Nothing Is Impossible: Dozens Of Inspiring Stories, The Best Strategies For Teen Success

Grade 6-10-Mawi Asgedom inspires students to meet challenges and overcome the obstacles they face by taking proactive steps. That's the strategy that enabled Asgedom to graduate from Harvard in 1999, an impressive achievement for an individual who fled war-torn Ethiopia, lived in a refugee camp in Sudan for three years, and came to the United States without knowing a word of English. To get his message across, he tells inspirational stories not just of his own life, but about celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Dominos Pizza founder Tom Monahan, as well as of ordinary teens who overcame steep obstacles. Each CD ends with specific steps for listeners to take. Each segment has a specific theme: "The First-Step Challenge," "The Keep-Stepping Challenge," "The Amazing-You Challenge," and "The Jigna Challenge." Asgedom has an engaging speaking style, and uses language that most students will relate to, even if their teachers may not. Many of the stories will hit home, such as the one Asgedom tells about how he was kicked off his high school basketball team because he forged a doctor's signature on his physical form. It turns out he couldn't afford the $25 for the exam and was too ashamed to ask for help. Another moving story is about a teen girl who became obsessed with her body image and nearly starved herself to death. This set can best be used by guidance counselors and school social workers to provide inspiration and the strategies to help students acquire survival skills via Asgedom's uplifting message.-David Bilmes, Schaghticoke Middle School, New Milford, CT
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