Students sat silently in the newly renovated auditorium as they awaited the arrival of the guest speaker, Chad Varga.  As he took the microphone, the students were locked into his message.  He told his heart-wrenching story suffered at the hands of parental abuse and neglect.  As a former professional basketball player, Chad Varga seemed to have it all until he encountered a "moment" in his life.  Looking back at his past, he turned to his future and pursued his goals relentlessly because he had a dream.  Author of Bounce: Down is Inevitable. Up is a Choice, Chad offered his story as more than a source of inspiration.  He challenged students to be different and not fit in with the crowd.  

     His website describes him well: "Son of an alcoholic and drug addict and the product of divorce, poverty, abuse, and neglect, Chad was destined to be a statistic. Instead he rose above it all to graduate from college and become a professional basketball player. Then, at the height of his career with the promise of wealth before him, he left it all to pursue a greater purpose: helping others achieve their dreams no matter the obstacles before them."  Leaving behind the perks of a financially lucrative career, he travels the country to speak to students.  To learn more about Chad Varga, visit his website: http://www.chadvarga.com/.