What Color Is Your World?
I love the color teal. To me, it is a “happy” color, and I always seem to gravitate to it. In fact, the t-shirts I sell after my presentations are teal. No special reason I chose that color except teal makes me happy, and so I thought it would make others happy too. However, in November 2011, teal took on a completely different meaning. I found out teal was the color for ovarian cancer awareness, and means Take Early Action and Live. Crazy. I’m a woman and could be susceptible to ovarian cancer, but didn’t know the first sign or symptom. I’d never known anyone with ovarian cancer, or even heard of someone with the disease. That changed when one of my very best friends was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Tracy, who had just turned 40 two months...
Student Activities ARE Important!
These past few months have been so busy and also so rewarding. I’ve traveled to Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, and worked with different groups with different issues. The one common goal is their love for students and student activities. Funding has been cut so much that some programs have been eliminated. However, what hasn’t been cut is the desire to make a difference–even in the tough times. Educators, community activists, non-profit agencies, students–everyone I’ve come into contact with continues to work hard to make a positive difference to others. Student activities should never be cut. Their importance is too huge. My friends, Bob Tryanski and David Brame created a video for the Alliance for Student...
Ten states in two months!
This fall was crazy busy. I spoke in 10 states for six different types of conferences, and I got to know students from hundreds of schools. Each stop focused on different missions; from community service and developing leadership skills, preventing underage drinking and keeping our highways safe, to stopping bullying behavior. As always, I’m honored and humbled that I was chosen to be one of the speakers for these programs. I’m constantly amazed at the desire to make a difference, the hard work that goes into planning and executing a conference, and the responsibility that I have to ensure my presentations reaches ears and then channels to hearts. It’s not enough that I give an entertaining presentation. It’s not enough that I give facts and figures...
Mississippi Youth
Last week I worked in Mississippi for the MS Office of Highway Safety and the MS Student Advisory Board, (SAB). This group of 23 students had no idea who I was—just that I was a consultant coming in (as they prepared for their statewide Club Officer Training), to tell them what they were doing wrong. I’ve become accustomed to this description. The dictator, the mean one, the scary lady…the list goes on and on. These students have no idea who I really am. They don’t know I started this program before they were born. They don’t know the team of Harriet, Jim, Rusty, Chip, Neal, Glen, Tim, and Glenda– a team from DREAM and the MS Office of Highway Safety who always worked together. They don’t know how many hours we spent dreaming up new ideas, or how...
Maine makes me happy
Every summer, I have a wonderful time in Maine. I speak for two annual conferences, Aroostook Teen Leadership Conference (ATLC) and the Down East Teen Leadership Conference (DETLC) Every July, I can’t wait to explore the Northern and the Down East regions of Maine. While I love the scenery, the massive trees, the beautiful water, the potato fields, the roadside blueberry stands, and the lobster, this is not what I love the most. I love the people I see just once each year. I love the interaction, albeit very brief, that I am allowed to have with them. I love the love I feel from each staff member I’ve gotten to know. Lastly, I love the campers I meet. These middle school students are some of the sweetest students I encounter. There is a real innocence, a real...
People to People
Recently, I had the privilege to present at two People to People conferences. One was at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and the other in New York at Columbia University. Every year, I’m amazed at the quality of students who attend these conferences. I often wonder if I’m “smart enough” to impart any wisdom! Not only are they intelligent, they are caring, respectful, amazing, and so very much fun! My summer wouldn’t be complete without People to People. I’m honored and humbled that you choose me to be one of your speakers. Thank you.
I love my “job.”
I love what I do. Sometimes, the travel gets tiring, and leaving my home for days or weeks is very hard. However, I wouldn’t trade my “job” for anything else. There are weeks like the one I just had that let me know I’m doing exactly what I am supposed to do. It started at TN Teen Institute at Austin Peay State University. What an amazing group!! Watching 400+ students from every part of my state come together and declare (very loudly!) that they are drug free made me very proud. Before it was my time to present, I loved watching the energy from the sound booth. My son and nephew were with me, and they were overwhelmed with the noise (I said it was LOUD!), and they were also intrigued at what this large group of students was doing. My son, Andrew, is used...