Leader's view of education: 'It makes all the difference'

CHESAPEAKE

Freeman Hrabowski III loves a good story and will quickly tell you one about his mother, Maggie.

Maggie read so much by age 12 that neighborhood kids - and her friends - would tease her.

She later became a successful English teacher and instilled a love of education in her son.

"It's that education that's nurturing communities," Hrabowski said. "It makes all the difference in the world."

Hrabowski spoke Thursday to an audience of about 400 people at the Chesapeake Convention Center as part of Regent University's monthly Executive Leadership Series.

Hrabowski is a leader in higher education circles.

He has been president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County since 1992 and is an advocate in the movement to encourage high-achieving black children to pursue math and science.

Hrabowski grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and graduated from Hampton University - then Hampton Institute - when he was 19 years old.

Hrabowski touched on many topics in a lighthearted and down-to-earth manner. Naturally, the heart of his speech touched on education.

He encouraged educators to really look at their students' backgrounds and challenges so they can better help them succeed.

During orientation, he tells his students to look to their right and left. But he doesn't tell them that one of them will fail.

Not the way to do it, he said.

"Our goal is to make sure you graduate, and if you don't, we fail," he tells freshmen.

As for success, Hrabowski encouraged young people in the audience to place a high emphasis on simple, old-fashioned values like hard work.

Ameena Ali, a criminal justice major at Regent, said she took Hrabowski's message to heart.

"Education is accessible here but it seems like we don't take advantage of it," Ali said.

Another Regent student, Carla Thompson, liked hearing Hrabowski encourage young girls to pursue math and science careers. She is majoring in information technology and wants to instill educational values in her son, the same way Hrabowski's mother did with him.

"I'd like for my son to be educated and hold education as a high standard," Thompson said.

Jennifer Jiggetts, (757) 222-5150, jennifer.jiggetts@pilotonline.com