After being abandoned at birth by his 17-year-old mother at an Oklahoma City hospital, Josh Shipp went through years of abuse.  For 14 years Shipp was in and out of about 10 foster and group homes where he was neglected, mistreated and felt worthless because no one wanted him.

In just a few short years Shipp went from not being wanted, to being high in demand by taking his own advice, “don’t be average.” Today Shipp is 26, living in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife.  He tours the world performing as a motivational speaker and has shared his inspirational story with more than 1 million people. As a child, Shipp’s life was on a downward spiral. To compensate, he started overeating, gained weight and became depressed. At eight years of age, he tried to commit suicide several times.

By the age of 14, he was known in school as a troublemaker, describing himself as the class clown who spent 80 percent of high school in the hallways.

When Shipp was 17, he enrolled in CareerTech’s marketing education program at Yukon High School and joined its student organization, DECA.

“I joined DECA because I heard it was easy, there were girls, free cookies and you got to get out of school an hour early,” Shipp said.  

He ran for chapter reporter as a joke and won.  But, he had no idea the impact DECA would make on his life.

When Shipp was 18 he was arrested and jailed for having $10,000 worth of hot checks.   When his foster parents of four years picked him up, their reaction surprised him.

“They sat me down at home and said ‘Josh, we don’t see you as a problem, we see you as an opportunity.’ I laughed thinking that we looked like a scene from the TV show Full House,” Shipp said. 

Shipp’s foster parents changed his perspective with that phrase, helping him turn his life around.  He realized that before this he saw his past as a problem- not an opportunity. 

 “Sometimes in life the thing that has hurt you the most is the thing that you can use to help other people,” Shipp said.

Shipp has shared that message with teenagers across the United States.  After Shipp’s discussion with his parents and his continued involvement in DECA, Shipp began to appreciate DECA for the right reasons. “I went to our state conference and was amazed,” Shipp said.  “I looked up and saw the officers and knew I had to run the next year.” The following year Shipp was elected Oklahoma’s DECA state president. While president, Shipp shared the stage with comedian Bill Cosby, opening for him at a nonviolence rally. DECA’s enriching program allowed Shipp to see his potential.

After high school graduation Shipp enrolled in college, there he found his niche in public speaking. From pep rallies, workshops, to local conferences, his reputation for combining entertainment with motivation aided Shipp in receiving invitations to speak to young people about current issues. 

Shipp credits DECA for helping him discover his true passion and turning his life around. 

That is why he is being recognized as a CareerTech champion, according to Phil Berkenbile, CareerTech state director. 

“CareerTech Champions are alumni of the system’s programs or student  organizations who attribute much of success to their CareerTech experience,” Berkenbile said. 

Each year Shipp speaks with an average of 100,000 teens.  Along with personal appearances, he uses modern-day communication vehicles such as MySpace, podcasts, e-books, Web sites and blogs. 

One of Shipp’s newer projects is a Web site called Heyjosh.tv where he gives teens advice, and responds to questions.  DirecTV has purchased 10 of these episodes to air nationally in 15 million homes. 

Shipp attributes his personal growth and success to the support of a great foster family, dynamic teachers and DECA. 

  Related Links 

• www.joshshipp.com

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