"Don't even let anyone tell you you're not smart enough to study something. People are all fundamentally the same. We've got unique talents and interests but if you want to be good at something all you have to do is work hard at it."

Jim squats down so he's at Alex's level then. This is kind of important so he definitely doesn't want to talk down to the kid to say so.

"You might have to work harder than someone else who picks it up easier. But if you like it and you want to do it? You just keep at it. They let me into Starfleet and when I went in the only thing I was known for was being a repeat offender. I was in jail before I started at the Academy."