‘Believe,’ a teary D’Wayne Edwards tells graduation ceremony
30/04/2019
Edwards, a former design director of Nike’s Jordan brand, mentors students through his Pensole Academy in Portland.
He was moved to tears during the speech, quoting Mark Twain: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.
“It took me 40 years to get to day two,” he said. “Day two will manifest itself in what you call your passion, the day you figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. When you get to that point it’s an unbelievable feeling. That happened to me 10 years ago at my first Pensole class.”
He explained that he carries a card with advice given to him by his late mother, and made cards for students at the graduation ceremony to take with them, with the words: “Believe in yourself, in the power you have to control your own life day to day. Believe in the strength that you have deep inside, and your faith will help show you the way. Believe in tomorrow and what it might bring. Things will work out if you trust and believe – there’s no limit to what you can do.”
Edwards’ start in the industry came after he submitted a new shoe sketch every day into the suggestion box of L.A. Gear, where he worked as a file clerk. After six months, his pleas to hire him as a footwear designer were realised.
His designs have sold more than $1 billion worldwide.
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