The LEWIS Influence, a twin brother duo that serves to inspire and connect with first-generation college students, visited the University on Friday, Oct. 21 as part of the TRIO Fall Success Conference.
The Lewis brothers lent insight for students in student support services as they pursue their educations now and their future careers later.
“This was a phenomenal presentation…they were funny, they were engaging and they gave a lot of helpful information,” Inglish Reed-Jones, a student enrolled in student support services, said.
More than 40 students attended the event, during which twins Rodney and Ron Lewis, 35, spoke about “guts, resilience, intensity and tenacity,” the same subjects as their book “Gritty.”
The Lewis brothers grew up in St. Louis and were able to attend college on basketball scholarships.
“We were you, we didn’t go to Bowling Green, but we sat in the seat, (and) that’s real talk,” Rodney Lewis said. “You (are) trying to get to where you (are) trying to get to, my brother and I are trying to get to where we (are) trying to get to.”
The brothers identified with the students in attendance Friday, many of whom are also first generation students.
“You have to determine your ‘I am’ before society tells you ‘you are,’” Ron Lewis said. “If you don’t say ‘I am’ and fill in the blank, society will say ‘you are!’”
The speakers talked about what the students’ “I am” can do for them, such as getting out of bed for an 8 a.m. class or skipping a game to study – whatever that “I am” may be, such as a doctor, lawyer or entrepreneur.
“This world is unforgiving, nobody’s handing out checks…people are earning checks,” Rodney Lewis said. “You only get rewarded for completing (college).”
The brothers identified the difference between students “finding a job” and “getting a career.”
“You go to a career center to find a career, not a job,” they said.
Sue Zwayer, the writing specialist for student support services, enjoyed the presentation and what the brothers had to offer.
“I appreciated how Rodney Lewis mentioned that, after he earned his doctorate degree, he continued to set new intellectual goals…he taught himself Spanish because he understood the value of being bilingual,” Zwayer said. “I loved both the focus of staying intellectually challenged and the bilingual emphasis.”
Rodney Lewis’ Spanish skills are all self-taught, which proves his hunger for knowledge and his hunger for life.
“I’m a black man who taught himself to speak Spanish,” Rodney Lewis said. “No class,” his brother added.
Ron Lewis expressed his brother’s struggle to learn Spanish and the perseverance required to embrace the learning process.
“Can you get knocked down consistently and get back up consistently?,” he asked the students in attendance.
The brothers also expressed the importance of utilizing all of the University’s resources, including the tutoring services available for students at the learning commons and through student support services, the library, the gym and meetings with professors.
“I liked how they compared paying each month for a cell phone and not using all the best applications their plans offer to paying college tuition and fees and not using the writing, math or tutoring center services,” Zwayer said.
After the presentation, the Lewis brothers were flocked by students. One student became emotional while talking to Rodney Lewis as she reflected upon her experiences and opportunities.
“The only thing that matters is them, that’s why we’re still here at seven o’clock when everyone else is gone, we’re still here because we don’t speak and leave, we speak and stay,” Ron Lewis said.
The Lewis brothers gave their personal cellphone numbers to everybody in attendance, and encouraged students to lean on them for support. Students could also connect with the brothers through their social media pages.
Myles Johnson, a self-identified entrepreneur enrolled in student support services, stayed after to meet the Lewis brothers.
“Sometimes it does get hard, but believing in myself and loving myself, I can do that,” Johnson said. “As he said, you got to love yourself as much as you love other people, and I can love myself just as much.”
The Lewis brothers both completed their undergraduate educations in broadcast communication and Ron Lewis is now pursuing his doctorate degree in global leadership; Rodney Lewis earned his doctorate in educational leadership. Ron is a consultant and Rodney is an elementary school principal.
“We honestly feel like that our students need, and our students want, a different perspective. They want it to be real and authentic,” Ron Lewis said. “We want to make students feel empowered.”
