If anyone felt tired or uninspired on the morning of March 29, guest speaker Darryl Bellamy made sure to change that.

The native of Charlotte, North Carolina, ran to the stage, screaming and laughing as the eyes of hundreds looked on. Some seemed skeptical. But it took only a few seconds before his contagious energy spread across the room. Student interest had been piqued.

Bellamy has traveled the country, spreading a message he believes needs to be heard by many: fear is what is holding you back. After college, Bellamy started his own company, called “Kollege Koncierge,” which would help first year students with their everyday needs. The company never got off the ground.

While it was a massive blow to his confidence, he says, the failure made him realize that taking a risk and not having said risk pay out doesn’t kill you, and you will still wake up the next day.

He found work after college, but didn’t feel like he was living up to his full potential. He decided to seek help in a life/business coach he found through a Google search. Not only was she a coach but a full-time speaker as well. His final objective was to speak to students nationwide, in hopes of inspiring them to take risks.

The message he hopes to spread in every hour sessions he spends with schools is that fearlessness is about feeling that feeling in your stomach and taking one small step everyday to overcome it.

The assembly was captivating. It captured a healthy middle of emotional depth and comedy, making it easy for the students to follow. He shared some of his personal life stories, and gave the students a chance to write down their fears in full disclosure.

Supported by a choreographed PowerPoint, and songs fit for the event, he gave the audience a capturing speech on letting go of your fears, and doing what you’ve been scared of doing for all your life.

Ms. Davey, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Inclusion, was so impressed by the speaker she hopes she can bring him back for a bigger event on campus.

“I would love to have him come next year for “Why Not Speak? Day,” Davey told The Willistonian. “I think a workshop ran by Daryll could benefit the community greatly.”

The Willistonian reached out to Bellamy following his performance at Williston. He had stated during assembly that if anyone had anything to ask or say, he was there to answer, and he said he hopes to keep spreading his message for as long as he can, because he loves doing what he does.

“The best part of doing this, for me, is being on stage and feeling the energy of an engaged crowd,” he told The Willistonian. “And secondly, it’s the text messages and emails I receive almost daily of people pushing through fear because of the message I conveyed.”