Hi, I'm Caliph.
I’m a speaker dedicated to helping students understand the power of the choices and decisions they make everyday.
I have a passion for helping middle school students be their best selves by inspiring them to reach for their dreams and teaching them that they have agency over their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Integrating elements of PBIS & SEL, my programs aim to improve behavior by changing thoughts, attitudes, and choices. I know what it's like to have difficult experiences in school and at home, and my goal is to help students navigate the difficulties of childhood and adolescence to grow into healthy adults. Having experienced abuse in the home, bullying at school, and being exposed to drugs at an early age, it's a miracle that I've been able to achieve all that I have. Addiction was an everyday reality for me as my mother toiled with alcoholism & depression and my siblings with drug addiction. I thought this meant that addiction and depression were my destiny. But what I realized is for years I blamed other people for my suffering--when the reality is that I had far more control over my situation that I was willing to admit. I chose how I saw myself, I chose how I treated others, and I chose how I treated myself. After being exposed to drugs at a young age, I decided to continue to use to deal with my pain and to fit-in. Despite my challenges, my burning desire for success still drove me to accomplish some significant goals. I was able to attend college at UC Davis where I served as Associated Students President, be admitted to and graduate from UCLA School of Law, pass the Bar Exam the first time, and start a successful lobbying firm. But just after starting my firm, I hit rock bottom with addiction. I realized my "success" and my addiction were the result of me running from traumas I was unwilling to face. I decided it was time to face my challenges head-on. In order to change my life and get sober, I changed my story and realized that these were my decisions and I had to own my journey, my recovery, and my happiness. I know if I made different choices at a young age, my path would have been different. As a speaker, I help middle school students understand the agency they have in creating their lives through their daily choices. I help them develop awareness of their circumstances, emotions, and behavior, and teach them how to master them all. And through my experiences, I warn them of the dangers of substance abuse and not taking care of their mental health. I'd love to bring my story, energy and passion to your campus to serve your awesome students!
I have a passion for helping middle school students be their best selves by inspiring them to reach for their dreams and teaching them that they have agency over their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Integrating elements of PBIS & SEL, my programs aim to improve behavior by changing thoughts, attitudes, and choices. I know what it's like to have difficult experiences in school and at home, and my goal is to help students navigate the difficulties of childhood and adolescence to grow into healthy adults. Having experienced abuse in the home, bullying at school, and being exposed to drugs at an early age, it's a miracle that I've been able to achieve all that I have. Addiction was an everyday reality for me as my mother toiled with alcoholism & depression and my siblings with drug addiction. I thought this meant that addiction and depression were my destiny. But what I realized is for years I blamed other people for my suffering--when the reality is that I had far more control over my situation that I was willing to admit. I chose how I saw myself, I chose how I treated others, and I chose how I treated myself. After being exposed to drugs at a young age, I decided to continue to use to deal with my pain and to fit-in. Despite my challenges, my burning desire for success still drove me to accomplish some significant goals. I was able to attend college at UC Davis where I served as Associated Students President, be admitted to and graduate from UCLA School of Law, pass the Bar Exam the first time, and start a successful lobbying firm. But just after starting my firm, I hit rock bottom with addiction. I realized my "success" and my addiction were the result of me running from traumas I was unwilling to face. I decided it was time to face my challenges head-on. In order to change my life and get sober, I changed my story and realized that these were my decisions and I had to own my journey, my recovery, and my happiness. I know if I made different choices at a young age, my path would have been different. As a speaker, I help middle school students understand the agency they have in creating their lives through their daily choices. I help them develop awareness of their circumstances, emotions, and behavior, and teach them how to master them all. And through my experiences, I warn them of the dangers of substance abuse and not taking care of their mental health. I'd love to bring my story, energy and passion to your campus to serve your awesome students!
Some districts I've worked with include...
Watch The Videos!
Below is a collection of clips of my work at Middle Schools. Scroll down to see testimonials from middle school administrators. My most requested speeches and speaker request form can be found below these videos.
Here, I deliver "Choosing Character" speech to a group of middle school students. I teach students the power of their choices and their ability to choose who they want to be and the type of life they want.
Middle School Vids!
Choosing Character: "I'm the guy." |
Students , Say It With Me: I Know I Can! |
Choosing Character Intermediate
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What Middle School Principals Are Saying!
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Most Requested Presentations
Choosing Character
Keynote Presentation Covering Bullying Prevention, Mental Health, and Character.
The choices we make today - even as elementary school students - will be with us forever. Some of those critical choices are what we choose to believe, how we choose to treat others, and, importantly, how we choose to treat ourselves. We all want to be remembered for being a positive influence on others, but we don't always meet that standard. And the words we use, and the actions we take, are the result of these choices.
In this speech, Caliph chronicles the difficult path to learning to treat himself and others well. After having his self-esteem destroyed by a bully, he took these things out on others. It wasn't until he healed himself that he was able to see what an impact bullying had on his life; and how his behavior impacted others.
Caliph helps students understand that how you treat yourself will influence how you treat others; but also, that no matter how someone else treats you, it's your choice as to whether you internalize the words they use, or choose to create a positive inner dialogue to counteract those words.
Students will leave with a sense of what standard they should have for developing good character and treating classmates, teachers, guardians and themselves with respect.
In this speech, Caliph chronicles the difficult path to learning to treat himself and others well. After having his self-esteem destroyed by a bully, he took these things out on others. It wasn't until he healed himself that he was able to see what an impact bullying had on his life; and how his behavior impacted others.
Caliph helps students understand that how you treat yourself will influence how you treat others; but also, that no matter how someone else treats you, it's your choice as to whether you internalize the words they use, or choose to create a positive inner dialogue to counteract those words.
Students will leave with a sense of what standard they should have for developing good character and treating classmates, teachers, guardians and themselves with respect.
#You DecideKeynote Presentation Covering Drug Prevention, Mental Health, (& Bullying In High School Settings)
Caliph's life story is a harrowing tale of a young man gripped with drug culture and drug addiction at a very young age, who had to overcome addiction, depression & crippling anxiety to ultimately achieve his dream of becoming an attorney. In this presentation, Caliph shares his journey into addiction and recovery. He talks about first using drugs to stop the abuse of his sister, and then using them to fit in and build community; and, finally using them to cope with his pain of losing his mother during college. He became FREE when he almost lost his life and realized that using drugs was his decision, not the result of his circumstances. And if he could decide to use, he could decide to change. He recounts the day he changed his life and decided to never use drugs again, and what was at stake if he did not do that. Finally, he shares his journey of healing and developing a new mindset that has allowed him to stay sober and succeed in business and in life. Students will leave with an understanding of the power that they have to choose their own destiny, the consequences of choosing drugs, and the benefits of a drug-free life. All presentations can be modified to meet the needs of your group.
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I Know I Can
Keynote Presentation To Inspire Young Students To Reach For Their Greatness.
Are your students truly convinced of their power to reach their true potential? Are they dreaming big enough? Do they know what they do, even at this young age, really matters to the course of their life? In this talk, Caliph shares anecdotes about how he discovered his true potential, and how students can, too. He covers self-confidence - why it's important, and how to develop it; having a vision for the type of person you want to be and the type of life you want to live and how to create it; and work ethic - what it really takes to get what you want. By the end of this speech, your students will be inspired to dream bigger, work harder, and become the best version of themselves by reaching for destination greatness.
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Request Caliph!
Complete the form below if you would like more information about hosting Caliph at your event.