Adam Braun, CEO and founder of the for-purpose organization Pencils of Promise, spoke last Thursday at the annual Freshman Convocation in the First United Bank Center.
Braun’s novel, “The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change,” was the Freshman Reader for this year. The novel is an autobiography about how Braun began his organization, Pencils of Promise and how it has impacted the world thus far. The global organization focuses on increasing education in impoverished areas of the world to improve communities. The book itself was published in March of this year.
“In a lot of ways, I wanted to write a book that I wished someone had given me earlier in my life,” Braun said. “I wanted to write a book where every chapter was packed with independent value that was still linked to the rest of them.”
Braun said that he wanted his book to be interesting, but also valuable to others.
“On a personal level, I have received, I would guess thousands at this point, of emails,” Braun said. “These emails are from people who have read the book and have, in some way, shape, or form, altered the trajectory of their life to improve the life of another.”
During its debut, “The Promise of a Pencil” was number two on the New York Times Bestseller list.
“Since the book came out, the visibility of the organization has increased greatly,” Braun said. “There is just a lot more awareness about the work of the organization and the story itself. That has also lead to a significant increase in funding.”
Dr. Pamela Lockwood, Director of the Attebury Honors Program and Professor of Mathematics, said that she felt the book was well-received by students.
“Having read most of these books over the years, I believe their goal is to show each of our new students that ‘There are always possibilities,’” Lockwood said. “From my perspective, the central theme of all of our readers is that each individual can change the world or at least change the world for someone else, through what may sometimes seem like the smallest act.”
As the Director of the Attebury Honors Program, Lockwood teaches Honors Freshman Seminar classes.
“I am currently teaching approximately 100 freshman students, all with nothing but possibilities in front of them and each of them making choices every day,” Lockwood said “I hope the big picture of stepping out of your comfort zone will stay with my students and with myself.”
During his Freshman Convocation Speech, Braun said that the college journey is an important time in anyone’s life and that students should use this time to pursue significance.
“Many of you, during your time at college are going to pursue success,” Braun said during his Freshman Convocation speech. “But if I have learned anything since I sat in your chair as a freshman at convocation, it is that you can both have a life of success and significance. You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”