The Repurposed Life is a miraculous journey. Dale Lendrum walks us through his 30-year history of drug addiction and incarceration and how effective rehabilitation and the exercising of our humanity can truly change lives for the better. From state prison to teaching at California State University, Long Beach in seven years, The Repurposed Life is a story of inspiration and hope for all.


Dale Lendrum is a 52-year-old, returning student at CSULB. Prior turning his life around in 2008, he spent 28 years addicted to hard drugs and the criminal lifestyle that often accompanies it. He would be jailed on more than 24 occasions and imprisoned, 6 times, spending a total of 10 years behind bars. Determined to turn his life around, Dale enrolled at Golden West College in 2009 where he served two terms as A.S. President before graduating with honors in 2013 as GWC’s Outstanding Student and transferring to “the beach.” At “the beach,” Dale earned his BA in Communication Studies in 2015 and was recognized with the ASI Golden Nugget Award for Excellence in Student Leadership. He is currently pursuing his MA in Communication Studies at CSULB where he also teaches Interpersonal Communication. The most important thing Dale’s learned? “We are blessed with each other, because we need each other.”

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx