The road from crime and prison to success

Nationally Recognized speaker Victor Woods was at the Platte Valley Community Center Wednesday to bring his "never give up" message to Saratoga sixth to 12th grade students in attendance in the theater.

Woods, who has spoken at colleges, businesses, schools, juvenile detention centers, prisons and other organizations across America, used humor and pointed situations to tell his history of crime and redemption.

The speaker illustrated his grim early history from being arrested for armed robbery and orchestrating a 40 million dollar credit card scheme to spending time in a maximum security prison and his eventual turnaround and successful speaking career.

Woods warns his listeners not to fall into vicious cycles that can entrap our nation's youth and lead to prison or worse. The dynamic speaker also endeavors to inspire students to beat the odds and become the stars of their own destinies.

The motivational speaker then returned to try to motivate CCSD No. 2 staff by speaking to them at the community center during their in-service day on Friday.

Woods has appeared on CNN, The O'Reilly Factor. BET, C-SPAN, CLTV and many other news programs. His story has been seen in publications including The Chicago Sun Times, The Chicago Tribune, The St. Petersburg Times, The Oklahoma City Herald and many more.