My name is Andre Norman, and I have an incredible and inspirational story to share with you.
It takes me from a life of crime, then to imprisonment, then to an Epiphany and a dream, and finally to parole and to that dream—attending college and helping others—becoming reality. I now travel the world as a motivational speaker, trainer and mentor, sharing my experiences and lessons-learned with everyone from at-risk youth to the leaders of Fortune 500 companies. I am known to many as “The Ambassador of Hope.”
I will be honest with you, I was once a very bad guy. The circumstances of my childhood left me to raise myself in a hostile environment, and I responded by turning to crime. At 18, I was sent to prison with various sentences totaling more than 100 years. Before long, I was one of the top gang leaders in the Massachusetts prison system, taking a road that led nowhere but down.
Then I was put in solitary confinement, and those two years changed everything. I formed a relationship with God, and decided that I would leave prison, attend Harvard, and work with youth. This led to my radical transformation from one of the system’s worst inmates into one of its best.
Over the next 8 years I educated myself, earned my GED, and studied enough about the law to win my appeal. In 1999, I walked out of prison after serving 14 years.
Since my release, I have dedicated my life to reaching those in need, whether they are in high schools, behind bars or in corporate boardrooms, anywhere in the world. I have developed innovative programs, including those aimed at reducing gang violence and helping former prisons re-enter society, and have been a change agent in such troubled communities as St. Louis, Mo. I have spoken at several top universities and taught a course at Tufts.
I even achieved my dream of attending Harvard, when Harvard Law granted me a fellowship.
How can I help you?
