Millikin University welcomed American Author, Social Entrepreneur, Political Analyst and decorated U.S. Army Officer Wes Moore to campus on Nov. 9 for the 2016 T.W. Samuels Lecture.
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."
"Now your role must mean that you hold whoever sits in that seat accountable for their actions, accountable for their decisions," Moore told a crowd of more than 300 in reference to the presidential election. "Make sure your voices are heard in that."
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.
"The most important question you are going to be asked is not 'What was your major?'" he told the audience. "The most important questions you are going to be asked are 'Who did you choose to fight for? Who did you choose to stand up for when it wasn't easy? Who did you choose to advocate for when you knew you might lose some friends, might lose some supporters?"
Moore 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.