Educating Youth On The Importance Of Perseverance

The number of young people dropping out of high school and college in the U.S. is rising quickly, setting off alarm bells on increasing efforts to address the enormity of the issue. According to Education Week’s U.S Census statistics, 38% of high school dropouts end up below the poverty line. In addition, the average dropout spends $450 less on housing and $300 less on entertainment, with only 60% owning vehicles. The ripple effect of this phenomenon is shaping up to produce multiple adverse side effects for individuals and the future U.S. economy.

A fair number of dropouts in 2022 are not only leaving for lack of funds but bucking traditional education in pursuit of less conventional careers as entrepreneurs, social media experts, and influencers. Unfortunately, many who choose the alternative path leave the confines of a traditional education ill-equipped for the pressure of real-life decision-making. Lacking a solid foundation that includes perseverance and self-belief structuring, young individuals face financial and personal challenges.

According to Dr. Cameron Lewis, a leading American Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon, executive producer, mentor, and founder of Cameron Lewis LLC, some of the blame lies at the feet of an educational system that often fails to provide emotional encouragement. “School offers a lot of knowledge for the mind but very little training for the heart,” he says. “In my experience as a doctor and as a mentor to hundreds of American youth, I have found that a lack of perseverance and encouragement is one of the main reasons people are dumping their dreams by the wayside.”

Dr. Lewis spends much of his time mentoring young people to build their passion, vision, and faith using the lessons from his journey from rejection to professional success. This reporter sat down with him to share a little about his story and the importance of what he calls a “trained heart.”

Rod Berger: You often talk about your journey and how your route made you much stronger and contributed to your success.

Cameron Lewis: I was born and raised in Gulfport, Mississippi, in the Gulf coast part of the state. I remember always wanting to be a doctor from the age of 12, and it was a very strange desire for most people in my black American family. We had no doctors in our family or lineage, so it was understandably odd for most people.

I received an undergraduate degree from Xavier University from 1999-2003. Then, I went to dental school at Howard University from 2003 to 2007. After a series of setbacks, I finally got into New York Medical College in 2010 to train as an Oral Maxillofacial surgeon and graduated in 2014.

Berger: Can you shed more light on the setbacks you overcame and how they shaped your mindset?

Lewis: The first setback was that it was difficult for many people to picture me as a doctor, and that doubt eventually affected me. As I said, no one in my family or lineage had ever been a doctor, so believing I could do it was my first struggle. I had to believe strongly enough to start pursuing it.

Also, after my undergraduate degree, I didn’t have the grades for dental school. This type of setback can force many young people to give up and try to become YouTubers or other offshoots, but I persisted. I had absolute faith in God that I could become what I had envisioned. The facts were staring me in the face. I didn’t have the grades, but it didn’t matter. I pushed on, checked my options, and eventually got into Howard Dental School.

After dental school, I tried to become an oral surgeon, but for three years straight, I received rejections from all the schools I applied. I became depressed and anxious and almost gave up, but I leaned heavily on my faith during those difficult times. I kept pushing, taking up internships, and learning what I could while waiting and trying. Eventually, it clicked, and I got into New York Medical College. The rest, as they say, is history.

Berger: What would you say about your mental makeup that kept you going? What ingredient do you feel you possess that many young people struggle to harness today?

Lewis: It’s many things. For me, the first was my faith in God and prayer. Everyone has to get encouragement from somewhere, and our schools lack that these days. Schools give you grades and then tell you what you can or can’t do based on your grades, so I got my encouragement from my faith and prayers.

Then there is the need for self-development and mental development beyond the school curriculums. Many young people these days have never heard an encouraging word. They are so emotional in their decisions, which makes them give up way too quickly.

When I mentor these young people, I try to teach them to stop looking at what is evident to the eyes, their weaknesses, grades, and disabilities. Instead, I teach them to find that special thing within that makes them expert sailors in rough waters.

I read a great deal during some of my darkest times. I also attended conferences that taught me how to speak positively about myself and build winning habits. In hard times, an informed mind cannot help us, but a trained and strong heart will. This is why training the heart is essential. It’s what enables us to persevere. Unfortunately, many young people are too dependent on social media and the emotional roller coaster it serves.

Berger: That’s an interesting observation on the emotionally negative aspects of social media. So, apart from education, how else has this heart training served you in your career and life?

Lewis: Human beings are the most powerful entity on the planet, and it’s sad to see so many people living below their potential. The most obvious fruit of a trained heart is perseverance, which has served me in many ways.

After I graduated from New York Medical College, there was a lot of pressure to sign a contract with a dental practice or open up my own office. However, I had a daring dream. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, beholden to no one but myself, so I did just that.

I became a traveling oral surgeon. I bring my expertise to general dental practitioners worldwide and am compensated well for my work. When I started, very few people were doing this (less than 1%), and others thought I was crazy, but faith and perseverance are two potent keys that helped me succeed. My model enables me to avoid the overhead cost of maintaining a building, paying employees, and other expenses. It has served me well and allowed time for more mentorship and outside initiatives.

Since the pandemic, schools across the country have seen a rise in anxiety, depression, and suicide trickling down to a growing number of younger students. While efforts are underway to address students’ mental wellness, many school districts feel overwhelmed with increased responsibility.

Outside advocates for mental health change, like Dr. Cameron Lewis, represent a growing pool of individuals choosing to do their part in helping the cause. Through faith encouragement and mentorship programs, Lewis is partaking in various initiatives to promote better mental health in youth desperate for assistance. His mentoring provides youth the self-development and mental health supports necessary for further achievement in life and the perseverance to gut it out academically and stay in school.

Lewis’ efforts are multifaceted, spanning motivational movie production to working with communities in the Gulf coast of Mississippi to raise money for autism awareness, medical care, education, and school supplies. It’s a busy task for any professional, but one that Lewis’ background and faith are teaming up to fulfill almost effortlessly.

Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.