Millikin University is pleased to welcome American Author, Social Entrepreneur, Producer, Political Analyst and decorated U.S. Army Officer Wes Moore on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Lower Richards Treat University Center on Millikin's campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Acclaimed author Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar and the founder of BridgeEdU. His most recent book, "The Work," is a collection of, "…incredibly valuable lessons about what it means to create lives that matter…[it is] a way of exploring the meaning of success in a volatile, difficult, and seemingly anchorless world." The book, which debuted at No. 15 on the New York Times Best Seller List, was received as a model for how we can weave valuable lessons together from supremely different people in order to forge individual paths to triumph.
Moore's first book, "The Other Wes Moore," is a story of mentorship and support networks who refused to let him fall into crime and drugs. It tells the tale of two kids with the same name living in the same decaying city. One grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar and White House Fellow after serving in the prestigious 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. The other is currently serving a life sentence for the killing of a police officer during an armed robbery. The book was an instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller which captured the nation's attention on what draws the line between success and failure in our communities.
An incredibly successful and sought-after speaker, Moore captivates audiences with his infectious zest for life. He has the rare ability to enthrall, inspire and engage. He has been featured by USA Today, Time Magazine, People Magazine, Meet the Press, The Colbert Report, MSNBC and NPR, among many other media outlets. Moore is also the host of Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network, and the executive producer and host of PBS's Coming Back with Wes Moore, which focuses on the re-integration of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their return home.
Moore is the founder and CEO of BridgeEdU, an innovative college platform that addresses the college completion and job placement crisis. BridgeEdU reinvents the freshman year in a way that engages students in real-world internships and service-learning opportunities in addition to core academic classes.
As a writer and speaker, Moore shares the illuminating lessons he learned on his journeys. As a speaker, Moore customizes each presentation, whether he speaks on the transformative power of education, professional and personal leadership, corporate responsibility or how to rise above adversity's many turbulent waters.
Filled with stories of everyday people, Moore's very human perspective coupled with his transformative programs bring concrete benefits. Audiences leave with new outlooks and sincere motivation to tackle today's problems.
Wes Moore's presentation is the 2016 T.W. Samuels Lecture. The T.W. Samuels Lecture Series was created in 1977 in honor of attorney T.W. Samuels, senior partner in the Decatur law firm of Samuels, Miller, Schroeder, Jackson and Sly. Samuels was active in Decatur community affairs until his death in 1989 at age 103. Samuels' sons, William J. Samuels of Menlo Park, Calif., and the late Dr. Thomas W. Samuels Jr., created an endowment fund to finance the series in recognition of their father. The endowment is used to bring great thinkers and speakers to Millikin for the purpose of community enrichment.