Home > Our Projects > Santa Barbara Council for Self-Esteem > Paul Vercamen
Paul Vercamen
News Director & 5PM anchor for KEYT
Presentation to the SB Council for Self-Esteem - 6/17/05
Introduction by Bob Hodges.
Our speaker is a well known local celebrity. He is Santa Barbara’s award winning KEYT news director and five o’clock news anchor, Paul Vercammen.
Paul began his news media career right here in Santa Barbara reporting for KEYT in the mid ‘80’s. Although he grew up in Santa Barbara county, graduating from Santa Barbara High, he apparently found his fame and fortune outside the gates of Paradise, that is, outside of the confines of Santa Barbara. Another celebrity, Lou Dobbs convinced him to live and work on the fast track in New Your City. While there he did acquire fame. He wrote, produced and hosted CNN Presents, on the Business of Major League Baseball. He was the first to report the initial World Trade Center bombing.
Leaving New York, he moved to the Los Angeles and while there interviewed the A-list of Hollywood’s mega personalities such as Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. While with CNN he went international, reporting natural disasters live from Canada, Mexico and Australia.
On the entertainment side of the news, Paul reported the 1986 Olympics, several Academy Awards, and the Millennium event in Las Vegas. Hmm…
After traveling the world in search of fame and fortune, Paul decided our little ocean side community stood up pretty well to the competition and returned to Paradise and KEYT. In 2003 he accepted the position of news director and helped put KEYT on the media map, wining the Emmy award for Best Newscast in 2003 and the Associated Press Bill Stout Award for Live News Coverage in 2004, beating major stations in California and Nevada.
On the domestic side of life, Paul is married with a son and a daughter that keep him and his wife Debra going from baseball field to soccer field. He is known around the circuit as Coach Paul.
Although Paul is an highly respected reporter and news director, with more awards to his credit then the two I have chosen to highlight, he is not here to report the news today. Paul is here to talk about how he developed his self-esteem, and how he maintained it as he traveled the slow and fast lanes of life, in partnerships with, and in competition against some very large and aggressive egos.
Please, give a warm welcome to KEYT News Director Paul Vercammen.
Crack, crack, crack went the t-ball wooden bats as the youngsters practiced and all were hitting except Lium. He had experienced 4 open heart surgeries during his short life. Smaller than the other boys, seemingly unfazed by his results, Lium kept trying. Coach Paul told him that no one cared if he failed; this was about having fun. Scores were not kept.
Once, only once during the season did Lium’s bat hit the ball. Everyone’s heart stopped as they watched the ball ricochet back to Lium hitting him in the face. With blood streaming and Lium doubled over with pain, humiliation and tears, the team and its coach never expected to see him again.
Lium returned the next game swinging out every time the ball was pitched that day and for the rest of the season and yet he never quit! Without the coach’s vote, a post season championship was planned by the parents to be held (with the score kept) with the best team in the league, the Dodgers. They appeared on the diamond looking way too big, with spongy T-balls and talking trash.
Coach Paul’s team was doing well; the score was close and it was the final inning with the bases loaded. Then at the most unfortunate time, Lium came to bat! “Crack” sounded his swing. It was his 181st pitch and it was his first hit! Lium didn’t even know which way to run.
“Not that way” yelled Coach Paul, when Lium began to run toward third. “This way” he showed running along with him toward first. As Lium fell on first base the other players made it home. Lium had caused his team to win the game!
This was the opening true story that Paul Vercammen related to the audience told with sound effects, energy and enthusiasm. He asked the attentive group where Lium’s self-esteem had come from and we answered, “From his parents”. He illustrated, through the true story, the value and strength given to Lium by his families’ consistent support and encouragement. They set a good example for him and instilled in him a positive attitude. Self-esteem allows one to be tenacious, to keep on, to never, ever give up—just as Lium had done.
Yet, Paul noted, “There are young people who have terrific self-esteem who have had poor role models for parents.” Parents who are addicts, imprisoned, violent, abusive, etc. cause their children to decide to be what their parents were not rather than what they were. “They work hard, achieve, and develop self-esteem through their own behavior, actions, and success.” He explained.
Paul was the first in his family to graduate from a university. His parents were immigrants and his mother was one of 14 children in her family. Paul (HOW MANY SIBLINGS? Boys Girls?) worked hard in his father’s businesses while growing up. Yet when the time came, it was difficult for him to announce to his father that he wanted to become a journalist rather than join the family business. He had to believe in himself to make that stand.
This confident young man was competitive with himself. He wrote his goal—straight A’s. He went to the University of Southern California and was not willing to waste his parents’ money. He reached his goal because he loved to tell stories, worked hard learning to do what he loved to do and believed in himself. Paul was never afraid to ask questions. He was comfortable with all classes and types of people.
Returning to Santa Barbara after his graduation, Paul was hired to work at KEYT. He had a great beginning there and learned a lot about the business. His mentor was the news director, King Harris. He admired and respected him. It was King who encouraged him to go further with his career.
He took the risk and moved on to the big city. Even though he had some doubts about New York, he was clearly supported by his family and friends. His boss was Lou Dobbs. He was able to connect with him in a personal way that many others under him were not. WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
Paul told us the importance of reconnecting with those who know you, love you, and trust you, when things do not seem to go your way.
He shared that our own self-esteem can help others by our sincere praise and reinforcement. He encouraged us to let people know how they are doing.
During the hour and a half exciting and motivating talk, Paul Vercammen taught us: How we get our self-esteem; how we keep it; the importance of never giving up and not being afraid of failure. He told us how to help others raise their self-esteem. Finally he encouraged us to spread the love and we began by telling him how much we learned from and loved him…
Presentation report by Betty Hatch
Home > Our Projects > Santa Barbara Council for Self-Esteem > Paul Vercamen
|
