In the last year or so there have been some terrible events in high schools, alarming the American public as they talk about increased safety, clinging to images of guns, blood and typical attractive-looking teenagers committing unthinkable crimes. The media has focused on these incidents without paying attention to all the potential and talent that is blossoming in our high schools. I invite them to recognize inspired pupils who push themselves beyond standards and motivate others around them. This is what I want the American public to talk about. As young adults we have the opportunity to make a difference. Not just for ourselves, but for our children and future generations. I would like to tell everyone about someone who made the most of his opportunity. Many of you know him and he is actually a good friend of mine. It's my father, Mark Reiman. My father was blessed with the disease ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. For those of you who don't know what it is, this disease weakens muscles until they are unable to function. It can affect your voice, mobility, and can also affect your ability to chew food. 75% of people with this disease live only 2 to 5 years after diagnosis. My father has been living with it for almost eight years now. Many of you are probably wondering why I used the word blessed. My father, and even my family, have come to believe that he contracted this disease for a reason. This reason is that he was given the opportunity to change people's lives. He gave people hope when they thought there was nothing left to hope for. He loved people when they thought they were unlovable, that because they no longer had the physical abilities they once did, they were a nuisance. Believe me, you can accomplish so much with your mind and touch so many people with your heart. He also taught people that every day we have is a blessing. We have to make the most of every second because life is amazing. I mean, life is great, guys. If I've learned anything from my father's suffering or our years at Tates Creek, it's that I love life and want to experience as much of it as possible. Now my father is just a boy, and look what he's done. We are individuals.