Conversation with William Vanzela
The school was honored to have Baltimore Blast Soccer captain and goalie William Vanzela visit for a conversation with the students today. Mr. Vanzela shared stories of his life growing up in Brazil and the sacrifices made in order to develop his talent and career to support his family. One of the most valuable lessons he taught was about the importance of living a meaningful life, caring for your family and using your gifts to benefit others.
Mr. Vanzela started playing professional soccer at the age of 16 in Brazil and went on to move to Italy where he spent 7 years on the Italian national team. He then came to Baltimore where he has been playing with the Baltimore Blast winning several national championships and MVP awards.
Jayla wrote, ” He inspires me to want to continue to work, even when life is pushing me down, I would always want a job just to get money but now that I talked to him, I want a job to better help myself. I want a job that can help me succeed and become the person I truly want to be.”
We deeply appreciate Mr. Vanzela’s generous sharing of his time and stories with us. we are also thankful to Mr. Don and Ms.Sande for connecting him with the school and attending the conversation. Among the many good works that Mr. Vanzela is involved is the “Show Your Soft Side” campaign started by Ms. Sande.
Tyleiah expressed the impact this conversation had on her life in this way, ” He had to take care of his family and sacrificed a lot to get to where he is today and is still sacrificing a lot. The advice to not give up and look at the worst possible things in a positive light will help me get through life. I really appreciated him sharing his wisdom with us and giving me the opportunity to reflect on my life as well.”