HAPPINESS COMES FROM LISTENING TO YOUR HEART: Emily Bridson
Emily is a Michigan native, community activist, business professional and retired professional athlete. She serves as a Kentwood first ward city commissioner and became involved with the city as a planning commissioner and parks and recreation commissioner. To...
WHAT I SEE FROM HERE: Shelley Irwin & Sophie Fischer
Shelley Irwin is a host/producer with WGVU, the local NPR/PBS West Michigan affiliate. She hosts The WGVU Morning Show plus several PBS Community Affairs programs including Family Health Matters and Ask the Expert. She has received five consecutive AWRT Gracie Allen...
A WINDOW FOR THE LIGHT TO SHINE THROUGH: Leana Davison
Leana Davison is a wife and mother and the Marketing Manager at Mad City Windows and Bath in Madison, WI. Her life was changed in a drug treatment court and she has been in recovery for 13 years. Her philosophy is that everyday should be a celebration of the joy of...
LISTENING TO HER PATIENTS: ONE DOCTOR’S STORY: Abha Gupta Varma
Abha Gupta Varma, MD, practices at Cherry Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she cares for a wide variety of patients, regardless of insurance status or income level. Many of her patients struggle with joblessness, homelessness, and addiction. As a doctor, she...
USING A “HOLY DISCONTENT” TO SERVE LGBTQ YOUTH: Jody Betten
Jody lives her life with the motto "the journey is the destination". She is a pastor in the United Church of Christ and loves a challenge; her latest is starting a faith community that is serving the most vulnerable in Traverse City, MI with affordable housing, safe...
THE WISDOM TO LISTEN AND THE GOODNESS TO ACT: William Schma
William G. Schma served as Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge from his initial appointment in 1987 until his retirement in 2007. He has lectured, published articles and law reviews, and made numerous presentations on substance abuse and criminal justice, drug...
THE DIGNITY, THE DEMANDS, AND THE REWARDS OF HARD WORK: Dave Johnson, Jim Chase & Buck Geno
Jim Chase worked in factories for many years as a member of the Teamsters Local 406 and later became involved in union leadership as a Business Agent and Organizer. Buck Geno is a pipefitter and a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union who served as a Principal...
DON’T BE AFRAID TO LOSE: Cathy Albro & Rob Davidson
Cathy Albro Cathy is a gifted teacher, successful small-business owner, and grandmother. As a 37-year resident of Michigan’s 3rd District, Cathy has made it her life’s work to fight for the health and education of our nation’s children. Cathy lives in Middleville with...
2 HEARTS INTERLACED IN MARRIAGE AND ADVOCACY WORK: George & Susan Heartwell
Susan and George Heartwell are residents of western Michigan. Susan is the Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Student Advancement Foundation, and her career has focused on advocacy work for vulnerable children. George Heartwell works with the Grand Rapids...
HOW EQUITY AND INCLUSION MAKE US ALL STRONGER: Dawn McDonald & Tamara Gurley
Dawn McDonald Dawn McDonald is a Grand Rapids resident working in the area of equity, inclusion and cultural competency. Her focus is student and family support and success in school districts. Tamara Gurely Tamara Gurley is a racial educator, consultant, and...
FAILURE AS A CATALYST FOR SUCCESS: Damon Arnold
A native of Cleveland Ohio, Dr. Damon Arnold is an author, consultant and motivational speaker. He understands success and failure. He also understands how to motivate others to achieve their dreams and discover their PURPOSE. After getting kicked out of two different...
MY FOOTPRINT IS MY CHILDREN: John Shinsky
Dr. John Shinsky has dedicated his life to serving others in many different capacities. He is a graduate of Michigan State University, and was Co-Captain of the 1973 Michigan State Football team and an Academic All-American. He has served as an educator for...
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, PICK A GOOD TEAM: Kurt Ver Beek & Jo Ann Van Engen
Kurt Ver Beek is the President and co-founder of the Association for a More Just Society, an organization founded in Honduras to improve access to government services including health, education, and security. Over more than 20 years with the organization, Kurt has...
COMMUNITY IGNITED BY THE SPARK OF STORYTELLING: Eleanor Moreno
Eleanor Moreno is the founder of Co2, a storytelling collective, and co-founder of Moreno Consulting LLC, a community collective website and translating group. Eleanor loves building relationships and believes that at the end of the day, it's all about...
HOW THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE CHANGED MY TEACHING AND MY LIFE: Nicholas Wolterstorff
Nicholas Wolterstorff is Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology at Yale University, Senior Research Fellow in the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, and Honorary Professor of Australian Catholic University. He...
CHARACTER FORMATION IN THE LIFE OF A US PRESIDENT AND IN THE LIFE OF A TEACHER: Clare Shubert
Clare presently serves as the Director of Engagement and Programming for the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. In her role, she has developed and implemented new character and leadership-based K-12 programming that has significantly increased the level of...
EXPLORING CAREER READINESS WITH THE EXPERTS: Linda Keway & Brigid Avery
Dr. Linda Keway joined the Counselor Education faculty of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2017. She has also lectured in Career Services since 2013. Previously, she served as professional development/human rights and labor consultant for the Michigan...
RATHER THAN CAREER, IT’S A WAY OF LIVING: Jeff Smith
Part I: Part II: Jeff Smith has spent the past 40 years doing community organizing work, popular education work and creating independent media. He has spent a significant amount of time in Central America and Mexico doing accompaniment work, which has influenced his...
STANDING ROCK, CORE VALUES, AND NATIVE AMERICAN IDENTITY: Belinda Bardwell
Belinda Bardwell holds a B.S. in Liberal Studies (GVSU, '14), an MPA (GVSU, ’17) and is an accomplished community leader. Lin has served 8 years as commissioner for the Grand Rapids Community Relations Commission, is President of the West Michigan Environmental...
CLIMATE WARRIOR LOOKS TO YOUNG PEOPLE FOR INSPIRATION: Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben is an author, environmentalist, and activist. In 1988 he wrote The End of Nature, the first book for a common audience about global warming. He is a co-founder and Senior Advisor at 350.org, an international climate campaign that works in 188 countries...
FINDING SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY WITH NUNS AND NONES: Sister Barbara Hansen, Ellie Hutchison, & Katie Gordon
Barbara Hansen has been a member of Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids for 63 years. She has ministered at Aquinas College as Chemistry Faculty, 1970-75; Aquinas College Academic AVP 1975-83; Pastoral Associate at St. Rose of Lima, Gaithersburg MD 84-88,...