Windsor Central High School. 

“We want to keep building connections with kids, not just financial education but also getting them ready for college,” said Dan Spence, Business Development Manager for Visions Federal Credit Union. 

Moodie said one of the most dangerous scenarios for high school students is to be able to succeed without putting in the effort because that won’t prepare them for college and life.
 
Dozens of students sitting in an auditorium 

“I do well in school but I should study more. My parents tell me that I should study more or else college is going to hit me really hard,” said WCHS senior Madisyn Biermann.

“You need to put in the work in order to be successful,” said WCHS senior Tyrone Franklin. “He put me on to the idea of effort. Most speakers don’t do that.”

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