Lakeland Regional High School hosted a “Character Education” assembly for its underclassmen on October 23, 2018, welcoming motivational speaker, former NFL player and founder of Dream for Kids, Mr. Lonnie Allgood.

Mr. Allgood spoke with students about building character and self-esteem, having respect, having dreams and achieving them, having a positive attitude, and appreciating education. He shared his life story, telling students about how he had to work hard to fulfill his dreams of playing football, but also how he had to respect his mother’s wishes of putting school first. He instilled in students a belief that hard work will pay off in the end.  

Being a skilled student and athlete, Mr. Allgood was the first in his family to attend and graduate college, which he did on an academic scholarship, graduating with a degree in engineering from Syracuse University. He was then drafted to the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, fulfilling his lifelong dream. However, once that dream ended and he was cut from the team, he realized he needed a new dream and path in life, so he founded Dreams for Kids.

Students were left with a powerful message on the importance of believing in oneself, having dreams, and learning how to adapt positively in life.