The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - Waitsburg students began this week with a smile and some food for thought, courtesy of the WHS ASB Leadership Team. The team brought in motivational speaker, Scott Backovich, who addressed students in grades 8 through 12 in a Monday morning assembly on how to "Be a Catalyst." Backovich later worked directly with the school leaders on leadership training.

To say Scott Backovich gets around is an understatement. The Los Angeles native says he regularly visits 35 states each month as he shares his message with teens across the country. The teen advocate has appeared regularly on both television and radio and has dedicated his life to inspiring teens by meeting them at their level.

Backovich broke the ice by teaching a variety of "hand hugs" on Monday morning before entertaining the crowd with a series of highly comedic childhood memories - most involving him and his older brother. The funniest were because his brother was an active sleepwalker who would interact with his surroundings doing so. "It was great because I could suggest into his dreams and then sit back and watch science happen," said Scott prior to sharing some side-splitting examples.

The stories became less funny as Scott shared about his brother leaving for college, losing touch with his family and eventually struggling both emotionally and financially. Backovich admitted to ignoring the regular monthly phone calls from his brother, asking for money. After ignoring one call, he eventually listened to the message only to learn that his brother had been severely injured. He drove eight hours straight to provide aid.

That experience changed the direction of Backovich's life. "My brother was struggling and I was ignoring the stupid things he was doing so that they wouldn't affect me," he said. Backovich decided to make a difference in the lives he touches and has been traveling and speaking to teens ever since.

Backovich urged WHS students to step in and help, rather than sit back and watching when they see fellow students who are struggling with school work, family issues or who are feeling alone. "You'll be remembered by the people you help. Take what you love most and use it to help the people that need it most," he said as he reminded students that little steps mean big change and urged them to become catalysts for change to those around them.

ASB advisor Roseann Groom said that last year's leadership team discovered Brackovich online but weren't able to make a visit to the school happen. This year's team picked up the ball and invited Backovich to speak on student involvement, a topic with ties in with their "Be True to Your School" theme.

Later in the day, Brackovich met with FFA officers, team captains, and current and former student council leaders to work on leadership skills and how to motivate other students. "He had a lot of great ideas to help our school and make sure everybody feesl good about themselves and to make sure everyone stays within their comfort zone so they can grow and be willing to participate in all our school has to offer," said ASB secretary Caitlyn Jones.

ASB president Owen Lanning said his fellow students found Brackovich's message "spectacular." "He had the perfect amount of humor and seriousness. The students really enjoyed his presentation."