Young people are making positive headlines across America and 13-year-old Joshua Apparicio is among that group.
A recent 8th grade graduate, Apparicio already garnered as a reputation as an outstanding motivational speaker and won countless awards for his public speaking skills. Despite the accolades, the multi-talented youth remains humbled and focused as he prepares to enter high school.
According to Apparicio, the key to his success is his relationship with the Lord. “God plays a 100 percent role in my life. God is the head of my life,” shared the young man, who also plays the piano, saxophone and upright bass.
“Everything goes to God first and then everything else follows afterwards. As Philippians 4:14 says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’” he declared.
Apparicio, a member of Morningside Church of Christ in Inglewood, is also the president of the National Junior Honor Society. In this capacity, he recently addressed the 2018 graduates of Inspire Charter Schools in Santa Clarita.
His message to the students reflected on his NJHS tenure and emphasized the importance of teens working together to achieve their goals.
“As I ventured into this position of president, I embedded myself with the mindset that we will be better as a team as there are no I’s in ‘TEAM.’ Our main focus was getting things done together. My focus was on cohesion rather than divisiveness, and I am pleased to say we worked well together and accomplished our goal,” said Apparicio.
“I believe that I have encouraged everyone using an African Proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ This is what we did and we succeeded in what we needed to do.”
Apparicio plans to continue to be led by God and apply his beliefs in the next phase of his young life. “I’m very excited about what’s to come as I enter into this new realm of learning and have the experience of a higher level of education,” he said.
“I just to inspire and motivate others to follow their passion, follow what makes them happy and feel comfortable, and what makes them feel accepted in their community and just lets them reside in a mental place where they are able to just be themselves.”
