Activity 4.2.5 Biographies of Unlikely Successes
- Purpose
- To gain insight into adversity and overcoming challenges
- Materials
- Handouts–
- (1) Oprah Winfrey
- (2) Temple Grandin
- (3) Chris Burke
- (4) Hirotada Ototake
- (5) Fantasia Barrino
- Time
- 2–3 hrs
Method
Open the discussion by asking participants what challenges in life could prevent people from
succeeding.
- Ask participants to offer opinions about the prejudices in our society against the poor, visible
minorities, mentally challenged, and the physically challenged.
- Brainstorm with participants about famous people who overcame challenges in their lives.
- Ask why these people were able to be successful. Did they have a special quality? Write down
answers given by the participants.
- Included are readings of successful people who overcame challenges: Oprah Winfrey, Temple
Grandin, Chris Burke, Hirotada Ototake, and Fantasia Barrino. Note: facilitators may use
their own personal choices. Video biographies are also available at most local libraries and are
a wonderful addition to the readings.
- Instruct participants that they will read and analyze the following material about people who
were not expected to succeed in life. *Facilitators may choose one or all of the readings and the
time to allot to this exercise.
- Questions to pose after the readings:
- Was anyone surprised by what they read about these famous people?
- What was the one quality shared by these people in order to succeed? What did they give to
the world? How has the world changed because of them?
- Ask participants to discuss their views on fate vs. hard work.
- What is a quality or characteristic that does not allow people to succeed in life?
- What is one quality that the participants have that would propel them to succeed?
- What is success? Is it fame and fortune? Is it working at doing what you love?
- What does success look like? Facilitators may ask participants to communicate/draw this
image.
- As an extra activity: After reading about famous people who overcame barriers, ask
participants to choose one person and then write a biography about how this person made a
difference in the world and how it altered their view on certain barriers.