By Andrea Sciamanna
Darrell Andrews, a motivational speaker from Bear, Delaware, will be presenting during the upcoming “Believing the Hype” event at 1 p.m. on Monday at Grand Rapids Community College.
Andrews, also know as “Coach D,” will be encouraging college students to follow their passion and “Believe the Hype” that anything is possible if you just go for it during the Sept. 24 event that begins at noon in room 234 of the Student Center.
Tina Hoxie, Associate Provost and Dean of Student Affairs at GRCC, said GRCC partnered with Grand Valley State University to plan the event.
“(Andrews is) going to deliver his message, story, take advantage of the opportunity to help students find their passion and motivate them to follow an educational path in order for success,” Hoxie said about Andrews’ presentation, noting that she is “excited to partner together and bring him on campus.”
Andrews is a life coach and motivational speaker who has been teaching and speaking for 10 years about turning passions and purposes into careers. He has published nine books and conducted over 2,500 presentations. His two most successful books are called “How to Find Your Passion and Make a Living at It” and “The Purpose Living Teen: A Teen’s Guide To Living Your Dreams.”
During his time at GRCC, Andrews hopes to make an impact on the students who attend to help them in their future.
“We will help students make the connection to gifts, talents and abilities they possess and the connection to future career possibilities,” Andrews said.
Many college students have difficulty when trying to find time to be truly passionate about something that’s potentially occupational in the future. Andrews’ main goal is to bring motivation to the students and give them encouragement, even if there’s no self inflicted hope.
“We will delve into the power of dreams, self determination, relationships and mentorship to achievement of one’s career and life goals,” he said.
Andrews also noted where his motivation comes from and who motivates him personally.
“I was influenced by two great speakers: Dr. Myles Munroe out of the Bahamas and Zig Ziglar from the U.S.,” he said. “Both men were dynamic speakers who changed a lot of lives. After listening to hundreds of their messages, I decided I wanted to do the same.”
For Andrews, motivation is what gives people purpose to keep going.
“We spend 2/3 of our life in the workplace,” Andrews said. “Nothing we do in life consumes more of our time than work. If you are going to spend that much time working, you need to be motivated and find something that has meaning and significance.”
Andrews said he is eager to demonstrate his pathways to lead students toward life purpose and their future careers.
“I would say be careful of people telling you what they think you should be doing with your life and career,” he said. “It is nice to get advice, but when it comes to living and operating within purposeful careers, that should be a personal choice.”
