On Thursday, February 28, a very special guest came to speak during lunch. Khalilah Ali, a mother, humanitarian, champion kickboxer, pilot and former wife of Muhammad Ali, brought a message to the students of Kempsville, telling everyone to work hard and push to do what they want to do.

“You can be anything you want to be if you decide to be,” Ali said during her speech. “Being in school is the most precious time of your life, so absorb every minute of it.”

Ali described her time in school, as a kid who always wanted to learn and never accepted anything lower than an A. “I was always at the front desk, in front of the teacher. I would ask for homework.” She continued her story, reflecting on how she was also bullied in school. “Bullies used to lock me in the bathroom on Fridays, so I wouldn’t ask for homework for the weekend.”

“Bullying is one thing that tells people you are a coward, and you do not want to bring out the best of your abilities to be the greatest. When bullies bully people, they’re telling everyone they are ignorant, cowardly, and they don’t want to make themselves better; so they pick on those who do.”

Ali spoke about Black History Month, encouraging everyone to be proud of their culture, regardless of race. “I am honored to speak to you today to enlighten and encourage you to maintain your strong roots that you came from. When you depart this world, your roots will stand and your legacy will go on and on after you’re gone,” she said. “Each of you have a specific color, and these colors are wrappings of a gift. The gift is not on the outside of your skin; it’s on the inside.”

Ali also reminisced about when she first became a pilot. “The first time I got in any aviation was when I was in school, and they took us up in a helicopter, and I said, ‘wow.’ My cousin, who was in flight school, invited me to fly with him and it was amazing,” she said. “It was the best high I ever had in my life. Y’all want to get high? Get in a plane and go up. Don’t get in drugs because that’s not going to get you anywhere.”

Ali also told students to follow their dreams and reassess their focuses.

“If you’re 16, and you don’t know what you want to be right now, you’re in trouble. You need to figure this out. Don’t worry about girlfriends or boyfriends because you need to focus on yourself. When you focus on yourself and what you want to be for you, you’re going to attract the right guy or girl.”

When Ali was asked about how she dealt with racism growing up as a black woman and a Muslim, she had a confident message. “I didn’t deal with it. That was just me. I wore my long dress and was proud of it. I’m proud to be a Muslim, and I’m happy that I am a Muslim.”