The Wizard

Pauley Pavilion

A beautiful mind

Life lessons

I've been scared and battered.

My hopes the wind done scattered.

Snow has friz me,

Sun has baked me,

Looks like between 'em they done

Tried to make me

Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin' -

But I don't care!

I'm still here!

Langston Hughes - Still Here

I graduated from Temple University. However the cherry and white wasn't my first, or second choice for school. Its a bit of a long story, so in short, I was 16 entering my senior year of high school, so when I began to apply for college, I needed my mother's stamp of approval because I was a minor.

The only school that mattered to me was UCLA. I'm a big sports fan and no school has a tradition and history like the Bruins. My problem wasn't picking a school, or grades for that matter, it was convincing mom to let me go 3,000 miles away from home. Without much discussion the decision was made, as the happy medium between UCLA and Howard was none other than Temple.

Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE TU, and I have had the opportunity to live my dream of being on television because of my education, friends, and college family. So while I cheer for the Owls, I have kept a special place in my heart for Yook-LA!

Like my alma mater the University of California Los Angeles has a legendary basketball coach, and I have learned a great deal from them both. For obvious reasons the personal friendship/relationship that I have with Coach John Chaney is something that I could never put a price on or explain. He is a father to all those that have played and worked under him. Coach John Wooden has impacted my life as well, even though I didn't play for him. In fact, I've never met the man, but his teachings and example have helped me in basketball and life.

Coach Wooden has several principles for the game of life, called the pyramid of success. The following are the ones that mean the most to me:

• You must have faith; faith is believing that things will turn out as they should
• Be quick, but don't hurry
• Failing to prepare...is preparing to fail
• There is no substitute for hard work
• There is nothing stronger than gentleness
• You must maintain self-control
• Be loyal to yourself, and all who are depending upon you...keep your self respect
• You must have patience; good things take time
  

The first time I visited the city of angels, I wanted to see all the sights from the HOLLYWOOD sign to Rodeo Drive. However the one place I wanted to go more than anything was UCLA, and the famed Pauley Pavilion where the greatest college basketball program in the world has played for over 40 years.

The school is in Westwood, right next to Bel Air, and Beverly Hills. Walking on that campus was surreal. Not because I always wanted to go there, but because compared to the east coast, THIS is what college life is all about. In a word, WOW, the campus is beautiful, as are the people, and weather. Maybe someday I can attend grad school or film school at the school that for me, never was. In the meantime, its a dream and a fantasy.