Marc Mero: An Inspiring Story

Marc Mero, former WWE wrestling champion and author of How to be the Happiest Person on the Planet, visited James Buchanan High School on March 28 to share his Champion of Choices tour.

According to the  Mami Herald, “Mero dedicates his post-WWE career to inspiring students to overcome bullying and self-destructive thinking, set goals, dream big, and to appreciate those who support them most in life.”

With more than one million people seeing the program, they describe it as “life-changing” and says it reaches students at “heart level.” Mero does these productions to show students that they are not alone in the battle against bullying.

With both the JBMS and JBHS students packed tightly in the gym, Mero took each student through his life journey. Starting out living in a beaten-down apartment, his life took a turn when his parents got a divorce. Living with his mother, he started hanging out with the wrong people who took him down a path full of drug abuse and an alcohol addiction.

 “Friends are like elevators: they are gonna take you up or take you down. Show me your friends and I’ll tell you your future,” Mero said during the assembly.

Throughout the crowd there were tear-filled eyes as students became emotional as he shared his story. With the death of his mother, younger brother, and sister, Mero reiterated the importance of family.

Mero asked all students to go home and tell their siblings how important they are, as well as  also to apologize to their parents for any wrongdoings.

“I see hardworking kids with dreams and goals, I just don’t want the kids to make the same mistakes I did,” said Mero “I see hope; the darker it gets the brighter we have to shine.”

After listening to the assembly, Aurora Wagner (9) shared how she is going to change. “I’m gonna go home and thank my family, apologize for stuff I said to them,” she said.  “Overall just treat everyone better.”

The assembly also informed the students the usefulness of talking about your problems, to let people help you through feelings of depression because everyone matters.

Mero thinks his presentation is different from others because “[he] shares from the heart, making  students realize that there is a part of his story in each one of them.”

Mero encourages all students that see his presentation to contact him through email, Twitter, or Instagram to tell him your story and how his presentation might have changed their life.  

One thing can be said: the assembly was powerful and one students at JB will remember.

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