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Student references Siaka in her essay. He requests a Skype session with the classes around Thanksgiving.

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Featuring actor and assistant director, Siaka Massaquoi, from Los Angeles

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Featuring actor and assistant director, Siaka Massaquoi, from Los Angeles

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November 10, 2017 "Something bigger" request approved

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November 10, 2017 "Something bigger" request approved

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Siaka, Nick, and camera and sound men are given the green light and funds to fly from Los Angeles to St. Joseph, Michigan to surprise the kids.

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Whole experience filmed and made into a SoulPancake documentary.

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Whole experience filmed and made into a SoulPancake documentary.

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SoulPancake Video

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Siaka surprises students in a life-changing lesson of positivity, connectivity, and love that will last a lifetime.

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ST. JOSEPH - Seventh-grade students at Upton Middle School were excitedly waiting Thursday to speak with actor Siaka Massaquoi from Los Angeles via Google Hangouts.

Imagine their surprise when, instead, the actor walked into the room to meet with them in person.

"I knew it," exclaimed a couple of students.

But for the most part the room was filled with squeals.

Seventh-grade English teacher Dana Walsworth said she had no idea that reaching out to Massaquoi to thank him for making a video with the popular website SoulPancake, about the meaning of his name, would result in his visiting the school.

"The whole process ... has been mind-blowing," she said.

Massaquoi told the students that whatever they do, do it with love.

"We live in a world, right now ... that pushes fear over love," he said.

Historically, he said fear causes nothing but problems.

"Ask yourself ... are you making decisions based on fear or based on love, because nothing, absolutely nothing bad happens if you follow your heart and you do it because of love," he said. "Nobody every said, 'Man, that guy was too loving.' Go out there, trust your heart and share that with the world."

Massaquoi said it's alright for men to be vulnerable. In the video about his name, he talks about being teased as a child because his name was different. He was being raised by his mother in the Chicago area and had no connection with his dad. He says he didn't know until he was an adult that his name means "uniter of tribes" in Liberia.

"I think everyone's history is important to them," he said. "And I think it's important to have an idea of what it is. You don't have to be trapped by your history, but to have the knowledge of where you come from is very important."

Walsworth said she and fellow English teacher Cathy Gressley have their students do a project at the beginning of each year about their names. Walsworth said another teacher sent her Massaquoi's video, which was released in August, and suggested she use it to help with the project.

"It was a great way to introduce that lesson and to get them talking about the history of their own names," she said.

Walsworth said she sent Massaquoi a message telling him how much the kids loved the video.

"He replied immediately ... and, in five minutes, I had a video saying, 'Hey, Mrs. Walsworth's class. This is Siaka Massaquoi,'" she said. "The rest is history. And now, he's standing on stage breathing the same air."

Massaquoi first met with the 33 students in Walsworth's and Gressley's classes. Then he spoke to more than 211 seventh-graders, plus some eighth-graders, in the auditorium.

He told the students that it's important to make connections with other people, even if they are different from them.

"One of the biggest things that every generation needs and loves is to have them to be understood by those around them," he said. "If you feel like you don't have a voice in any kind of way, I think a lot of bad things can be created inside themselves if they don't feel like they have some connection to another person. Talk to each other."

The actor said the most influential person in his life is his mother who, at 68, was still studying nursing, even though she was retired.

"She told me, 'Well, you've got to keep up with things,'" he said. "She's like, 'If you're not always learning, you're dying.' ... Always, always, always learn. Always keep going. There's never an end. There's always another questions that can be answered."

Massaquoi said SoulPancake will use footage from the visit in an upcoming documentary.

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Expected to appear via online chat, actor makes appearance at Upton Middle School

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ST. JOSEPH - Seventh-grade students at Upton Middle School were excitedly waiting Thursday to speak with actor Siaka Massaquoi from Los Angeles via Google Hangouts. Imagine their surprise when, instead, the actor walked into the room to meet with them in person. "I knew it," exclaimed a couple of students.

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November 8, 2017     Siaka loves it -- shares slides with producer of SoulPancake, Nick Ross

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November 8, 2017     Siaka loves it -- shares slides with producer of SoulPancake, Nick Ross

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Nick contacts SoulPancake with a request to do something "even bigger"

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Sends video response

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Siaka responds to personal name videos.mp4

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September 13, 2017 Video is shared. Students lose their minds.

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September 13, 2017 Video is shared. Students lose their minds.

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Mrs. Walsworth recorded their response to his video and shared it with him.

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His response includes a special video message to the kids

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His response includes a special video message to the kids

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Siaka Massaquoi Name Origin Response.mp4

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Mrs. Vukorpa sends e-mail, sharing SoulPancake's "That Moment When" video with ties to 7th grade Name Origin Essay

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Students volunteer to meet outside of class time to create video of name origin for Siaka

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Mrs. Walsworth leaves a Facebook comment, thanking the video's actor, Siaka Massaquoi. He responds an hour later.

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November 16, 2017 Set up "FaceTime" session with Siaka

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November 16, 2017 Set up "FaceTime" session with Siaka

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He's actually in the building, but the students believe he's in Los Angeles.

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7th grade teachers show video in class

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That Moment You Learn The Meaning of Your Name

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33 students from six different 7th grade English classes again meet outside of class time to create questions and google slides to share with Siaka. Skype session is scheduled for November 16, 2017.