AARON READER: AN OAKLAND SUCCESS STORY

Motivational speaker Aaron Reader has dreams of being an actor, and satisfies his love of storytelling by sharing his own life story and encouraging others to do the same.

Reader gave a keynote presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the College Theatre on MHCC’s Student Orientation Day.

First-year Mt. Hood President Dr. Lisa Skari introduced herself to students, and let it be known that they weren’t the only ones new to campus. Having known Reader a few years, she invited him to travel from Renton Technical College near Seattle, where he’s the Dean of Students, to share his personal story, as well as some poems.

The key points Reader touched on were: “Defining your ‘what’ ”; “Figuring out your path to success”; “Knowing who you are”; and “Knowing your ‘why’ ”.

Sharing his story

Reader is a first-generation college graduate. He was raised in Oakland, California, where he was told he was “nothing but a quarter” – meaning he wouldn’t make it past age 25. He grew up surrounded by alcoholism and domestic violence, he said.

Halfway through his senior year in high school, his family moved to Washington, where things started to change for him. He graduated high school, and decided to go to Highline Community College, where he met Skari, just because it felt like the right thing to do at that point.

Reader was on autopilot and self-advising, he told his Mt. Hood audience. Being a first-generation college student meant that he didn’t have anyone to show him the ropes of how the education system worked.

He  then performed a poem he wrote in response to his experience with financial aid: The piece touched on the knowledge students must have in order to get financial aid when they need it, and how many underprivileged students don’t have the necessary knowledge or support systems. Navigating the system was critical to Reader’s survival, but the system wasn’t built for people like him, he said.

Rounding out his presentation, Reader performed another poem sharing perspective on homelessness, and one on the metaphorical mask he puts on in order to survive daily life as a black man in America.

He talked about the importance of each individual knowing their own story: “When you know your story, your ‘what’, and who you are, it will empower you,” he said. He noted that learning others’ stories can also help people learn their own.

During his time in college, Reader learned a lot about his own story. In Washington, the community and culture was far different than in the Bay Area: It was less about surviving and more about living. Unlearning hateful ideals that were previously planted in his mind was crucial for his future.

Inspired by young daughter

Aaron Reader is a success story: There are folks that he knew in Oakland who didn’t make it past 25, he said. Many are now in jail or have passed away.

Now, Reader is 38. He says his 2-year-old daughter, Kennedi, is the inspiration for his work in social justice.

“A lot of the work I do is around retention, it’s around equity, and so that’s a part of my life, whether I want it to be or not,” he said. “No matter where I go and what I do, those things will always be in the world around me, so that’s my motivation. But, really, I would say Kennedi, my daughter, she’s my motivation.”

Reader got into public speaking in college, when an instructor let him tag along during several keynote talks. He was a student athlete, so he’d get to speak a bit about that, which got him interested in the idea of doing it himself.

“I think if you’re a holder of information or knowledge, it’s important to share that information and not be a gatekeeper. So over the years, different positions kind of set me up to be in front of students often,” said Reader.

During  a quick Q&A session after Reader’s keynote address, he was asked his thoughts on cultural appropriation. He urged everyone to call it out when they see it happening, and encouraged people to read up and be better.

“You can’t change anyone else if you don’t change yourself first,” he said. “Learning happens when we’re uncomfortable.”

Asked about how the college should work to be more inclusive, he listed a few quick suggestions: flyers distributed printed in more than one language; increasing accessibility across the campus; having all-gender restrooms; checking if faculty demographics reflect those of the students they serve, and if curriculum also reflects student experiences.

Passion for performing

“Continuous learning” and “growing” were common themes throughout both Reader’s Mt. Hood keynote and the interview.

His advice is, “Never find yourself at this place where you feel like you’ve arrived, but instead you’re always arriving.”

When Reader was younger, he’d never dreamt of ending up where he is now, he said in a separate interview with the Advocate. Instead, he wanted to be an actor. He’s a huge fan of action and horror films, and has too many favorites to name just a few. It’s a passion that he didn’t initially follow, but it’s coming back around in his life now, he explained.

“I work in higher education,” Reader explained, “I love it, I’ve been doing it for over 10 years. But I have this dream of being an actor, so you can see how I love movies and poetry and memorizing lines and things like that, and that’s part of performing.”

He’s gotten the chance to be an extra in a few shows coming out this fall, and is eager to share that thrill.

“Something that I’d want new folks, students, young people to really think about, is whatever your passion is, to follow that dream,” he said.