At Tabooya, we love sharing stories that inspire and elevate the human spirit. This is one of them.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Chicago being one of the most violent cities in the nation. But violence is not only the dark spot in the windy city. The Chicago school system plagued by poverty, low high school graduation rates, and even lower college graduation rates.

But when U.S. Army veteran David Oclander discovered that we were losing more more young men to gun violence in the streets of Chicago than on the battlefield of Afghanistan, he decided to get involved and use his leadership skills to try to make a real difference in the lives of young americans, by becoming a teacher in a public high school in Chicago.

His goal was to Encouraging them to persevere and grow despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Being a constant positive presence. Showing them the love and constructive reassurance.

The video below tells the inspiring story of young man whose life was transformed by Mr. Oclander’s encouragement and support.

If you didn’t smile when this young man surprised his mom, you should go looking for the part of your soul you lost.

I can only say that we need a couple hundred thousand more people like this inspiring U.S. Army veteran.

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