Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lawrence Scott.
Hi Dr. Scott, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up on the East Side of San Antonio. At one point my dad was selling drugs outside our home. I even did some drug dealing and other ignominious things, and had many of my friends get incarcerated or murdered because of our lifestyle. Nevertheless, I always knew that my purpose in life was greater than drinking 40s, selling drugs, and harming myself and my community.
I decided to take the 2nd chance at Life God gave me, because I want to be the leader that other young men would want to emulate. I left my old behaviors behind. I began to seek mentors that would bring me LIFE. One such mentor Mr. Darryl Bego, who was my high school English teacher and basketball Coach, would take me home from school every day and simply talk to me. What he didn’t realize, is I studied him in every context. I was fascinated on how he treated his wife, his children, his colleagues, his community, his MISSION. Another such great mentor was my Pastor, Keith Graham. When I was homeless, he took me in. Similarly, I would study him, and how his faith dictated his decisions and actions as a husband, father, and community leader. Both encounters with these impactful men led to a deeper relationship with the MISSION – To help those who grew up like me have a fighting chance at pursuing their LIFE’s PURPOSE, PASSION, VISION, and MISSION.
Fast forward 10 years later, I was able to reconvene with Mr. Bego and tell him that he literally replicated himself in me. I taught school like him, I coached basketball like him, I wrote books like him, I give speeches like him, I even named my son Christian after his son’s name…I Became Him!
Now, I live every day to replicate my experiences in other young people. I served 17 years in SAISD in several East Side schools (Sam Houston, Davis, Wheatley) which were schools in my old neighborhood. I teach in the educational leadership department at Texas A&M University-SA to make sure our principals are conversant with Culturally responses leadership and pedagogy. I became the executive director of the Community for Life Foundation which has given over half-a-million dollars in scholarships to students like me. To make sure our young Black students see themselves positively reflected in the curricula, I helped lead a national advisory team (under the leadership of Texas State Board of Education member Marisa Perez-Diaz) that helped to write the African American Studies course for high school credit in the State of Texas. I train community organizations, corporations, even groups like Educational Testing Services (ETS), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs Sports and Entertainment on how to help students who grew up like me.
Furthermore, I will LIVE the rest of my days to help young people BELIEVE that you can go from the Barrio to the Boardroom, from the Hood to the Hallways of Higher Education and that we can make an intergenerational IMPACT that our kids’ kids’ grandkids will feel.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
There were some significant “defining moments” that changed my impact forever. Of course, having my 2 children gave me a greater purpose, but it was introducing my children to my mission that gave me the greatest joy. One defining moment was when I would take my children to our graffiti cleanup Saturdays. Instead of suspending students, I would take them to clean up the school community and surrounding neighborhood so they could take absolute pride in our community. Having my children there helped them realize that our impact has to go beyond the confines of our personal family’s ascension.
Another defining moment was when 2 of my students were shot in the head. One died (Kenny) and one lived, John. Now, I’m no stranger to my students being killed. I’ve had 13 of my students murdered over the years, but this story was overwhelmingly impactful because John was shot in the head and lived to tell the story and begin living a life emblematic of the mission that I received from my mentors. I knew he had something special and could reach students I would never reach. He would travel with me to talk with students, which resonated well when I was an administrator at Estrada Achievement Center (SAISD’s Alternative School). I saw a young man willing to leave everything, to preserve the legacy of his best friend Kenny, and rewrite his life’s trajectory. Now he’s in his 30’s, owns his own business, and has his own family.
Another defining moment was when I did a study abroad program in London, England. I took a trip to Rome, Italy and was robbed. I was on the streets of Rome for 3 days with no money, begging for food, rationing the snacks I had in my bag, the same bag I would use as a pillow at night when I slept at the train station (they had security). When I tried to contact my father, I had problems. When I would try to talk with people, I had problems, as it seemed no one wanted to spend time helping me because of the language barrier. On the 3rd day, I was blessed to run into 2 girls from my London program that gave me enough money to get back to London. They mentioned something told them to go to the train station prior to going to Pisa (no google back then). This allowed me to commiserate with many people here in the United States who may have linguistic barriers and many do not take the time to understand or help them. I later took a trip to Cote d’ Ivoire, Africa to teach a class at an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity. They spoke French, I spoke English, and we communicated in broken Spanish. I came home and immediately changed my major from Pre-Law to Education, because I felt that if language is not an impediment to educating others, God has given me a gift that I must use to self-actualize and become the best version of myself to fulfill my Life’s Purpose.
Finally, one of the biggest defining moments is when I won the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Man of the Year. While I’ve won many awards in life, this particular award catapulted me to an unparalleled impact level. I was able to raise more money for the Community for Life Foundation. I was able to sit on the Community Resource Group (CRG) that advised the fortune 500 CEOs of San Antonio on equity in education, economic development, and safety and justice. Taskforce was created by Mr. R.C. Buford, the CEO of the San Antonio Spurs (2021). The initial investment of the CRG was 13 Million dollars to varying community and equity-based initiatives. I’ve also been featured on several national news platforms, including several Sinclair Broadcasting national townhall regarding multicultural education that included former HUD Secretary, Dr. Ben Carson. I think that winning this award placed me at the table with decision makers and was able to use my experiences serving in urban education as the backdrop for the perspectives I was able to share.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Never Give Up! You will face many obstacles, circumstances, and setbacks, but NEVER GIVE Up. I also employ the 5 P’s of Success: Pray, Protect Your Peace, Locate your Purpose, Make a Plan, and Trust the Process. I pray everyday and throughout the day for God’s guidance in every decision. I am intentional about protecting my peace as life presents many distractions and circumstances, and as you have to be intentional about removal weeds out of your grass, we must be intentional about removing those chaos creators and peace destroyers. Next, we must locate our purpose. Mark Twain says, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” We must be incessant about locating our purpose. This should be the lens by which all decisions are filtered. Next, create a plan. There is a saying, “If you don’t have a plan, you’ve already planned to fail!” I create SMART Goals at the beginning of each year, and assess and modify throughout the year. I meet with my team daily to discuss the overarching plan, and how new opportunities fits in our overall mission. Lastly, I trust the process. I understand that everything will not happen overnight, but is subject to small but measurable progress. I also celebrate the micro-victories throughout to build momentum. At the end of my life, I want my Legacy to be that I created a world in which any student who grew up like me had a fighting chance to have a life full of Purpose, Peace, and above all…LOVE. Be the Miracle!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drlawrencescott.com
- Instagram: drlscott
- Facebook: drlscott
- Youtube: Dr Lawrence Scott
- Linkedin: Dr. Lawrence Scott
