‘Being smart is just the beginning,’ actress tells high school students

An actress in the new film “Hidden Figures” told students in Macon Friday that being smart just isn’t good enough these days.

Karan Kendrick, a Fort Valley native who now lives in Burbank, California, spoke to about 70 juniors and seniors who’re in a college prep course at Northeast High School.

“Being smart is just the beginning,” she told them. “Once you get smart, put that in your back pocket and be brilliant. It’s not enough to be just good. What makes you stand out? ... Nobody on this planet is ever going to be me. What I can do is focus on being the most amazing version of myself.”

Kendrick graduated from Peach County High School, received a bachelor’s degree in drama and dance from Atlanta’s Spelman College and earned her master’s of business management degree from Wesleyan College.

She plays the younger version of Joylette Coleman, the mother of main character Katherine Johnson, in “Hidden Figures.” The film is based on the true story of a team of black women mathematicians for NASA who provided the calculations to launch astronaut John Glenn into space in the 1960s.

Kendrick answered questions from students about her career background, college, first acting gig, inspirations and favorite roles, with “Hidden Figures” topping her list. Students in the school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination class are going on a field trip to see the movie next week.

“It was awesome. I was giddy on set,” Kendrick told them. “We all knew this was something special. It’s one of the greatest stories, I say, never told.”

The actress’s other movie credits include “The Hunger Games,” “The Really Real” and “Conference Call.” TV roles include “Greenleaf,” “Documentary Now!” and the upcoming season of “The Originals,” which premieres in March. She also has starred in a number of theater productions.

Kendrick said collaboration and support are choices each person makes, and she has made it a point to surround herself with people who are supportive but also make her want to be better and stronger.

She encouraged students to study hard, learn to communicate in ways that earn respect and love who and where they are in life.

“She’s an awesome speaker. She loves children. She loves motivating,” said Sharon Lewis, who teaches the class and knows Kendrick personally, since they share the same hometown. “I hope (the students) are inspired to continue their hard work and never give up.”

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 6:43 PM with the headline "‘Being smart is just the beginning,’ actress tells high school students."