Bailee Madison

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Bethany Hamilton

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Shamila Kohestani: The Captain of the first Women's Afghan National Soccer Team

Shamila is entering her senior year at Drew University and will graduate in June 2012 with a major in political science and a minor in women’s studies. Ten years ago Shamila was beaten by the Taliban, deprived of any education from age 8 to 13, and confined to her home in Kabul.

Shortly after the Taliban were removed from power, she began to play soccer. Her soccer involvement and position as the captain of the first Women’s Afghan National Soccer Team, led to receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2006 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. During that trip to the U.S., she had the opportunity to attend the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership program in New Jersey. While at the program, she met a teacher from Blair Academy who convinced the school to provide a one year scholarship to Blair, a leading boarding school in New Jersey.

From Blair, through the help of the Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund (www.agfaf.org), Shamila was awarded a four year scholarship to Drew University. While at Drew, she has continued to play soccer, been an advocate for Afghan women and was named to the Dean’s list. During summers, she has been a volunteer counselor at the Julie Foudy Leadership Camps in Chicago, San Francisco, and New Jersey and this summer interned for three weeks at a program in Washington, D.C. called, I Live to Lead: Leadership Summit. She has also been a speaker at numerous elementary and high schools to tell young people her story and educate them on Afghanistan.

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Quote - Richard DeVos

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that 

I regard as being most highly correlated with success, 

whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence." 

- Richard DeVos

Video - Jac de Hann

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Becci Manson : (Re)touching lives through photos

" [Photos are] our memory - keeper and our histories. The last thing we would grab [in a crisis], and the first thing you'd go back to look for." Becci Manson 


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Quote - Mary Anne Radmacher

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little 

voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'"

Mary Anne Radmacher Author and Artist

Life by Design: A Show about Lisa Leonard

Lisa is a mommy to two boys, David, 10 and Matty, 8 and wife to Steve. Lisa and her team design handmade jewelry. Each piece of jewlery is it's own work of art. Lisa states that her business exist because moms, grandmas and friends have shared her designs with others, the business has grown organically through word of mouth.
Join Lisa, Steve, David and Matty on their new adventure! Want to help get the word out about 'Life by Design' featuring Lisa's family please share the trailer on your Facebook, Twitter and your blog!
Make sure to visit Lisa's blog here and her FB page here.

I can't wait to see their first episode!

Give STRENGTH. COURAGE. HOPE.

Quote - Richard Koch

"Few people take objectives really seriously. They put 

average effort into too many things, rather than superior 

thought and effort into a few important things. People who 

achieve the most are selective as well as determined."

Richard Koch

                                                       Author of The 80/20 Principle

Mina Bissell : A new understanding of cancer

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Inspiring Story

Service

A doctor quickly entered the hospital after being called in for an urgent surgery. He changed his clothing and went directly to the surgery block. He saw the boy's father walking back and forth in the hall waiting for the doctor.

Once seeing the doctor, the dad yelled: 
"Why did you take all this time to come? Don't you know that my son's life is in danger? Don't you have the sense of responsibility?"

The doctor smiled and said:
"I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital and I came the fastest I could... now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work."

"Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do? " said the father angrily.

The doctor smiled again and replied:
"I will say what is said in the Holy Bible 'From dust we came and to dust we return, blessed be the name of God.' Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go and intercede fro your son, we will do our best by God's grace."

"Giving advice when we're not concerned is so easy" murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, "Thank God! Your son is saved!"

And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running. "If you have any question, ask the nurse."

"Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state? commented the father seeing the nurse after the doctor left.

The nurse answered: "His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son's surgery."

Author Unknown