Helping Our People Excel, H.O.P.E. was given to students as benefactors, committee members and scholarship recipients gathered in the Shippensburg University Tuscarora Room prior to Hill Harper’s lecture to celebrate the 31st annual program.

The H.O.P.E. Diversity Scholarship was established in March 1983 and provides students who have academic success and financial need with the opportunity to pursue higher education through monetary funds. It was originally called the Gifted Minority Student Scholarship Fund.

Speakers at the event included associate professor and H.O.P.E. Diversity Scholarship Committee chair Ronnie B. Tucker, the Rev. Tabitha Ssonko, associate professor Sharnine S. Herbert and SU President George “Jody” Harpster.

Scholars also gave their remarks to what the scholarship has done for them and the adversity that they had overcome. The scholars were Marc Acchitelli, Matthew Cheng, Josue Murillo, Michael Ochoa, Tatiana Purnell and Sydney Thorpe.

“This scholarship has fulfilled its purpose, inspiring and creating hope,” Thorpe said.

The speeches gave thanks to the people who helped the scholars but also gave an inside look to what they had to overcome. From foster homes, to homelessness, to abuse and even assault, each student shared his or her own story.

“This scholarship is more than just a check to pay for college,” Purnell said. “It’s a catalyst to help me reach my goals.”

After dinner, the attendees and guests made their way to the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center to listen to award-winning actor and best-selling author Hill Harper.

Harper focused his speech around a paraphrased version of a quote by Robert F. Kennedy, breaking down each part to discuss what everyone must do to manifest his or her own destiny.

The future does not belong to those who are fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas, but rather the future belongs to those who can blend passion, reason and courage Harper repeated throughout his speech.

He encouraged the audience to achieve its goals and dreams by explaining each part of the quote in his terms. Harper described fear as false evidence appearing real.

“I believe that fear is the No. 1 thing that stops us from manifesting our destiny,” Harper said.

Harper also said passion is energy and reason is critical thinking.

“We are sitting on huge amounts of potential energy that we can use to do anything,” Harper said.

Later, he added that courage is heart.

“I think that courage is all about heart,” said Harper. “It’s not about getting rid of the fear but embracing it.”

Throughout his talk, Harper walked through the audience and asked for participation. Harper motivated the audience to be its own cheerleader and to not let others drown them out. He encouraged the audience to use its voice by repeating after him things such as, “I will not let fear stop me from making the choices I know I should make.”

What is important is you to be your own cheerleader because there will always be haters and people who doubt you, Harper said.

Harper spent time with attendees by holding a short question and answer session and book signing.

“Unless I was articulating dreams that people laughed at, I wasn’t dreaming big enough,” Harper said. “I’d rather have unreasonable goals.”

Harper concluded with encouraging everyone to have unreasonable goals.

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