| Richard Santana was born in California and became
the third generation of his family to join one of the largest gangs in
California. After several years of drugs, crime and violence on the streets,
he left that life, crediting education and teachers with paving the way.
Unlike his family members and homeboys, Richard found power through
education. Education provided him with opportunities to achieve personal
and social growth. Through positive leadership experiences and the learning
process, Richard experienced a transformation. Eventually, in 1995,
he graduated from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education,
Human Development and Psychology/Risk & Prevention Program.
As a captivating speaker, Richard uses personal gang-life experiences
to illustrate his former destructive attitudes and behaviors. Richard
heightens educators’ awareness and takes them through a process
of understanding "at-risk" youth. He helps educators design
strategies for tapping into youth’s resiliency and leadership qualities.
Richard moves educators to take an introspective look at how current
educative methodologies impact youth. Those who partake in Richard’s
unique and powerful presentation learn how to rechannel their energy
towards strategies that produce positive outcomes in "at-risk"
behavior.
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