Malcolm Mitchell at IMS: Courage to Climb Higher Speaker Series
On April 17 and 18, IMS welcomed Super Bowl LI Champion, children’s book author, and literacy advocate Malcolm Mitchell as part of our Courage to Climb Higher Speaker Series. This speaker series aims to explore IMS’s core values, Honesty, Compassion, and Respect, through the lived experience of individuals who have overcome great obstacles in life.
As students shot baskets, played volleyball, and kicked soccer balls around the Morehead Athletic Center, Malcolm Mitchell entered and quietly stood on the sidelines. Watching them play, the Super Bowl champion remarked on the students’ enthusiasm, cooperation, and respect for one another.
A short while later, students gathered on the bleachers and peppered Mr. Mitchell with questions about his football career, what it was like getting drafted, what it was like playing with Tom Brady, and how he managed to persevere through injuries. He answered all their questions, shared some great insider moments, and then said, “Tomorrow, I’ll tell you more about my story, but I’ll leave you with this: football was the easy part. Of course, I’m extremely proud of that. But real success? That came from reading.”
Pictured: Malcolm Mitchell reading his book, “The Magician’s Hat,” to Lower Campus students.
The next day, Mr. Mitchell visited both campuses and shared his story. Growing up poor and hungry in a small town in Georgia, he believed that his natural football skills were the only pathway for him to succeed and make his mom proud. He earned a football scholarship to the University of Georgia. “But football came naturally. What no one knew was that I could barely read. And in order to succeed in life, that was the most important skill to have. Even for athletes, it’s the smartest ones that really go far.”
Embarrassed, but determined, Mr. Mitchell began frequenting the bookstore and the library. “I started with picture books. I read all of Dr. Seuss. I loved Shel Silverstein. Eventually, I moved on to chapter books. I pushed myself to read everything I could get my hands on.” What he soon realized was how reading could open up so many worlds, both figuratively and literally. He joined a book club to encourage his newfound love for reading and discuss books with others. He went on to publish his first book, titled “The Magician’s Hat,” before his senior year.
Then, in 2016, all his hard work paid off. That year, he joined the New England Patriots as a wide receiver and founded the “Share the Magic Foundation,” an organization dedicated to improving reading interest, enhancing reading skills, and providing free access to books for students of all ages.
“When I was a kid, I was scared of books,” Mr. Mitchell said to our youngest learners on the Lower Campus, “but now I know that reading is succeeding.”
Pictured: Malcolm Mitchell, IMS Head of School Lisa Sun, and IMS Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Ahmad Cantrell
Malcolm Mitchell’s story is certainly about the power of reading. It’s also about how we lead our lives. “I try to tell the truth,” he says. “Life is not all sunshine and rainbows. It takes perseverance and hard work. And if we want to get the most out of our lives, one of the best ways to do that is to help other people get the most out of their lives. That’s what I’m trying to do, I’m sharing my story to help others write theirs.”
