Pencils of Promise

Shaquille O’Neal Thinks Education is a Priority!

We recently stumbled upon this awesome article about Shaquille O’Neal – someone we at PoP are a huge fan of! Shaq just earned his doctorate degre; yes that’s right, he’s officially Dr. O’Neal now! We were so excited to see celebrities taking a stand on the importance of education, and we wanted to share that with you. Read below to find out more…

Shaq receiving his Doctorate. Photo Credit

Shaquille O’Neal, retired NBA superstar, just completed his doctorate degree in Organizational Learning and Leadership from Barry University. This wasn’t an honorary degree either, Shaq earned it the old fashion way – hard work! Shaq grew up with a mother who knew the value of a good education and instilled that in him. It’s why he went back and completed his Bachelor’s degree at Louisiana State University, despite being drafted into the NBA his junior year.

“Education matters. It instills self-discipline. It exposes a person to a world of shared knowledge. It forces us to stay attuned to current events. And most important, it helps each of us understand how and where we fit into this world,” Shaq told USA Today.

At Pencils of Promise we are huge fans of Shaqille O’Neal. He even came to our Gala this past November! We love to see that celebrities are standing up and speaking out about the importance of education.

Shaq with Lanoy, our Laos Country Coordinator at the 2011 Gala

Shaq’s closing remarks on his degree were this,”If there’s one thing I hope people take from this personal milestone, it’s that education matters for your entire life. A degree, whether high school or doctoral, is not a finish line; it’s simply a mile-marker. My learning will continue. I want others to come along for the ride.”

Congratulations, Shaq!

Tags: awareness, education, empower, Global Education