In this episode we are joined with Caylin Moore. We discuss his journey from a difficult upbringing in Compton, to a preeminent athlete, academic and Rhodes Scholar. He grew up in Compton in a single mother household and a father in jail. He lived in a community where very few people even knew the school a short drive away, Locke High School, was named after the first Black Rhodes Scholar, Alain Locke. With this in the backdrop, Caylin was motivated to defy the odds and was hungry to learn about the unknown. He was encouraged to succeed by his mother who never gave up despite her difficult circumstances. He took advantage of every opportunity he had, both in sports in school. He was a member of Snoop Dog’s football league and took a chance attending a prep school instead of his local high school. He had dreams of playing Division 1 football, but the path wasn’t linear. He started out at Marist and was plagued with injuries. He never gave up, working part-time as a janitor and continuing to reach for his dreams. His dream came true when he got to play at Texas Christian University (TCU). Despite being a D1 athlete, he also had an incredible academic record, received fellowships such as the Fulbright and spent a summer studying at Princeton University. With all of these accomplishments it is no wonder or small feat why he was named a Rhodes Scholar. 

Caylin now travels around the country giving speeches and talking to communities about how he was able to get through his circumstances. He is navigating a new world and we get into these details throughout the episode. In this episode, we tackle difficult topics such as economic inequality and discuss the insidious nature of wealth and how everyday conversations preclude many of us from understanding who has the power in our society. It was an incredible conversation that left both of us very inspired and we hope that you find value in this episode. Caylin’s journey was an improbable journey only because we believe it to be so. We all have the ability to tackle these notions each day and Caylin exemplifies that success does not happen overnight. It is a creature of habit that manifests itself when you are able to weather the storm and learn from your failures. 

To learn about Caylin’s journey, please checkout his book, it’s on Amazon and you can find it at your local bookstores as well.  https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Too-Big-Improbable-Journey/dp/1400209919

You can also follow Caylin on his journey on Instagram @caylinlmoore:

https://www.instagram.com/caylinlmoore/ 

If you liked this episode and want to see more please, subscribe and leave us a review. As an added bonus, if you leave us a review and Email us at bootsrapspod@gmail.com with your review in the Email, you will be entered to win Caylin’s book and you might even hear your review live our next Podcast!


If you want to follow the hosts you can find us on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ridwanhassen/


https://www.instagram.com/halimohassen/