Saul Flores
Saul Flores is a masterful storyteller, social innovator, and a powerful voice for change. Recognized for his innovative ideas, impactful projects, and visionary ventures. He has presented at over 250 universities nationwide, sharing his message with thousands of students from diverse backgrounds, earning him the distinction of being a leading national speaker.
TOPICS
- Leadership
- Diversity & Inclusion
- First Year Experience
- Orientation
- Social Justice
- Hispanic Heritage
- Latinx Focused
- First Generation Students
KEYNOTES
Getting to know
Saul Flores
Saul Flores (pronounced sah–ool), is a philanthropist, photojournalist, and speaker who is nationally recognized for his social impact projects. Through his most recent project, Saul documents the amazing lives of thousands of Latin American immigrants to fundraise for an elementary school in his mother’s hometown.
His work has been featured on National Public Radio, MSNBC, and TEDX. Additionally, Saul has been featured as a keynote speaker for dozens of universities, inspiring audiences through his visual presentations, in which he helps people realize the capacity of their immense human potential given times of extreme adversity.
Saul Flores walked 5,328 miles through ten countries 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.
The story of his journey, accompanied by a series of photographs, capture the essence of the people, communities, and cultures he encountered along the way
After this life-changing experience, Saul now wants to inspire students to make a positive impact on the world by speaking about the value of servant leadership, philanthropy, and service-learning.
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
To help you promote your event with Saul, CAMPUSPEAK has created promotional templates you can use. In this folder, you will find resources for social media, a promotional poster for printing, and press photos you can use for your event.
Link to Promotional Materials
LOGISTICAL MATERIALS
Below you will find logistical resources for the day of your event with Saul.
In-Person Event AV needs (PDF)
Speaking introduction (PDF)
SEE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY About Saul Flores!
KEYNOTES
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
The Walk of the Immigrants
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 of the Immigrants along with Saul 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.
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.
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
SAUL’S BLOGS
The following are past entries Saul has written for the CAMPUSPEAK Speaker’s Voice Blog
