Schedule of Events (2009-10 Season)

All Distinguished Lecturers appear in the Mary Linn Auditorium at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. There is no admissions charge for the lectures.

Erin Gruwell

Erin Gruwell
Inspirational Educator/Catalyst for social change

Co-Sponsored By: The College of Education & The Intercultural and International Center

Date: Wednesday, September, 30
Time: 7 p.m.

Nothing could have prepared Erin Gruwell for her first day teaching at Long Beach High School. Many of her students from this tough, racially divided school were deemed “unteachable,” and written off by the education system. Shaken, but undeterred, Gruwell leveraged the power of education to deliver an academic miracle.

Finding her classroom a safe haven, the Freedom Writers transcribed their stories on paper, transforming their lives one word at a time. Through Gruwell’s efforts, these stories were published in the book Freedom Writer’s Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them. Her enthusiasm and fierce determination galvanized her class, and eventually all 150 of her students went on to graduate from high school and attend college.

Now, Gruwell's story has made it to the big screen, as she is portrayed by Academy Award winner Hilary Swank in Paramount Picture’s feature film, Freedom Writers. “In the beginning I was pretty naïve and did not know a lot about at-risk teens. I knew I could see past color and culture, but I did not know how to get to the hearts of these young people. So I gave them a pen and told them to share their experiences through the art of writing. Through writing, my students discovered tolerance and respect for one another

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Stephen Paletta

Stephen Paletta
Philanthropist and Winner of Oprah's Big Give

Co-Sponsored By: Student Activities Council

Date: Monday, November 16
Time: 8 p.m.

Inspirational speaker Stephen Paletta began his philanthropic journey years before being chosen as "the biggest giver" on the hit reality show Oprah's Big Give. After being challenged to choose between a life of "significance or success," Paletta journeyed to Rwanda for a trip that changed his life.

After connecting to the plight of the poor in a hands-on way, Stephen Paletta and his family decided to financially adopt ten children in Africa, and began his first nonprofit organization, the International Education Exchange, which builds schools and libraries and trains teachers all over Africa.

His second nonprofit, Stephen's Journey Foundation, was formed after being awarded $1 million for winning Oprah's Big Give. Dedicated to shining a light on social entrepreneurs around the world, it provides an easy way for donors to find effective grassroots nonprofit organizations.

Also a successful business owner and entrepreneur, Stephen Paletta encourages organizations to use their successes to help others. Believing that it is possible to be both successful and have a life of significance, he shows audiences how they can choose paths that are rewarding for both their personal achievements and their positive effect on others.

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Harold Ford, Jr.

Harold Ford, Jr.

Former U.S. Representative; Chairman, Democratic Leadership Council & NBC news Analyst

Date: Wednesday, February 03
Time: 8 p.m.

Harold Ford, Jr. served Tennessee in the United States congress for 10 years. Described by President Bill Clinton as “the walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21^st century,” Ford is now chairman of the Democratic leadership council, a news analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and a visiting professor of public policy at Vanderbilt University.

During his 5 terms in the congress, Ford’s focus was results. Having served on both the financial services and Budget Committees, his passion for free enterprise and balanced budgets and confidence in American ingenuity to overcome any foe bolsters his belief that America’s best days are in front of us. He believes that government is most effective when it’s working for the betterment of everyone.

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Mercedes Ramirez Johnson

Mercedes Ramirez Johnson

Co-Sponsored By: Phi Mu Sorority & Panhellenic Council

Date: Monday, March 1
Time: 8 p.m.

In 1995, Mercedes Ramirez Johnson narrowly survived a commercial airplane crash that killed 160 people, including her parents. As one of only four survivors of this tragedy, she vowed that she would make her second chance at life count…and that she has - not only for herself, but also for the tens of thousands of people who have heard her story and her message.

Mercedes and her story have been the subject of considerable national and international media coverage. Her extensive media experience includes appearances on ABC’s PrimeTime, The BBC, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Health Channel and as a recurring guest on The Montel Williams Show. In addition, numerous national magazines and major-market newspapers have run cover stories and special-interest pieces about her.

Mercedes has received national awards for her work, influence and dedication to improving the lives of others. She was recognized as one of the country’s top young Hispanic up-and-comers by People Magazine’s Spanish edition, People en Español. INROADS, Inc., an international organization dedicated to developing talented minority youth, voted her Alumni of the Year. In addition, she was recently honored as Volunteer of the Year for Christ Haven for Children, a home for neglected children in Texas. In memory of her parents, she established a scholarship for minority students at Northwest Missouri State University, where she actively serves as an Executive Member of the university’s Foundation Board.

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Celine Consteau

Celine Consteau

Explorer and Filmaker

Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Time: 8 p.m.

Whether she’s free-diving, horse riding, leading an expedition to the peaks of

the Andes, or swimming amid a school of sharks in the South Pacific, Céline Cousteau seeks to educate through adventure and exploration.

Cousteau is in constant motion, traveling the globe as a Cousteau “oceanaut” and educational ambassador. She is a respected symbol for a new generation about our responsibility to protect the natural world. Endeavoring to learn and explore the many regions of the world both above and below water as well as the cultures within them, she seeks to make connections between many.

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