#DiscoverU21 project helps students discover their life goals and dreams!

Co-founder, Reggie Dupard loves inspiring youth through his life story of vision, hope, education and hard work. As a young boy growing up in the Magnolia projects of New Orleans, Reggie had family support but he often faced challenges of ridicule among his peers because he was always smaller than his classmates.

Recreation playground football was his love and he was not shy about sharing his dream to become a NFL player. One day in elementary school the teacher asked each student to tell what he or she wanted to be, Reggie shared that he was going to be a professional football player and one of his classmates laughed hysterically. Reggie remembers the embarrassment then a burning desire to prove his classmate “the doubter” wrong.

Reggie used the negativity as a positive by working hard and keeping his faith. He could have easily allowed his classmate to change his belief but instead he decided to continue discovering and believing in his dream.
Reggie chose the number “21” during his recreation playground years and used #21 to fuel his dream from playground, high school, college to fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL when he was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 1st round of the 1986 draft. Today, #DiscoverU21 is what Reggie uses as a reminder to students that they can become who they want to be!