Lucille O'Neal, mother of retired NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, spoke Wednesday at the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Odyssey luncheon, where she discussed overcoming hardships and pursuing dreams.
O'Neal's appearance marked the academy's 14th annual luncheon, which serves as the academy's major fundraiser. The event was at the Chattanooga Convention Center and featured performances by Trinidadian-American singer Wintley Phipps and the academy choir.
CEO Elaine Swafford and academy co-founder Sue Anne Wells also made a few remarks.
"Previously, I've spoken here about our young women sitting at the table of their choice," Swafford said. "And it's no more talking, it is happening."
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Four students received awards for displaying exceptional leadership and academics:
-- First place, Rising Star Award: Devine Tate, seventh grade.
-- Second place, Rising Star Award: Amy Morales Morales, seventh grade.
-- First place, Shining Star Award: Amaya Dieng, 10th grade.
-- Second place, Shining Star Award: Shaire Mendoza Izara, 11th grade.
Following the awards ceremony, O'Neal took the stage and shared how she overcame various obstacles in her life.
O'Neal said she became pregnant with Shaquille O'Neal as soon as she finished high school in 1972.
"I became a mother for the very first time," O'Neal said. "I was fresh out of high school. I didn't know what my future held. Even after learning what my mother taught me -- keep dreaming, keep striving, keep going forward -- I got caught up looking for love in all the wrong places."
She said that when her son was first drafted into the NBA in 1992, she struggled with alcoholism.
"I was not in a good place," O'Neal said. "And I used his money to buy the best liquor that we could buy. I was drinking liquor that I couldn't even pronounce."
Her faith pulled her out of her dark place, she said.
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"It came to me that I needed to be doing something else," O'Neal said. "In my mind, I could hear, 'Walk like you have somewhere to go.' I heard it clearly."
O'Neal began dreaming about going to college.
"My son said, 'If you go to college and you keep your grades up, I promise I'll pay your tuition.'"
She enrolled in an adult education program at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and graduated in 2003 with a degree in business administration.
Then, she, her son and daughter attended the University of Phoenix. O'Neal received her Master of Arts in organizational management in 2005.
"I said that, to say all of this," O'Neal said. "When you come together as a family and work together, the dreams that you have, even if they die, they can be resurrected."
Contact Carmen Nesbitt at cnesbitt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-632