Even with his busy schedule, Jay-Z still finds time to inspire youth.
Before his filming of the Oprah Winfrey show yesterday in Sidney, Australia, the New York MC visited Canterbury Boys High School to motivate the students.
”The message he [told the boys was] you can be whatever you choose to be, you just have to work hard, believe in yourself and you can go anywhere,” said the principal, Leslee Mitton.
Jay paid the suprise visit thanks to substitute teacher Polly Dunning, who commented on Oprah’s website about why the rapper should visit.
The 22-year old sub wrote of the students’ economic struggles and how the majority of her students came from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
She shared the boys’ love for Hip-Hop music and how Jay-Z served as an outstanding role model.
Little did she know that Jay-Z would eventually show up at their school. Thinking that Oprah’s team was coming to announce their visit to the show Monday morning, the they found out it was much more.
”As she came to the end of it, about saying why she wanted Jay-Z to come to the school, he appeared … The kids, the looks on their faces, they just went hysterical,” Mitton said.
After the filming, all 480 students and their teachers were promised their own laptops, as well as new computers for the library and music room.
”I don’t think they can believe it; I can’t believe it,” Dunning said. ‘‘The one thing I found really overwhelming is they’re so grateful for everything … As teachers we always tell them how important they are and how much we love them but to get it from people of that calibre, to get it from Jay-Z and from Oprah, [to be told] how important you are is just amazing.”
Tyler Franks-Morgan, a 15-year old student at the school, said he always talked about Jay-Z with his friends, and was surprised to see him in person.
”We were screaming, everyone was screaming. Everyone was crying as well,” he said. ”It’s been a fantastic day, I’m still thrilled about what happened … What [Dunning] said to Jay-Z was magnificent … Everyone loves you now, always have, always will.”
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