--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I told myself that if I went to Compton…" description: "\"I told myself that if I went to Compton High, and I made something out of the school, it would mean something to me later down the line because I start..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/demar-derozan-19443_everything_i-told-myself-that-if-i-went-to-compton_893205.jpg" --- # I told myself that if I went to Compton High, and I made… ![“I told myself that if I went to Compton High, and I made something out of the school, it would mean something to me later down the line because I started everything. And future kids would say, 'DeMar made it here; why can't I?' I wanted to stay home.” quote by DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/demar-derozan-19443_everything_i-told-myself-that-if-i-went-to-compton_893205.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/demar-derozan-19443_everything_i-told-myself-that-if-i-went-to-compton_893205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/demar-derozan-19443_everything_i-told-myself-that-if-i-went-to-compton_893205.jpg) > “I told myself that if I went to Compton High, and I made something out of the school, it would mean something to me later down the line because I started everything. And future kids would say, 'DeMar made it here; why can't I?' I wanted to stay home.” [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on attending a challenging high school, believing his success will inspire future youth from his community, emphasizing personal pride and role-model responsibility. **In simple terms:** Success can motivate others from the same background. Key Takeaway Use personal achievements to inspire and uplift your community. Themes perseverance community role model motivation Mood hopeful determined reflective Type personal narrative motivational When to use this quote - high school challenges - community mentorship - career planning - youth empowerment Key Concepts social mobility inspiration legacy Questions to Reflect On - What support structures help youth succeed? - How can role models create lasting community change? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individual success may overlook systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compton High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compton-high-1169057/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-mean-935473/) [Started Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-future-1169056/) [Stay Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-home/) [Went Compton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-compton-1169058/) ## Related quotes > [I've always been infatuated with west coast gangster music & movies so I went to Compton today. Just crossed that off my bucket list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/i-ve-always-been-infatuated-with-west-coast-gangster-music-movies-so/) [Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/) > [When I say I miss school, I mean my friends and the fun. Not the studying part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asheya/when-i-say-i-miss-school-i-mean-my-friends-and-the-fun-not-the/) [Asheya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asheya/) > [When I say I miss school, I mean my friends and the fun. Not the school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-say-i-miss-school-i-mean-my-friends-and-the-fun-not-the-school/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I certainly went to high school with some mean girls, and I would not wish that hell on anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-certainly-went-to-high-school-with-some-mean-girls-and-i-would-not/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I hated school. I mean, it's not like I don't like authority, but I don't like getting talked down to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-pimblett/i-hated-school-i-mean-it-s-not-like-i-don-t-like-authority-but-i-don/) [Paddy Pimblett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-pimblett/) > [A vacation from school should not mean hunger for our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dina-titus/a-vacation-from-school-should-not-mean-hunger-for-our-children/) [Dina Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dina-titus/) > [I wasn't a good student in high school. I mean, I got through it, but unless it had something to do with music, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-trunk/i-wasn-t-a-good-student-in-high-school-i-mean-i-got-through-it-but/) [Eddie Trunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-trunk/) > [When I say I miss school, I mean the friends and the fun. Not the school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-say-i-miss-school-i-mean-the-friends-and-the-fun-not-the-school/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I say, I miss school, I mean my friends & the fun we had, not the lessons & teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-say-i-miss-school-i-mean-my-friends-the-fun-we-had-not-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I like to stay home and listen to recordings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyorgy-ligeti/i-like-to-stay-home-and-listen-to-recordings/) [Gyorgy Ligeti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyorgy-ligeti/) > [That's the challenge as an actor. You put yourself in uncomfortable positions because that's your job. Otherwise, just stay home and watch TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-martin/that-s-the-challenge-as-an-actor-you-put-yourself-in-uncomfortable/) [Stacy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-martin/) > [My mother raised me in the church. I was not allowed to stay home on Sunday; there was no option. I sang in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/my-mother-raised-me-in-the-church-i-was-not-allowed-to-stay-home-on/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [“You don’t have to go. You can stay home. It’s up to you. But if you let fear stop you from doing what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-vesterfelt/you-don-t-have-to-go-you-can-stay-home-it-s-up-to-you-but-if-you-let/) [Allison Vesterfelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-vesterfelt/) > [If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. If you're going to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-you-want-to-be-a-serious-writer-then-you-have-to-write-what-there/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) ## More by DeMar DeRozan > [Day 1, when I was drafted to the Toronto Raptors, they had this stigma on them: Every guy leaves. Nobody wants to be here.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/day-1-when-i-was-drafted-to-the-toronto-raptors-they-had-this-stigma/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [At the end of the day, the only person to have a better Kobe sneaker game than me is Kobe himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/at-the-end-of-the-day-the-only-person-to-have-a-better-kobe-sneaker/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [I've never been one who wanted any type of attention, good nor bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/i-ve-never-been-one-who-wanted-any-type-of-attention-good-nor-bad/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [I'm no stranger to pain. It's what made me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/i-m-no-stranger-to-pain-it-s-what-made-me/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [We're all human at the end of the day. That's why I look at every person I encounter the same way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/we-re-all-human-at-the-end-of-the-day-that-s-why-i-look-at-every/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [I'm so quiet if you don't know me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/i-m-so-quiet-if-you-don-t-know-me/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [People ask me what I would have done if it wasn't for basketball. I can never give a good story because I honestly don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/people-ask-me-what-i-would-have-done-if-it-wasn-t-for-basketball-i/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [If you work for it, you'll deserve what comes. Hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/if-you-work-for-it-you-ll-deserve-what-comes-hard-work/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [I'm sure there's a long list of one-time all-stars, and I don't want to be on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/i-m-sure-there-s-a-long-list-of-one-time-all-stars-and-i-don-t-want/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [My mom always told me: Never make fun of anybody, because you never know what that person is going through. Ever since I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/my-mom-always-told-me-never-make-fun-of-anybody-because-you-never/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [My mom's one of the toughest ladies I know. I've seen her lose both her brothers, both her parents. She's been through a lot,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/my-mom-s-one-of-the-toughest-ladies-i-know-i-ve-seen-her-lose-both/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [I don't care who you are. You can be the smallest person off the street, or you could be the biggest person in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-you-can-be-the-smallest-person-off-the/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [I am Toronto. Outside of where I'm from, I represent this city harder than anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/i-am-toronto-outside-of-where-i-m-from-i-represent-this-city-harder/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [A lot of people in the NBA don't even take the game serious or take the same approach that I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/a-lot-of-people-in-the-nba-don-t-even-take-the-game-serious-or-take/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) > [My mindset was that I was always going to be in Toronto my whole career, but I was never naive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demar-derozan/my-mindset-was-that-i-was-always-going-to-be-in-toronto-my-whole/) [DeMar DeRozan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) [Explore all 32 DeMar DeRozan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demar-derozan/) ## More Everything quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. The music that I played was loud; it used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/my-parents-were-not-musical-and-they-were-not-effervescent-people/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [That's one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/that-s-one-of-my-idols-i-really-look-up-to-pacquiao-this-guy-is/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [Everything I have experienced and learned in football led me towards one day becoming a coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/everything-i-have-experienced-and-learned-in-football-led-me-towards/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [If God is first, and you kind of center everything else around Him being the main focal point, you really can make decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-michalka/if-god-is-first-and-you-kind-of-center-everything-else-around-him/) [AJ Michalka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-michalka/) [Browse all 13,134 Everything quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I told myself that if I went to Compton High, and I made something out of the school, it would mean something to me later down the line because I started everything. And future kids would say, 'DeMar made it here; why can't I?' 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