Courage, Confidence, and Compassion allowed Antoinette, a school bookkeeper, to successfully talk down an armed gunman saving 870 lives at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy on August 20, 2013.
Audiences of all ages are inspired and motivated by this story of one woman’s faith and raw courage – the only school active shooter situation in the nation which occurred without fatalities or injuries.
At the age of fifteen, James Fiorentino became the youngest artist ever to be featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for his likeness of Reggie Jackson. In 1998, James became the youngest artist to be inducted into the prestigious New York Society of Illustrators, along with such artists as Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth. A graduate of Drew University where James was also the starting shortstop for all four years of his college career. He has painted for and met many legends of the past and stars of today, including Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Cal Ripken Jr. , Arnold Palmer and Muhammad Ali to Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Albert Pujols. His photo-realism in watercolor has helped him become a nationally-known wildlife and portrait artist, painting people from everyday life to Presidents and Nobel Peace Prize winners. Many of James’ works currently grace the walls of notable museums, galleries, Universities, companies and private collections. James’ work has won numerous awards and can be seen nationally in books and magazines and on trading cards. In 2001, “The Fiorentino Collection” consisted of approximately 100 paintings for Upper Deck Trading Cards depicting legends in five major sports. James’ work and story has been carried on international and national television shows, and in magazines and newspapers.
Mariela Shaker fled Syria in 2013 against the nightmarish backdrop of terror and destruction and arrived in the U.S. with her beloved violin a few months later. Through hard work, determination and luck, Shaker was able to obtain a student visa to study music at Monmouth College in Illinois, and subsequently won a full scholarship for graduate study at DePaul University in Chicago. She has become an advocate for peace and tolerance, wielding the power of music through her violin.
Rich’s presentations combine his 16 years of science teaching experience with his family’s story of overcoming the loss of his 22 month old son, Rees. Recounting the formation of The ReesSpecht Life Foundation, which has distributed almost 500,000 kindness cards worldwide, he inspires your students to look inward for their power to change the world; one little piece at a time.
Ann Medlin is a seasoned military wife with 16 cross-country and overseas moves under her belt. With every move, she learned to redefine herself professionally, drawing from her passion for sports and her many years of volunteer service. Ann learned at an early age, working for her family’s restaurant and catering business that service to others was her calling. She honed her event planning and project management skills as a Logistics Coordinator for Samaritans Purse World Medical Missions, and later indulged her passion for teaching as In-Home Preschool Pilot Program Facilitator. While life as a military spouse meant career changes with every PCS move, Ann never let it get in the way of dedicating her talents to a worthy cause, teaching, coaching, or simply cooking up delicious food for a homesick soldier or a family new to post.
Having performed for over a billion people, Mark incorporates unique and valuable content with blazing multimedia and drum performances to empower, inspire and elevate audiences to an evolved mindset and new level of peak performance. With Mark’s extremely high-energy speaking style, business relevant content, drumming and interactive activities, attendees get to express their own rhythms, fortify individual strengths and enhance emotional connections with their colleagues and families. What makes Mark different is that his presentation has the excitement of a rock show with the transformational aspects of a cutting-edge keynote. Think Tony Robbins meets Bono meets Ringo with live drumming, interactive performances, compelling and emotional stories of his intimate experiences with P!NK, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Cher and other world-class artists. Mark’s presentations inspire audiences to take immediate action toward increased performance.
For over two decades, Scott Greenberg has captivated audiences with his motivational presentations on leadership, resilience and peak performance. He’s spoken in all 50 U.S. states and throughout the world to clients such Nike, Allstate Insurance and the U.S. Air Force. He’s written three books on leadership and is a contributing author to “Chicken Soup for the College Soul.” Scott has also built two “Edible Arrangements” franchises, which have won the “Best Customer Service” and “Manager of the Year” awards out of more than 1000 franchisees worldwide.
Greg’s own “Get Involved!” presentations blend comedy, juggling, fun audience participation, and a powerful message about personal transformation. Greg’s clients include Fortune 1000 companies, associations, universities, and other groups worldwide.
Eugenie is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. After moving to the U.S., Eugenie began to publicly share her experiences with students across the country to educate them about the dangers of hatred, inflammatory language, violence, and lack of concern for others. She uses her life story to inspire others to rise above personal setbacks and tragedies. Eugenie is available for Student Assemblies, Parent Workshops, and Staff Development Programs.
A former gang member who became a school administrator for more than 25 years. He delivers motivational lectures that help students re-evaluate themselves and their interaction with peers. He also lectures to school and community groups on the topic of cognitive & behavioral trends exhibited by today’s youth.
