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Can you tell me your first and last name?
Can
you
tell
me
your
first
and
last
name
My first name is Vidal. Want me to tell you what it means?
My
first
name
is
Vidal
Want
me
to
tell
you
what
it
means
Yeah, sure.
Yeah
sure
It means life-giving in Latin.
It
means
life-giving
in
Latin
And my last name is Chastanet. It's French.
And
my
last
name
is
Chastanet
It's
French
How did you end up on Humans of New York?
How
did
you
end
up
on
Humans
of
New
York
This is a very common question.
This
is
a
very
common
question
I think the most interesting part about this
I
think
the
most
interesting
part
about
this
is that it just kind of all started with this
is
that
it
just
kind
of
all
started
with
this
interaction with this just random
interaction
with
this
just
random
teenage boy that was walking down the street.
teenage
boy
that
was
walking
down
the
street
I took his photograph and I asked him the question you know:
I
took
his
photograph
and
I
asked
him
the
question
you
know:
"who influences you the most in your life?"
who
influences
you
the
most
in
your
life
And almost always, when I ask that question,
And
almost
always
when
I
ask
that
question
somebody says their parents,
somebody
says
their
parents
but he had said it was his school principal Miss Lopez.
but
he
had
said
it
was
his
school
principal
Miss
Lopez
And I shared it with my audience that night and it just..
And
I
shared
it
with
my
audience
that
night
and
it
just
They were so engaged in the story.
They
were
so
engaged
in
the
story
It had over a million likes on Facebook
It
had
over
a
million
likes
on
Facebook
and I wanted to see what this woman was all about.
and
I
wanted
to
see
what
this
woman
was
all
about
It was one picture. It was really one picture and a
It
was
one
picture
It
was
really
one
picture
and
a
one Miss Lopez that nobody knew who Miss Lopez was.
one
Miss
Lopez
that
nobody
knew
who
Miss
Lopez
was
No one knew the school and somehow Brandon found me.
No
one
knew
the
school
and
somehow
Brandon
found
me
He came to the school and he sat with me.
He
came
to
the
school
and
he
sat
with
me
He was just like amazed at the story of the school,
He
was
just
like
amazed
at
the
story
of
the
school
the scholars, the teachers,
the
scholars
the
teachers
and I guess even myself I had a story.
and
I
guess
even
myself
I
had
a
story
And then he said what do you want them to do?
And
then
he
said
what
do
you
want
them
to
do
And I said I want them to know that they can go to college.
And
I
said
I
want
them
to
know
that
they
can
go
to
college
So you know the fundraiser
So
you
know
the
fundraiser
began as an initiative to raise the
began
as
an
initiative
to
raise
the
money to send every incoming class to
money
to
send
every
incoming
class
to
Mott Hall Bridges Academy to Harvard
Mott
Hall
Bridges
Academy
to
Harvard
every year and then we immediately raised
every
year
and
then
we
immediately
raised
enough money to do that for over a decade.
enough
money
to
do
that
for
over
a
decade
So then we decided to provide summer programs
So
then
we
decided
to
provide
summer
programs
and so we want to once again pivot
and
so
we
want
to
once
again
pivot
and start raising money
and
start
raising
money
to send some of these students to college.
to
send
some
of
these
students
to
college
I'm gonna be very honest.
I'm
gonna
be
very
honest
Up until this moment I didn't know I mattered.
Up
until
this
moment
I
didn't
know
I
mattered
I didn't know that anybody cared what I was doing.
I
didn't
know
that
anybody
cared
what
I
was
doing
I didn't know that each and every one of you,
I
didn't
know
that
each
and
every
one
of
you
as much as you feel like "Miss Lopez
as
much
as
you
feel
like
Miss
Lopez
keeps talking, Miss Lopez keeps talking"
keeps
talking
Miss
Lopez
keeps
talking
I think you are so dope and dynamic and exceptional
I
think
you
are
so
dope
and
dynamic
and
exceptional
I never want you to feel like there's this cap
I
never
want
you
to
feel
like
there's
this
cap
on how far you can go.
on
how
far
you
can
go
So the entire school, we're all going to Harvard.
So
the
entire
school
we're
all
going
to
Harvard
Is that exciting?
Is
that
exciting
I need you to know, that as scholars
I
need
you
to
know
that
as
scholars
of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, you are inspiring
of
Mott
Hall
Bridges
Academy
you
are
inspiring
an entire world, Not just Brownsville.
an
entire
world
Not
just
Brownsville
Not just Brooklyn. Not New York City.
Not
just
Brooklyn
Not
New
York
City
Not the United States. The entire world is
Not
the
United
States
The
entire
world
is
looking at you.
looking
at
you
Who knows how much we'll raise but I'll tell you this:
Who
knows
how
much
we'll
raise
but
I'll
tell
you
this:
there's no such thing as too much.
there's
no
such
thing
as
too
much
You know, there's no such thing as an amount
You
know
there's
no
such
thing
as
an
amount
that will meet all the needs of this school.
that
will
meet
all
the
needs
of
this
school
So, they will travel across the world just to go to Harvard?
So
they
will
travel
across
the
world
just
to
go
to
Harvard
Yes.
Yes
But there's been a dynamic shift in how
But
there's
been
a
dynamic
shift
in
how
we solve you the world and there's power
we
solve
you
the
world
and
there's
power
in education that has created this
in
education
that
has
created
this
resounding need for all of us to act like humans.
resounding
need
for
all
of
us
to
act
like
humans
It's not only humans of New York,
It's
not
only
humans
of
New
York
but there's humans of the world
but
there's
humans
of
the
world
who are helping to save children
who
are
helping
to
save
children
who will have a brighter future.
who
will
have
a
brighter
future
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