Saul Flores

Think Big

In this program, Saul shares his story of helping others in need to emphasize the value of servant leadership, and how to give back to different communities through service-learning initiatives and humanitarian projects.

On a service-learning spring break trip to his mother’s hometown, Saul discovered a withering cinderblock elementary school, flowered by beautiful fields of sugarcane. Struck by the charm and contrastingly severe poverty of the six-classroom building, Saul decided to act.

He found the students living in aluminum shanties and sleeping on the floor, lacking motivation for school. Determined to help make a difference in the lives of the children, and armed with the knowledge that education provides youth a solid foundation, Saul made it his mission to raise funds to reconstruct their school.

After an arduous three-year labor of love, and with the help of a community of scholars wanting to make a difference, the 134 elementary students graduated in a newly reconstructed school.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• how finding purpose beyond just themselves allows them to accomplish much more,
• how serving others is leadership,
• the value of service-learning trips and giving back to communities, and
• how to use their skills and talents in service of others.

The Walk

Saul spent three months walking, hitchhiking, and sleeping on the ground and in hiding places. His journey began in Ecuador and ended in Charlotte, North Carolina. In three months, he walked 5,328 miles through ten countries and nine border crossings to document how grueling and dangerous the journey of immigrants to the United States can be and to raise money for an elementary school in Atencingo, Mexico.

In this keynote, Saul speaks about how as a North Carolina State University senior, he took the “Walk” in the summer of 2010. Student audiences get the opportunity to relive the walk Saul took and create a deeper understanding of the struggles, hardships, joy, and hope that immigrants experience on their journey.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• how to connect their passion with purpose,
• the value of learning about different cultures and communities, and
• how immigrant communities try to overcome adversity in the United States.

SUGARLAND

Welcome to Sugarland. This is an inspiring tale of determination and perseverance, and it’s a message that all college students need to hear. In life, we face challenges and obstacles, but Saul Flores believes with passion, resilience, and a sense of belonging, you can overcome anything. The story of Saul begins in the sugarcane fields of Mexico, where the growing conflicts have created an unstable and unsafe environment for farmers and their families. Even in the face of these challenges, the farmers have become a symbol of hope and resilience for all of Mexico.

Saul Flores is a social innovator who started a sugar company in Puebla, Mexico, named MAMA Sugar. Charmed by the hard work and dedication of the farmworkers, mothers, and daughters of the sugarcane fields of Mexico, Saul fell in love with the resilience and determination of his community and wanted to give back. MAMA Sugar advocates for safe working conditions for the farmers while giving back to the local community through various charitable initiatives. Saul’s passion for social justice and helping others has inspired many people and positively impacted the Puebla region.

In this program, Saul invites you to join him as he tells stories of the wondrous sugarcane workers he has met, their annual 100-mile pilgrimage, and how students can use the lessons from Sugarland to see the potential for growth and change in their own lives. By hearing the stories of others who have overcome challenges and achieved their goals, students can gain a sense of hope and motivation for their own journey.

Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the program, students will:

• Understand the importance of determination and perseverance in overcoming challenges and achieving goals
• Learn about the impact that passion, resilience, and a sense of belonging can have on creating a fulfilling and meaningful life
• Find inspiration and motivation from the stories of others who have overcome barriers and challenges
• Recognize the potential for growth and change in one’s own life, and how the lessons from Sugarland can be applied to personal journeys

With Grit

From getting accepted to college to landing your dream job, grit is what makes us truly great. Regardless of our background, status, or intelligence, grit is the great equalizer. In this program, Saul explains how students can harness the power of grit to work toward purpose-driven goals. Using storytelling, discussion, and practical exercises, students will feel empowered to develop gritty habits and use grit as a tool for navigating the college journey.

As a first-generation college student born into a family of sugarcane workers, Saul learned the power of grit at an early age. Upon arriving in America, his mother would juggle multiple jobs, and his grandmother would trade aluminum cans for coins to provide for Saul and his family. From experiencing personal hardship to navigating how to get into college, grit became key in Saul’s journey to achieving his goals.

This program is great for leadership conferences, first-year experience programming, orientations, or anyone who is ready to get gritty.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will:

• Be able to identify and understand the key aspects of grit,
• Walk away with an understanding of their own journey of grit,
• Learn how to develop gritty habits in their personal, academic, and professional lives, and
• Explore how developing a culture of grit in their respective communities can help with long-term success.

From Where I Stand:

From helping his mother scrub penthouse suites in Manhattan to learning broken English with his sister, Saul’s humble beginnings started in Brooklyn, New York. Now, he wants to share his story to inspire college students to persevere no matter the circumstance.

Growing up with little-to-no resources, Flores persisted through the economic barriers that prevented him and his family from attaining the American Dream. As a high school senior, Flores spent his afternoons applying to universities and scholarships, knowing that it was going to take more than grades for him to attend college.

As the first person in his family to graduate high school, Flores received more than 20 scholarships from organizations like McDonald’s, Mercedes Benz, Walmart, BI-LO, The Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and was offered a seat in the Caldwell Fellows Program at NC State.

Whether you’re a first-generation college student or a freshman in a new leadership role, Saul will inspire students to overcome their personal barriers to live up to their fullest potential.

Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the program, students will learn:

• That perseverance can help students overcome any obstacle
• How to empathize with individuals from underserved communities
• That adversity can fuel personal growth
• How first-generation students can change the world

Social Impact Training

Saul Flores’s Social Impact Training empowers students to identify their passions and develop long-term solutions for creating meaningful change. In this 75-minute dynamic, hands-on design sprint workshop students are guided through a focused, collaborative process to explore their interests, define key challenges, brainstorm innovative solutions, and create quick prototypes. By the end of the session, students will have refined their ideas and developed actionable plans, equipping them with the skills and confidence to make a real difference in their communities.

Learning Outcomes
As a result of the workshop, students will learn:

• How to identify their interests and challenges within their community
• How to brainstorm solutions to challenges
• How to focus on how to turn ideas into action
• Develop an action plan to make a change