Staff Sgt. Nicholas King, an infamous graduate of St. Louis High School and stupendous speaker, kicked off the Bi-Annual SLHS Career Fair Nov. 11, also Veteran’s Day, here in the gym.

King grew up in St. Louis and had many struggles growing up. In, the words of one of his most trusted teachers, Mr. Kuhn, “He was an unmotivated student, and did the bare necessity to just get by.” So, what altered this young man’s path? What is the driving force that turned this troubled student into a successful father of three? How has he been able to come back to the community of his youth and change the lives of so many students? 

A small insight to this may be found in King’s favorite saying, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” King’s childhood definitely wasn’t easy, and that’s an understatement. As a kid, King struggled with many difficulties, one of which was lacking a positive male role model in his life. As King progressed through life, he found direction through the military, which eventually led him into his current job as a full-time recruiter and part-time military science instructor for ROTC students at Central Michigan University

This year’s Bi-Annual Career Fair coincided with Veterans Day. Being so, it only fit that a successful, and intelligent staff sergeant of the Army National Guard be asked to kick off the career fair. Thus enter Nick King. Students loved his interactive speech and moving life story. Senior Jorden Cedotal even described the speech as, “Very motivating. I really felt moved by his speech. It was amazing that he was able to relate to so many students and to give them hope for their own lives.”  Another student said, “As soon as the Red Bulls came out, I was all ears.” 

In addition to King’s impressionable personality and “energizing” handouts, he also had the student body participate in a heart-wrenching exercise. For the teachers and business representatives who attended, this exercise brought to light the struggles that many students here are experiencing. This was not the only somber portion of the speech. King called upon the student body to stand up and share their difficulties. Answering the call was none other than Colton Long-Terwilliger whose story moved the entire student body. 

The students of SLHS would like to thank Staff Sgt. King, for reminding them that regardless of where they are currently, so long as they crave the exceptional, there is still hope.