The NBA does a great job of giving back to the community. Through NBA Cares, all players are consistently striving to help children and it has been a great initiative. Each team has their own charitable projects they participate in, but the players themselves go the extra mile and do their own charitable work.
Andre Iguodala is an intelligent player on and off the court and he understands the value of a college education. According to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, Iguodala surprised a pair of high school students by presenting them a scholarship for college:
Andre Iguodala surprised two students who had received $5,000 scholarships at an event in San Rafael. pic.twitter.com/VvOf7Yt1tR
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) November 13, 2014
Not only did the two students receive a $5,000, but they also got a brand new signed Iguodala jersey. The ceremony and scholarships were put together by Huckleberry Youth Programs and Next Generation Scholars. They awarded Barbara Yupit-Gomez and Eneida Sanchez the scholarship for their efforts in the class room and in the community.
Iguodala was able to address these two young ladies and the rest of the crowd in attendance and according to Janis Mara of marinij.com, he had one simple message:
“Always have confidence in yourself and you will be successful,” Iguodala told the crowd of about 100 students, teachers, officials and dignitaries at the event.
He kept it short and sweet, but the message was delivered. The real world can be a scary place, but if you have confidence in yourself, than anything is possible. Great mantra to live by. The scholarship will be very helpful for the two promising students, but Iguodala’s words might be something they benefit from for the rest of their lives.