While flying on Air Force One, Lucas Boyce sat and tried to come to grasp on what he had accomplished in his young life so far. The better question Boyce wondered though, was “what can I do next?”

Lucas Boyce is the perfect definition of practicing what you preach. “You never know who’s watching, your reputation is your resume,” said Boyce in front of a filled room at Lake Nona campus. A man that has endured so much in his lifetime preached to students about character, learning to overcome hardships, and most of all self-belief.

Boyce currently works as Director of Business Development and Legislative Affairs for the Orlando Magic, and has already worn many hats in 34 years of living.

His story is one that started with him being born premature to a drug abusing prostitute that put him up for adoption. He was taken in by whom he calls his hero — a foster mother named Dorothy Boyce, who took in over 40 children over the years, most of whom who had special needs.

Boyce found himself struggling with developmental delay in his childhood, and was held back in kindergarten. Most would write off a child like Lucas, and never expect much from someone that was in the situation he was in.

However, Boyce overcome all those obstacles and learned to excel through hard work and dedication. Boyce would go on to become Valedictorian of his class in high school. Upon graduation his mother posed three questions to him, in which turn Boyce would present to the Valencia students — “What’s next, what are you gonna do, and how are you going to get there?”

Boyce always set high goals for himself. He told his mother that he had three lifelong dreams: to work in the White House, fly on Air Force One and to work for an NBA team.

These may seem like pretty lofty goals, but not for someone with Boyce’s beliefs.

“First thing you have to believe is that you are built for greatness,” said Boyce. “If we’re going to make a difference in others, we have to believe in ourselves first.”

Boyce stressed to students the importance of self belief, and never letting any person or obstacle stop you from accomplishing the goals you set forth for yourself.

Fast forward ten years after high school and through a constant work ethic, and full belief Boyce accomplished all three goals he had set forth for himself. It all came down to accepting the hand he was dealt, and persevering through any hurdle in his path.

Boyce played on his favorite quote from Robert Kennedy — “Some men will see things as they are, and ask why. They will see obstacles and create excuses to shrink from the opportunity of the moment, but then there are others that will see these obstacles and still say why not, for these people, the sky’s the limit.”