Choose to Survive Today: A Message to Those Who Are Not Yet Vaccinated Against COVID-19

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harcum college
Image via Harcum College.
I-LEAD founder David Castro shares his vaccine testimonial from the podium during a presentation celebrating the return of in-person classes at the Harcum@Reading Partnership Site. He was joined at the podium by Angel Figueroa, left, Executive Vice President of I-LEAD, and Dr. Jon Jay DeTemple, President of Harcum College.

Editor’s Note: The following was written by David Castro and delivered at an event last month in Reading at a Harcum College Partnership Site that is returning to in-person classes in the fall. Castro heads up a nonprofit that works with Harcum College to offer accredited degree programs in underserved communities.

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As I write these words to you, more than three million people around the world have died from COVID. Take a moment and imagine every precious life that has been lost. And it’s not over yet. In the future when COVID is gone from the human population, some of us will tell our stories to our children and grandchildren, the stories about how we survived. 

The question you have to ask yourself now is this: will you be one of the tragic losses? Or will you be one of the lucky survivors? Here’s the amazing news: you can choose RIGHT NOW to be one of the survivors. All you have to do is get vaccinated. And now the vaccines are freely available. Walk into a drugstore today and make it happen.

I am going to be 60 years old this year. I managed to get my first shot at the end of March. Just as I was getting my second shot at the end of April, I got COVID. Because I was vaccinated and had partial protection, my case was not serious. I was very sick, but not nearly enough to kill me. Today I feel terrific. I have friends who were not so lucky. Two of them died. One who survived got sick before the vaccines were available. Six months later, he is still weak and suffering.

You are so lucky. You are lucky because you live in an advanced country, with amazing medical technology, where the community took steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (masking, distancing).

You are lucky because our nation poured public and private resources into a medical arms race against this disease that produced highly effective vaccines in record time.

The only question left for you is will you take advantage of your privileges right now? Will you seize this moment and protect your health so you can be available for your family and friends and carry on your precious life?

Your community cares about you. God cares about you and what you have to give the world.

Seize this moment, take care of yourself, and get vaccinated today.

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David Castro is the President and CEO of I-LEAD, Inc., which he founded in 1995 with his mentor and colleague Lynne Abraham. In partnership with Harcum College, I-LEAD currently offers five accredited associate degree programs at 15 sites in underserved communities across eastern Pennsylvania in tandem with community-based organizations. He is a graduate of Haverford College (1983) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1986). His recent essays on leadership are available on his blog.

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