How did a blue collar boy from Brockton, Mass., go from there to being the founder of Blockbuster Entertainment, interim CEO of the Miami Dolphins and the founder of an educational program which provides a $20,000 scholarship to a Willsboro Central graduate each year?

The following story originally appeared in the Sun Community News. Read the full story here.

WILLSBORO | How did a blue collar boy from Brockton, Mass., go from there to being the founder of Blockbuster Entertainment, interim CEO of the Miami Dolphins and the founder of an educational program which provides a $20,000 scholarship to a Willsboro Central graduate each year?

According to Cliff Allen, it came down to the essential skills.

“Teamwork, leadership, agility, perverseness and networking,” Allen told a group of junior and senior students from Willsboro during an event hosted by CFES.

“Figure out a way, yourself, to get it done,” Allen said. “You are now way ahead of where I was because you have more tools than I ever had. It takes hard work, dedication and some breaks, along with a couple of people in life who helped me out.”

Allen told them about his high school coach, who helped him submit his enrollment papers into Harvard University; and a cop who told him to always reach for the top, which helped him choose to go to the Ivy League school.

“If you have those essential skills, you do not have to be a high school hero to do what I did,” Allen said. “Dream a little bit. You may not get to that dream, but you are not hurting yourself by aiming for that dream. Think about doing something great and fun, and getting to a place where you have options. When you get there, it is well worth it.”

Allen told students to take advantage of programs like CFES, where students can qualify to receive the Clint and Lawson (wife) Allen Scholarship.

He also said, through CFES, he and his wife were hoping to begin an SAT prep course at Willsboro through the CFES organization.

In the end, Allen told the students they had all the tools they needed, and self-motivation was now the key.

“You all have the opportunity to get there,” Allen said. “You can all do it. The only person that can stop you is yourself.”