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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
to
X
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
up
X
on
on
X
Humans of
of
X
New York? How did you end up
end up
X
on Humans of New York?
This is a very common question. This is a very common question.
I think the most interesting part about
about
X
this I think the most interesting part about this
is that it just kind of
of
X
all started with
with
X
this is that it just kind of all started with this
interaction with
with
X
this just random interaction
interaction
X
with this just random
random
X
teenage boy that was walking down
down
X
the street. teenage
teenage
X
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
influences
X
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
but
X
he had said it was his school principal Miss Lopez. but he had said it was his school principal
school principal
X
Miss Lopez.
And I shared it with
with
X
my audience that night and it just.. And I shared
shared
X
it with my audience
audience
X
that night and it just..
They were so engaged in
in
X
the story. They were so engaged
engaged
X
in the story.
It had over
over
X
a million likes on Facebook It had over a million likes
likes
X
on Facebook
and I wanted to
to
X
see what this woman was all about
about
X
. and I wanted to see what this woman was all about
all about
X
.
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
to
X
the school and he sat with
with
X
me. He came to the school and he sat with me.
He was just like
like
X
amazed at
at
X
the story of
of
X
the school, He was just like amazed
amazed
X
at the story of the school,
the scholars, the teachers, the scholars
scholars
X
, 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
to
X
do? And then he said what do you want them to do?
And I said I want them to
to
X
know that they can go to
to
X
college. And I said I want them to know that they can go to college
college
X
.
So you know the fundraiser So you know the fundraiser
fundraiser
X
began as
as
X
an initiative to
to
X
raise the began as an initiative
initiative
X
to raise
raise
X
the
money to
to
X
send every incoming class to
to
X
money to send every incoming class
incoming class
X
to
Mott Hall Bridges Academy to
to
X
Harvard Mott Hall Bridges Academy to Harvard
every year and then we immediately raised every year and then we immediately raised
enough money to
to
X
do that for
for
X
over
over
X
a decade. enough money to do that for over a decade
decade
X
.
So then we decided to
to
X
provide summer programs So then we decided to provide summer programs
and so we want to
to
X
once again pivot and so we want to once again pivot
pivot
X
and start raising money and start raising money
to
to
X
send some of
of
X
these students to
to
X
college. to send some of these students to college
college
X
.
I'm gonna be very honest. I'm gonna be very honest.
Up until
until
X
this moment I didn't know I mattered. Up until this moment I didn't know I mattered
mattered
X
.
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
of
X
you, I didn't know that each and every one of you,
as
as
X
much as
as
X
you feel like
like
X
"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
dope
X
and dynamic
dynamic
X
and exceptional
exceptional
X
I never want you to
to
X
feel like
like
X
there's this cap I never want you to feel like there's this cap
cap
X
on
on
X
how far you can go. on how far you can go.
So the entire school, we're all going to
to
X
Harvard. So the entire
entire
X
school, we're all going to Harvard.
Is that exciting? Is that exciting?
I need you to
to
X
know, that as
as
X
scholars I need you to know, that as scholars
scholars
X
of
of
X
Mott Hall Bridges Academy, you are inspiring of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, you are inspiring
inspiring
X
an entire world, Not just Brownsville. an entire
entire
X
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
entire
X
world is
looking at
at
X
you. looking at you.
Who knows how much we'll raise but
but
X
I'll tell you this: Who knows how much we'll raise
raise
X
but I'll tell you this:
there's no such thing as
as
X
too much. there's no such thing as too much.
You know, there's no such thing as
as
X
an amount You know, there's no such thing as an amount
that will meet all the needs of
of
X
this school. that will meet all the needs of this school.
So, they will travel across
across
X
the world just to
to
X
go to
to
X
Harvard? So, they will travel across the world just to go to Harvard?
Yes. Yes.
But there's been a dynamic shift in
in
X
how But there's been a dynamic
dynamic
X
shift
shift
X
in how
we solve you the world and there's power we solve you the world and there's power
in
in
X
education that has created this in education that has created this
resounding need for
for
X
all of
of
X
us to
to
X
act like
like
X
humans. resounding
resounding
X
need for all of us to act like humans.
It's not only humans of
of
X
New York, It's not only humans of New York,
but
but
X
there's humans of
of
X
the world but there's humans of the world
who are helping to
to
X
save
save
X
children who are helping to save children
who will have a brighter future. who will have a brighter future.

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