Edwards Brings Big Message to Small Town

ABC News Raelyn Johnson Reports: By many accounts John Edwards is the opposite of what the majority of students represent at Darlington High School — white and wealthy. Only a short distance away from his sprawling North Carolina home and his presidential headquarters, Edwards sought to return to his small town roots by connecting with the very students he contends are growing up just like he did.

"I grew up in a community very much like this one and that’s part of who I am today," said Edwards addressing the 1300 students who attend Darlington High School in South Carolina.

"I was the first person in my family to go to college. I’ve now been blessed to have everything you can have in this country including being able to be a candidate for president of the United States, so know that the American dream is still possible."

But for many of the students who attend Darlington, securing the American dream is a great challenge.  Over the course of four years, only 67% of Darlington High students graduate.

Edwards, who in recent weeks has discussed education policy from Iowa to South Carolina, tailored his message to these students. "We want to make an effort particularly to schools that have high drop out rates," said Edwards, who plans to combat education statistics that plague small pockets in the South with support from the public education system.

"We go across America we build and create second chance schools so that if kids, for whatever reason drop out of school they have an easy way to go back and finish their education."

Edwards may have missed the lesson on being punctual—he arrived at the event an hour late due to plane trouble, however, he made up for it at the end with an inspiring after school special message. Edwards acknowledged that he sat in many high school assemblies listening to speakers, and thought they had an untouchable quality to them. "I thought to myself, that guy or that woman, they’re just different than me, they must be different than me," said Edwards. But a wealthy white man from Robbins came with a different message today.

"I am just like you," said Edwards then adding, "You should not ever assume that anybody, anybody in this gym, including me is better than you, because I am not better than you. We are all exactly the same and every one of you have extraordinary potential to do great things with your life."

Edwards will be in South Carolina the remainder of the day focus suing on education.