Saul Flores

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.

Topics

▪Diversity ▪First Generation College Students
▪Latina/o Issues ▪Leadership ▪Personal Growth
▪Philanthropy ▪Service Learning ▪Social Justice

Keynotes

▪Think Big
▪The Walk of the Immigrants
▪From Where I Stand

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 Resources

Press photo
Promotional poster (PDF)
AV needs (PDF)
Speaking introduction (PDF)

Saul’s Bio

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’s Blogs

The following are past entries Saul has written for the CAMPUSPEAK Speaker’s Voice Blog

Diversity

Why We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Latino/a Issues

Leadership

The Power of Story

Personal Growth

Connect With Saul

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Funny story about these Mariachis. I spoke about my dad a few days ago in Waco, Texas. I’ve never spoken about him in a speech. My dad migrated from El Salvador when he was a little kid and crossed the desert like most migrants do. He eventually gained Temporary Protective Status to work in the United States. He was a driver for Haagen-Dazs, a newspaper delivery boy, and truck driver. He still drives trucks today. The Mariachis knew I was a little nervous and serenaded me until I couldn’t stop smiling. “Son, give them everything you have.” So I grabbed the microphone and gave one of the best speeches I’ve ever given. Pa, wherever you are, my new friends and I sang songs for you.

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In Mexico, sugar cane farmers wake up before the roosters. Under a purple sky, they’ll sharpen their machetes and begin preparing for the harvest. In the middle of the cane field, if you close your eyes, you’ll hear the yells of mariachis playing from blown out speakers and the roosters singing along, serenading you. It’s magic. To my sugar cane farmers, I could spend the rest of time learning from you, honoring you, and fighting for you.

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“Sugar pilgrims.” That’s what they called us. 120 pilgrims marching 100 miles through sweet cane fields, cactus filled deserts, and foggy towns. One march to honor our Mother. The pilgrimage commences at the end of the annual cane harvest. At dawn, the pilgrims embark on a 100-mile journey to the Basilica of Our Virgen de Guadalupe to make a wish. Some wish for a good harvest, while others wish for safety and good health. If the wish comes true, we promise to make the pilgrimage again for the next two years. This year I walked with the pilgrims, filmed the journey, and am crossing my fingers that She grants my wish.

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Guess whose documentary just got picked up by PBS?

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As I walk through Atencingo, I can’t help but picture myself working the sugarcane fields — with a machete in hand under an unforgiving sun. My mother immigrated from her home as a young teenager, painfully leaving behind her family, her mother, and her youth. Her fear was that her children would never escape a life of hard labor. Ultimately, that’s what pushed her to make the journey to the states. Like any mother, her only hope was that I would find education and opportunity in America. As I look around and see the sugarcane fields, I can’t help but reflect and wonder, what if.

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I never imagined being so happy in a place that was so hard for my family. I love New York but I’ll always carry what it did to us as a poor immigrant family in the 90’s. The stress of multiple jobs, the rising rent, and the uncertainty that came with the place we called home. I remember my father’s newspaper routes in detail, and how we would drive through the night to make ends meet. I’m thankful to be trekking along in this city and grateful for the doors that open up for me every day. New York, you’ve spun me in circles, left me dizzy and disoriented, but you’ve made me who I am today.

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I promised myself I’d leave my heart on every stage, in front of every person, and in front of every crowd. 35 gigs, 27 cities, and 14 states later, I’m just getting warmed up.

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This is my wildest dream come true. Today, I’m thrilled to announce my first national speaking tour. For the next few weeks, I’ll be traveling the country, visiting cities and states sharing stories from the Walk of the Immigrants, my 5,328 mile walk across Latin America. Speaking has been my biggest fear but having a voice in America means stepping up to the plate. So, catch me smiling nervously in a city near you.

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Last week I flew from New York to Los Angeles for a gig. I landed and drove five hours through the desert to Arizona, where I found myself on a campus filled with cacti. I almost screamed. Nonetheless, I calmed myself down, took a selfie with a cactus, and spoke my little heart out. Life is pretty unreal right now.

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A few days ago I had the honor of talking to 800 high school students in upstate New York. I came with the intent to tell stories of Latin America and left with new found brothers and sisters. I found people that smile so hard they glow, that laugh so hard you can’t help but be your happiest. To those students, you are everything and much much more. May all of your wildest dreams come true.

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“Saul was absolutely amazing to work with. We are a small campus that is 85% students of color — many who have stories like Saul’s. It was profound to see them hearing and seeing a speaker that looks and sounds like them, and whose life mirrors theirs. Saul put students at ease and was able to create a space where they felt vulnerable and heard. The presentation content itself is so important and so moving, and I think that my students especially resonated with the message. Saul is also just one of the kindest and most compassionate people I’ve ever met. He was an absolute pleasure to work with. I feel like I not only booked a great program, but I made a friend (or perhaps found a long-lost one!). We cannot *wait* to bring him back, and he will always have a home here at UNT Dallas. I cannot thank him and everyone at CAMPUSPEAK for the gift that was given to my students.”

Susan Harper

Student Services Associate — Activities, UNT Dallas

“I loved having Saul Flores on campus. His communication before the event was great, and he was a pleasure to work with on campus. His story was powerful and he engaged our students in a way that captured their attention and made them experience emotion. I didn’t even see one cell phone out! Working with CAMPUSPEAK (Michael Hood specifically) was incredibly easy, and I knew exactly what to expect during the whole process. While the price-points for the CAMPUSPEAK roster is out of my traditional price range for a speaker, I will continue to keep you in mind for future special events.”

Bridget O’Donnell

Assistant Director of Student Engagement, Penn State Brandywine

“Saul was our Keynote speaker for the Emerging Leader One Day Conference. At the end of the day we asked for students to share their Ah-ha moments. Many of them spoke about Saul and how they are now inspired to act because of the stories he shared.”

Kimberly David

Coordinator of Student Activities, Central Arizona College

“This is the story of a type of persistence and resourcefulness that is astounding at any age, in any setting or in any country. Saul Flores is the real deal. And to know Saul Flores–and this may sound trite, but it isn’t–is to love him, to be crazy about him, and to be inspired by him.”

Susan Nutter

Vice Provost, North Carolina State University

“It’s a story that Flores tells so modestly, with such an understatement, that at first you don’t quite grasp the gravity of it.”

Bob Geary

Indy Week

“Saul did a great job with engaging with a small crowd of students that had learning disabilities. I would love to bring him back to campus as I build the Multicultural program here at Beacon College.”

Rotimi Ariyo

Director of Student Activities and the Student Center, Beacon College

Keynotes

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.

Saul Flores

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.

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

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.

Saul Flores

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.

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