Guest speaker Reggie Dabbs visited Homestead on Wednesday Oct. 23  in honor of Red Ribbon Week to bring awareness to the dangers of drug abuse and hopeless thinking. 

Reggie started the assembly with high energy, playing hit songs like “If I can’t have you” by Shawn Mendez on his soprano saxophone. This pumped up the crowd and got the students engaged for the assembly.

He informed the students about his difficult past, sending the message that no matter what, you are loved and can get past anything. His motto is, “Your past is your history, your future is your destiny,” showing students they can fix their future by making their lives healthy and happy, instead of turning to drugs as a coping mechanism.

Reggie shared other stories as well, all of them relating to never giving up when times seem rough. He gave examples that the students could relate to and repeated the message that they are loved. “Everybody is loved. I love you, and you might think ‘Reggie you don’t even know me’ but I don’t care, I love you,” Dabbs said. 

He also got the students involved by dancing to songs by Drake, and singing “Let me Love You” by DJ Snake and Justin Bieber. Dabbs implemented the message making the students sing “Don’t you give up” “I won’t give up” and “Let me love you” pointing to surrounding friends, students and teachers.

Dabbs’s message had a positive impact on the students, too. “Reggie was really funny and entertaining, but also inspiring. His stories were very powerful, and he was a really great guest to come to Homestead to speak to us,” Gabi Thomas, junior, said.

“Reggie is always adored by Homestead students when he comes to our school. Over the past three years, he’s done a stupendous job of keeping the students engaged in his stories and delivering his messages,” Ethan Endres, senior, added.

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Reggie Dabbs speaks at Homestead during Red Ribbon Week.