Rachel Baribeau inspires Bay High students
PANAMA CITY – Inspirational speaker and sports broadcaster Rachel Baribeau stopped by Bay High School to remind students they are kings and queens.
Baribeau spoke to students Monday and used those terms to remind them of their self-worth. Baribeau encouraged students to be confident, help others and overcome obstacles. “You are not a victim,” Baribeau said. “You are a victor.” Baribeau shared elements of her life to connect with and motivate students, including how she worked for three years unpaid and survived suicidal thoughts and domestic abuse. After the speech, students came up to hug and talk to Baribeau.
Student Danielle Cade, 17, said the speech touched her because she has gone through things with Hurricane Michael and daily life. “I just have a new perspective on life, to talk to myself better in the mornings and try to bring up other people and spread her word to everyone,” Danielle said.
Baribeau promoted the Bay High appearance on social media, saying in one Twitter post she couldn’t “wait to touch this community.” Baribeau donated a virtual training program designed to help them through the challenges of life — it usually sells for $299 a person — to each of the students. Baribeau’s slogan is #changingthenarrative, evident on the website imchangingthenarrative.org. She looks back on her struggles as a foundation of what she does.
“Don’t curse your struggle,” Baribeau said. “Let your haters be your motivators.” Baribeau told the students life will come at them quick. “Are you a king or are you a follower?” Baribeau asked as students cheered. Baribeau encouraged students to stand out instead of wanting to fit in and said students can “keep walking” and “get to stepping” if other people don’t recognize their worth.
She also discussed mental health issues, saying a lot of students may smile to people but “die on the inside.” Baribeau related to that, mentioning her own struggles helping her mom, who died in May from cancer.
Ending on a positive note, Baribeau said she is there for the students. “I came out the fire and I got buckets of water for everybody that’s still burning,” Baribeau said.
