The Texarkana Independent School District held its annual Distinguished Alumni Student Leadership Breakfast today in the Dan Haskins Student Center at Texas High School. The breakfast was held in honor of the 2010 distinguished alumni Melvin L. Bradley, Dunbar High School graduate of 1955, and Dan S. Petty, a 1957 Texas High School Graduate.

The event gave the alumni an opportunity to share personal advice gained from experience with student leaders from throughout TISD, including Texas Middle School student council representatives and Texas High School Leadership classes.

The first alumnus to speak was Bradley who worked as Assistant for Community Affairs under California Governor Ronald Reagan and again as Special Assistant for Policy Development and Domestic Policy during Reagan’s presidency, as well as holding numerous notable positions outside of the political realm after his resignation in 1989.

Bradley’s address encouraged students to be serious about their studies, work hard, and, above all, listen and think for themselves.

“Focus on a goal and try to obtain it and remember that it requires a lot of work and a lot of disappointment,” Bradley said. “You can fail your way to success if each time you fail you just get up and learn from that failure. Continue despite any adversity. Continue to push and eventually you will look up and you are there.”

In the second address to the students, Petty, the Immediate Past President and CEO of the North Texas Commission and current Secretary-Treasurer for North Texas Super Bowl XLV Bidding committee, continued in the direction that Bradley began by promoting the idea of “servant leaders” and introduced students to his PIP formula of preparation, inspiration, and perspiration to achieve success.

“If you just have potential it means that you haven’t done it yet,” Petty said. “[To reach your goal] surround yourself with quality people with good ideas and good ideals.”