FERRIDAY, La. &045; Some Ferriday High students might have a different outlook on the troubles they are going through after hearing Mawi Asgedom speak Thursday.

Asgedom is living proof people can begin their lives in tough circumstances and become wildly successful.

He graduated from Harvard University and was a commencement speaker at his graduation ceremony.

But that’s not the most interesting part of his story. Asgedom &045; he prefers to be professionally called just Mawi &045; was born in Ethiopia. His family fled soldiers who were killing residents there when he was three. His mother took her three children across the wilderness on foot to a refugee camp in Sudan, where the family lived for several years until an aid organization brought them to America.

After some juvenile troubles, Mawi became a highly successful high school student, an all-state track athlete and went to Harvard on scholarship.

So when Mawi spoke to Ferriday High School students about achieving their goals, he had more than a little idea what he was talking about.

But more than just sharing his story, Mawi said he wanted to encourage the students and help give them the tools to succeed.

&uot;I’m not just going to tell you that I went from living in grass hut to Harvard, I’m going to give you the play-by-play of what I did in high school,&uot; Mawi said. &uot;I want you to leave here knowing you can be successful.&uot;

Mawi gives talks around the country to students and workers to tell his story and give encouragement. He also runs a corporation that helps high school students succeed by providing coaching on achieving goals.

&uot;Nothing gets me more excited than seeing a teenager become what they can be,&uot; Mawi said.

Mawi talked about the importance of setting goals &045; and then working on a daily basis to achieve them.

&uot;Most people set goals and then forget about them,&uot; Mawi said. &uot;The successful people don’t. They say, ‘I’m going to get a little better every day,’ and then they do that.&uot;

His mother’s determination to reach a safe place for her and her children was all that saved them when they journey to Sudan, he said.

&uot;I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for my mother’s determination,&uot; Mawi said. &uot;My mother thought, this challenge is temporary. I can get around this and be happy again at some point.&uot;

An accomplished author, Mawi donated several copies of his books and CDs of his speeches to the school for the students to use later.