Chester students had quite a day as the Philadelphia Union Foundation's iAM Project had Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer, share stories about his life and career.
Dawkins appearance was part of Foundation's Inspirational Speaker Series, speaking with students from Chester Charter Scholars Academy and Chester High School at two separate events on Friday. He began his day speaking with students from Chester Charter Scholars Academy at Neumann University. After the event he met with 90 students who are part of the Philadelphia Union Foundation’s iAM Project for a smaller Q&A session. The Eagles legend then completed his day with more than 900 students at Chester High School.
Dawkins shared with the students that when he was 17 years old, like so many of them, the seed of purpose for the man he would become was inside him — but he had no idea at that point. With the laser-focus instilled in him by his parents, every step he took toward living a life of purpose helped that seed grow. All along his journey he was guided by something his father told him — “anything you put your name to, you give max effort, but always remain coachable.”
Dawkins followed that advice, through high school, to Clemson University to the NFL and Hall of Fame, through difficult times and mental health challenges, he relied on those closest to him and focused on getting out of his comfort zone and serving others. Now, he heads up the Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation, which provides inspiration, education and resources to youth, families and communities in need.
Philadelphia Union's iAM Project is a transformational career-readiness program that supports aspirational high school students from low-income backgrounds in Chester. The Inspirational Speaker Series is designed to help students see the variety of different career paths that are available to them after graduating from high school. The iAM Project connects students with some of the region’s largest companies, as well as a network of inspirational speakers, mentors, universities and internships — all designed to help the students maximize their personal, academic and professional potential.
Dawkins, one of the greatest Philadelphia Eagles of all time, established the Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation in 2019 to provide inspiration, education and resources to youth, families and communities in need. His foundation provides inspiration, education and resources to youth, families and communities in need. The Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation was created in 2019 with a belief in the power of transformative moments to trigger a spark in young people – young people who have the desire to make positive decisions in life and just need the tools to make it happen. A trigger that will have positive ripple effects on families and ultimately, on entire communities. The Foundation supports programming in three main focus areas, which are: Career Readiness and Leadership Programming, Cerebral Wellness and Enrich Programming, and Financial Literacy and Empowerment Programming.
