Being raised by a single mother after his father was sentenced to prison, the future looked uncertain at best. However, even with the odds stacked against his favor, this student prevailed in life leaving him with a desire to help others do the same.

Senior social work major Cedric L. Dent Jr., who has made an impact on his peers since entering the university while attaining awards such as the Vice President’s Award of Excellence, the Dr. S. LaVanner Award – 2018 Role Model of the Year Award and the Project P.U.L.L. Rising Star Award, has decided to write a book.

“I have collected all of my experiences, upbringings and lessons I have gained from experiencing living, and I wanted to share that with other people so I can inspire them to achieve something bigger than myself,” said Dent.

Dent realizes that many others in his situation quit before they begin and hopes to reach out to them through his book, “Searching for Purpose & Understanding: Fulfilling Your Purpose in Life.”

“I would like to express to them: ‘Don’t give up,’” said Dent. “There’s always a better opportunity that’s available. You just have to find a way.”

When Dent would look over his daily writings, a book felt like a natural progression since that was an item on his bucket list.

“I kept writing each day until eventually it added up to a book,” said Dent. “There were days where I could write a lot, and there were days where I couldn’t write at all. It’s a process. It takes discipline. It takes persistence.”

While writing a book is a very personal experience, Dent bares his soul and mind in written form to help others.

“I’m giving readers the opportunity to walk in my shoes a little bit but also be able to find out a little more about themselves,” said Dent. “Help them find out who they are and love themselves a little more. The main thing is to inspire, to inform, and to inspire others to achieve what they want to achieve in life.”

The book will be available this fall. To pre-order, go to cedricdentjr.com.

“If you can spend $15 to invest in yourself, it will go a long way,” said Dent. “Instead of going out to eat and investing in a meal, invest in a book to invest in yourself. It’s a choice at the end of the day: if you want to become better, if you want to be a better person, if you want to take advice from me because I’m a role model to a lot of people.”

Dent hopes to continue to serve others throughout the community through his involvement around campus. He is the coordinator of Project P.U.L.L, the Student Government Association chief of staff, a member of Order of Omega and the secretary and former president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

“Life is limitless,” said Dent. “You really can achieve anything that you put your mind to. I’m not saying that to sound cool or anything like that. It’s the truth. Successful people always tell us that. You have to stay focused. You have to work hard.”