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Threats credits AVID with changing his life

Fred Threats Jr. is a threat.

The rising 11^th grader at Lamar High School’s P-TECH is a threat to all things negative. He turns every negative into a positive. And he’s spreading hope and inspiration everywhere he goes.

That’s exactly what he did for thousands of teachers from across the country last week.

Threat’s ability to find the positive in everything – paired with his gift of eloquence in speech and memorable voice – is what landed him behind the microphone in the cavernous Landmark Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas last Tuesday.

The aspiring constitutional attorney was one of only two high school students nationwide invited to speak at the AVID conference. is a program offered in 8,000 schools across the country that supports educators and helps students develop college and career readiness.

Earlier this year, Lamar completed the revalidation process to become a National AVID Demonstration School. During the process, AVID staff from various parts of the country visited Lamar’s classrooms, met with campus and district staff and heard from students, including Threats. They were impressed by Threat’s ability to articulate the impact of AVID on his education, and they asked if he would speak at their national conference.

So, there he was last week, a featured speaker at the AVID Summer Institute.

“We are Family” blared over the loudspeakers as thousands of AVID teachers streamed in and took their seats. Threats, seated on the first row, gently bobbed his head to the beat, showing no signs of nerves.

Moments later he was on the stage, at the podium, representing Lamar in a sharp blue suit with a gold pocket square and American flag lapel pin.

Threats had his own cheering section in the audience – several Lamar teachers and administrators along with a few fellow Lamar students. They were loud in their support when Threats was introduced, but their cheers were soon drowned out by applause from the entire ballroom throughout the speech and during the standing ovation at the end.

Threats looked and sounded like a presidential candidate – only more well-spoken, more hopeful and with a messagethat resonated with everyone in the room. Threats shared his story of hardship growing up and how he has overcome and turned every negative situation into a positive. And he explained how moving to Texas and taking AVID at Lamar has changed his life and given him direction.

No one says it better than Threats, so here are a few snippets from his speech:

〉“Life has presented me several reasons to lose hope: inadequate education; untrustworthy peers with the exception of a few, disappearing opportunities and deaths of very permanent family members over the past four years of my life. However, I’m an individual who loves to dissect situations that may seem negative to find the positive … Had my parents not separated, I would not be standing before you here today. Had I not experienced bullying, I wouldn’t have had the desire to increase my physical activity. Had I not experienced bullying, I wouldn’t have had the desire to defy the odds. Had I not experienced the loss of loved ones, I wouldn’t have the emotional strength I have today, and had I not relocated to Texas, I wouldn’t have the amazingly devoted friends, mentors and opportunities I have today.

〉“One of the opportunities of relocating to Texas was the discovery of AVID. When entering AVID, I knew I wanted to become a lawyer. But did I know which field of law best suited me? No. Did I even know how to become a lawyer? Absolutely not. But ask me now, two years into my AVID experience, and I can give you a detailed guide on how to become a lawyer.”

〉While it is true I had expectations and goals for myself before AVID, the program has refined them and given me a whole new level of confidence and inspired me to work harder and achieve more.”

〉“You can find the positive in every negative situation. Often times, the most valuable lessons in life come from the negative situations if only you can find it.”

As Threats concluded his talk, he acknowledged and thanked all teachers.

“I want to say to each of you that you are the reason that everything around us exists,” Threats said. “You’re the reason doctors are able to heal the sick, architects are able to design structures, automotive companies are able to manufacture vehicles, lawyers are able to apply the law and you yourself were able to become a teacher. You quite literally hold the future in the palm of your hands. You are heroes without capes. I don’t know where this world would be if God hadn’t blessed us with each of you.”

One of those teachers Threats thanked was his ninth and 10^th grade AVID teacher, Melanie Drake. She was in the audience and one of the loudest supporters in the room.

“I knew he was going to blow me away,” Drake said after Threats spoke, “but it was even on a level that I would have never imagined. He’s just so well-spoken and he’s so confident and he’s so different now – it validates everything that we do … That’s the whole point of AVID to build that confidence and that love as a student. That was evident in Fred … I’m happy.”

So was everyone else in the room. Threats just does that to you.