The inaugural class of the All Saints’ Honors College welcomed Living on One Dollar creator Chris Temple to campus last week. He came to not only share his wisdom but also to share and promote his new film, Salam Neighbor.

Chris Temple speaks for the entire All Saints’ Upper School before lunch break

During his time on campus, Temple was all over every division of All Saints’. He started his week speaking to his hosts, the Honors College. Imani Davis ’16 didn’t know what to say when asked about what their conversation was like because the topics discussed were all across the board. Not only did they talk about the films themselves but also about how the problems each film is based on are being addressed today.

Tuesday morning he kicked off with the Digital Journalism and the Digital Film classes by sharing his journey of going from an Economics major (having not taken a single film class) to creator, producer, director, and actor of a big hit documentary. After sharing his journey and content from the Living On One website, Temple began helping the students on their assigned project. He was constantly throwing out advice to both the filmmakers behind the camera and the journalist conducting the interviews in front.

Chris Temple working with the Digital Journalism and Digital Film classes

Temple then spent the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday speaking with the All Saints’ Middle and Lower schools. At the lower school, Temple was able to advise a class on interviewing with empathy. The middle schoolers had so many questions to ask him that their teacher had them all write two questions on a card then she combined them to come up with a few encompassing questions. His impact on even the younger generations at All Saints’ is incredible! Students went home sharing their experience with excitement to their parents.

Chris Temple meeting with a 3rd grade class

All Saints’ wasn’t done listening to Temple yet as he went back to the Upper School on Thursday for All Day at All Saints’. He spent the bulk of his time speaking in front of a packed audience filled with Honors College students and parents in the quiet room/commons the majority of the day; however, Temple broke away to speak with the Entrepreneurial Studies class right before the end of school bell. Coach Beck’s students were prepared with questions Temple had yet to answer during his time at All Saints’. The students wanted to know about the business side of his companies and how he is capable of being economically successful on projects meant to help bring awareness and funding to global problems.

As a farewell to All Saints’, Temple premiered his new film Salam Neighbor in McNair Theater Thursday night for the first time in Texas. The film is about the Syrian refugee crisis and what he and his partner, Zach Ingrasci, discovered while in a Jordan at a Syrian refugee camp. It was eye-opening and heart-wrenching while serious and informational. After the film, Temple was able to close with a Q&A session to address people’s immediate thoughts on the film. By nine o’clock he had a group of students surrounding him requesting materials to share with other local schools.

While Temple was already on the other side of the country in Washington D.C. by the time the students arrived to school Friday, the impact he made was long from forgotten. Students created a new community service based club to start making little differences in the DFW community and beyond. It is safe to say, the entire All Saints’ community thanks Chris Temple for the intimate time he spent with it’s students and the impact he has left for years to come.

Salaam Alaikum