PORTLAND, Ore. -- We hear a lot of talk these days about talking to troubled youth, but not enough according to Noah Schultz.
"When we have so many kids who are struggling, we need what they're calling it today is 'credible messengers,'" he said.
Noah is credible. And when he talks to kids, they're listening.
"I had to step out of the room for a little bit because it got a little emotional, it hit home," said 17-year-old student Collin Levi.
Noah's story is like many we tell during a newscast. A broken home, a kid turns to drugs at age 12. In Southeast Portland he joined a gang, packed a gun and thought he was unstoppable.
"I remember walking out to the street sign with a blue bandana in my back pocket feeling so proud and feeling like I was a part of something so much bigger than me," said Noah.
But truth be told, he wasn't. After pistol-whipping a drug dealer and firing several shots at him, Noah, at age 17, was locked up for seven-and-a-half years at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility for attempted murder, a Measure-11 crime with mandatory minimum sentencing.
His story is now a documentary called "Perception: From Prison to Purpose."
"I have a voice. I have a story. I can help change circumstances and thought patterns within people," said Noah.
"Wow, this is real life. This is what people go through every single day," said student Marjorie Albers, who recently heard Noah’s presentation to students.
Noah now travels to schools and youth correctional facilities to talk to at-risk, disadvantaged and everyday kids. Since his release, he's earned two college degrees. He’s studied restorative justice and non-violent communication. His TedX Salem speech received a standing ovation. He's preaching individuality, telling kids it's okay to be different.
"That's the uniqueness of every single human being. We are so damn unique in everything we do. We can't expect people to fit into one single mold," Noah said.
And kids, many with a hardened exterior and a history of not listening to anyone telling them what to do, are getting the message.
"Things do get better. No matter how hard it gets, it can always get better," said student Lillian Stone, who also heard Noah’s presentation.
A perspective echoed by other students, like Collin Levi.
"No matter what, never give up. Never stop, always keep going forward," he said.
It’s a message, so well-received this week at the King campus of the Oregon Service Learning Academy, students lined-up for hugs with Noah after the presentation. He says it makes all the difference.
"Just that connection, that human connection that takes place every single time that I do one of these things is what keeps me coming back, every time," Noah said.
Noah’s documentary, "Perception: From Prison to Purpose", has won several awards and is now being shopped to Netflix and other distributors, like Amazon and Hulu. You can download it on Vimeo right now and find it on Facebook.