From skydiving without adequately listening to instructors to traveling to the Dominican Republic and falling off a cliff, Brendon Burchard shared the insights garnered from such travels in a spirited interactive presentation at the Bowling Green Junior High School Auditorium on Thursday morning.

More than 700 high school students from the five counties in the Junior Achievement Barren River area attended the Teen Summit, which was presented by Bluegrass Cellular and U.S. Bank. Junior Achievement is a national organization that helps young people learn about business and economics through local programs.

Burchard, author of “Life’s Golden Ticket” and a leadership guide for students, explained how he was blessed to receive life’s “golden ticket” 10 years ago after surviving a car accident in a Third World country.

Asking himself if he had lived, loved or mattered in the near-death moment of his life, Burchard said he was later inspired to help other people realize their potential.

While stressing the importance of learning from teachers, Burchard said life is always about “being in the moment” and having the courage to follow your own path.

You don’t have to wait to lead your life, figure things out on your own, or be silent about what you believe in, he said, noting that societal messages often contradict such ways of thinking.

Barren County High School senior Lucas Mohon said he was very impressed with Burchard’s presentation.

“It opens up your eyes to see there are avenues,” he said. “It’s not what you do now, it’s what you carry on.”

Mohon said he will bring back what he learned in Bowling Green to the baseball team at his high school.

Mohon, 18, is a second baseman for the team and has his sights set on playing at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn.

Paige Nunn, 15, a student at Glasgow High School, said Burchard’s speech inspired her to be more outgoing.

Heather Rogers, president of Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky, said the annual Teen Summit helps instill positive values and teaches students that they’re special and can contribute to the world.

“They’re the future of the community,” Rogers said.

The event was moderated by WBKO’s Amy Bingham. Representatives from sponsors Commonwealth Broadcasting and U.S. Bank were also present.

“We’re very proud of the work Junior Achievement does in this region,” Craig Browning, regional vice-president of U.S. Bank, said.

Dale Thornhill, vice-president for Commonwealth Broadcasting, mentioned that a new Student Center Web page has been added to the local Junior Achievement’s Web site, jaforkids.com.

The site, which Thornhill said was easy to navigate, includes topics on commerce, business ethics, finding and paying for college, managing one’s finances and career assessments students can take to get ideas on their occupational future.

Three scholarships are also available for local students, Thornhill also said, with one worth $1,000 and two worth $500.

— For more on the scholarship criteria and eligibility, contact Junior Achievement at 782-0280.