Change-Maker Spotlight: Rob Hill Sr. Creator of the Thousand Kings Walk!

He is know to many in his town as the Heart Healer and here at BCG we call him a Change-Maker! You should meet him, his name is Rob Hill Sr. and he has always had a gift with words and his passion for life and helping others is fueled his personal experiences.

In the words of his mother, “He’s always kept life interesting.” Rob has a very storied past and early on he took a liking to learning things the hard way. He was kicked out of his parent’s house at the tender age of 17. Though times were rough, Rob believes the boy he was then needed those experiences in order for him to become the man he is today. Rob worked two jobs and briefly attended Norfolk State University for two and a half years. Rob describes this period of life as the danger years for young men. It’s when they struggle with the unconscious decision to fit the stereotypes placed on them by society or find and seek success.

Refusing to claim homelessness, it wasn’t unusual for Rob to call the back seat of his 92’ Honda Accord home some nights. Often times he would stay with random friends or different female acquaintances to mask his backseat living conditions. Full of pride and carelessness Rob lived a very fast life without much regard for anyone outside himself. It wasn’t until he found out that he would be a father that he decided his selfish lifestyle would require some drastic changes. Rob then enlisted in the United States Navy and got closer to God. Day by day, Rob devoted his time and energy to becoming a better person and he found peace, freedom, and a passion in writing.

His latest giving endeavor took place last Saturday, the Thousand Kings Walk.  It took eight months of planning to see what was a life-long dream culminated in one afternoon with a crowd of over 1,000 cheering behind him, Hill cut the ribbon and commenced his first ever “Thousand Kings Walk.”

“It’s far better than I ever could’ve imagined. I’ve been dreaming about this day for eight months. Every day, I’ve been thinking about this day,” said a smiling Hill.

“When I had my son, who’s five years old, I started waking up,” said Hill, “I started to aspire, I started wanting to push people in the right way. I figured out I needed direction. I know if I needed it, I knew it was my responsibility to give it as well.”

He not only gives guidance, his event raised $10,000 in scholarship money for local students. Ten students were each awarded $1,000 in scholarship money for essays they submitted. Check out the photos from the event below, we salute Mr. Hill on not only seeing his dream come true, but helping students recognize theirs! To learn more about Change-Maker Rob Hill Sr. and support his work visit www.robhillsr.com or follow him on Twitter!