Hi, I'm Caliph.
I help high school students take ownership of their choices, their habits, and their future.
High school is where everything starts to count—academically, socially, and personally. It’s also where many students face real pressure: mental health challenges, peer influence, bullying, and decisions that can shape the direction of their lives.
I know that firsthand—because high school is where I made some of the decisions I later had to fight to overcome.
Today, as an attorney and graduate of UCLA School of Law, a former Student Body President at UC Davis, someone who has worked in admissions at UCLA Law, and as a career counselor at University of San Diego School of Law, I’ve seen the full path students are on—from where they are now to where they want to go.
But I’m not just here as a success story.
I share my journey through addiction, bullying, mental health struggles, and recovery to show students something deeper: while their circumstances matter, their decisions matter more.
I’m not just a warning about what can go wrong—I’m an example of what’s possible when students learn to take ownership and follow through.
My goal is simple: to help students build the awareness, discipline, and confidence they need to make better decisions now—so they can create the future they actually want.
High school is where everything starts to count—academically, socially, and personally. It’s also where many students face real pressure: mental health challenges, peer influence, bullying, and decisions that can shape the direction of their lives.
I know that firsthand—because high school is where I made some of the decisions I later had to fight to overcome.
Today, as an attorney and graduate of UCLA School of Law, a former Student Body President at UC Davis, someone who has worked in admissions at UCLA Law, and as a career counselor at University of San Diego School of Law, I’ve seen the full path students are on—from where they are now to where they want to go.
But I’m not just here as a success story.
I share my journey through addiction, bullying, mental health struggles, and recovery to show students something deeper: while their circumstances matter, their decisions matter more.
I’m not just a warning about what can go wrong—I’m an example of what’s possible when students learn to take ownership and follow through.
My goal is simple: to help students build the awareness, discipline, and confidence they need to make better decisions now—so they can create the future they actually want.
Some districts I've worked with include...
Watch The Videos!
Below is a collection of clips of Caliph's work at various levels in the K-12 system. Scroll down to see grade specific presentations and testimonials for Elementary, Junior High and High Schools. Caliph's most requested speeches and speaker request form can be found below these videos.
Caliph delivers his "Choosing Character" speech to a group of middle school students. He teaches students the power of their choices and their ability to choose who they want to be and the type of life they want. This message is delivered at age appropriate levels for elementary, middle school, and high school studios. Scroll down for grade specific examples.
High School Vids!
Character & Drug Prevention (Full Speech) |
College Prep/Academic Success (Full Speech) |
What High School Principals Are Saying!
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Most Requested Presentations
Choosing Character
Keynote Presentation Covering Bullying Prevention, Mental Health, and Character.
The choices we make today - even as elementary school students - will be with us forever. Some of those critical choices are what we choose to believe, how we choose to treat others, and, importantly, how we choose to treat ourselves. We all want to be remembered for being a positive influence on others, but we don't always meet that standard. And the words we use, and the actions we take, are the result of these choices.
In this speech, Caliph chronicles the difficult path to learning to treat himself and others well. After having his self-esteem destroyed by a bully, he took these things out on others. It wasn't until he healed himself that he was able to see what an impact bullying had on his life; and how his behavior impacted others.
Caliph helps students understand that how you treat yourself will influence how you treat others; but also, that no matter how someone else treats you, it's your choice as to whether you internalize the words they use, or choose to create a positive inner dialogue to counteract those words.
Students will leave with a sense of what standard they should have for developing good character and treating classmates, teachers, guardians and themselves with respect.
In this speech, Caliph chronicles the difficult path to learning to treat himself and others well. After having his self-esteem destroyed by a bully, he took these things out on others. It wasn't until he healed himself that he was able to see what an impact bullying had on his life; and how his behavior impacted others.
Caliph helps students understand that how you treat yourself will influence how you treat others; but also, that no matter how someone else treats you, it's your choice as to whether you internalize the words they use, or choose to create a positive inner dialogue to counteract those words.
Students will leave with a sense of what standard they should have for developing good character and treating classmates, teachers, guardians and themselves with respect.
#You DecideKeynote Presentation Covering Drug Prevention, Mental Health, (& Bullying In High School Settings)
Caliph's life story is a harrowing tale of a young man gripped with drug culture and drug addiction at a very young age, who had to overcome addiction, depression & crippling anxiety to ultimately achieve his dream of becoming an attorney. In this presentation, Caliph shares his journey into addiction and recovery. He talks about first using drugs to stop the abuse of his sister, and then using them to fit in and build community; and, finally using them to cope with his pain of losing his mother during college. He became FREE when he almost lost his life and realized that using drugs was his decision, not the result of his circumstances. And if he could decide to use, he could decide to change. He recounts the day he changed his life and decided to never use drugs again, and what was at stake if he did not do that. Finally, he shares his journey of healing and developing a new mindset that has allowed him to stay sober and succeed in business and in life. Students will leave with an understanding of the power that they have to choose their own destiny, the consequences of choosing drugs, and the benefits of a drug-free life. All presentations can be modified to meet the needs of your group.
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I Know I Can
Keynote Presentation To Inspire Young Students To Reach For Their Greatness.
Are your students truly convinced of their power to reach their true potential? Are they dreaming big enough? Do they know what they do, even at this young age, really matters to the course of their life? In this talk, Caliph shares anecdotes about how he discovered his true potential, and how students can, too. He covers self-confidence - why it's important, and how to develop it; having a vision for the type of person you want to be and the type of life you want to live and how to create it; and work ethic - what it really takes to get what you want. By the end of this speech, your students will be inspired to dream bigger, work harder, and become the best version of themselves by reaching for destination greatness.
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Request Caliph!
Complete the form below if you would like more information about hosting Caliph at your event.
