Chris Singleton speaks to students at Warsaw High School

WARSAW, Ind. (WNDU) - Former South Bend Cubs player, Chris Singleton, spoke at Warsaw High School Thursday, sharing a message of hope, faith and forgiveness after experiencing tragedy and loss.

In 2015, Singleton lost his mom in the Charleston Church shooting.

“I don’t want it to be a sad story. I want it to be a story of resilience and me having this mission of bringing people together,” Singleton said.

After her death, Singleton started speaking across the country.

His message: “love is stronger than hate.”

Singleton speaks to adults and students about 60-70 times a year.

“Continuing to push forward is the mission. At the end of the day, I want to make sure I am my own hero. Doing whatever I can to overcome what I have had to in my life,” Singleton said.

His messages resonated with students.

“It was a great response. We had discussions and questions back and forth. Seems like they truly got it and they received it well...Some kids [have had] to overcome some pretty tough stuff. It definitely lets me know that my words aren’t in vain and people are receiving it,” Singleton said.

When he is not speaking, he does outreach in his community.

“When I am home, I work for the Charleston River Dog, which is a minor league baseball team. I am the director of community outreach there,” Singleton said.

Singleton is also the author of two children’s books: “Different: A Story About Loving Your Neighbor,” which is a message about tragedy.

And “Your life Matters.”

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