TV Actor Urges Students to Fulfill Goals

NORTH HILLS —  A television actor spoke to nearly 600 Monroe High School students Thursday about achieving success and defying media portrayals about teenage sexuality and violence.

Chaz Lamar Shepherd, who has a recurring role in the family drama “7th Heaven,” addressed the students about overcoming obstacles and fulfilling goals.

“You want to be an engineer, doctor, lawyer?” he asked. “You have to see yourself as that--a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer. You have to walk like that. Then no one else can take that away from you.”

His talk was part of “Goal Models,” a youth outreach project of Van Nuys-based Bridge Focus, a nonprofit organization that has worked with troubled youth and their families since 1970. Project director Irene Brennick started the program less than a year ago at Monroe, a school troubled by gang activity and teen pregnancies. Brennick said she hopes to expand it to other schools.

Shepherd also spoke in general terms about the illusory draw of sex, money and violence as presented by the entertainment industry.

“They spend a lot of money to make all that stuff look real,” he said. “Being hard. Having lots of money. Having sex. But they don’t show you that you have to pay the consequences, like getting pregnant too early, or being six feet under when you try to leave a gang.”

During the speech, some students appeared to doze off, some did homework and others talked loudly to one another. But many listened intently and applauded enthusiastically.

“I loved it,” junior Madelyn Ramos said. “I know all the stuff he’s talking about is true, but it’s good to be reminded. I want to be a psychologist and I know I’m not going to get there if I get pregnant.

“I hope he touched some of the people who really need to hear it, the people who are in gangs,” she added. “But something like this is only going to hit you if you want it to.”