Speakers we recommend!

Over the past 20 years, our students have heard from some of the finest motivational speakers in the nation.  We are proud to list many of them here for your reference and can give personal recommendations if you are interested in booking one of these fine individuals.

Most of the speakers listed can be found through our favorite speakers bureau (at no additional charge).  Email or call THE FISHER AGENCY (formally Josten’s Speakers Bureau).

John Alston

Stuff happens (and then you fix it!) That is John Alston’s credo. He believes that nothing happens (changes, develops or improves, until “stuff” happens!) With that in mind, John Alston, with humor and a thoroughly infectious enthusiasm for life, can convert an audience of sluggish skeptics into a roomful of people rejuvenated by a newfound awareness of their own potential. John will inspire our participants as he generates the desire to succeed, transcend mediocrity and get over the rough spots, no matter what reality places in our path.

In the wake of all that can happen, John says, “It’s up to each of us to be relentless and personally accountable for achieving our goals.” He also makes it clear that it’s important to assist people in “celebrating life’s journey with character, decency and common sense.” John offers a driving philosophy and a set of skills to practice, all in the context of the facts of life.

Stuff happens (and then you fix it!) That is John Alston’s credo. He believes that nothing happens (changes, develops or improves, until “stuff” happens!) With that in mind, John Alston, with humor and a thoroughly infectious enthusiasm for life, can convert an audience of sluggish skeptics into a roomful of people rejuvenated by a newfound awareness of their own potential. John will inspire our participants as he generates the desire to succeed, transcend mediocrity and get over the rough spots, no matter what reality places in our path.

In the wake of all that can happen, John says, “It’s up to each of us to be relentless and personally accountable for achieving our goals.” He also makes it clear that it’s important to assist people in “celebrating life’s journey with character, decency and common sense.” John offers a driving philosophy and a set of skills to practice, all in the context of the facts of life.

Patrick George

Involved in student leadership for nearly 10 years, Patrick offers inspiration and practical advice for those in leadership or thinking to become involved in leadership.  Patrick served as a student leader while in middle school, high school, and college. He is recipient of the Miami Herald’s Silver Knight Award for speech and was elected the University of West Alabama’s Senator-at-Large. As one of the youngest professional speakers in America, Patrick showcased for the National Association of Student Councils. Since then, he has presented for many state leadership organizations. Patrick will present a combination of two of his favorite keynotes – “Monsters In Your Closet” and “I Choose to Participate.” These presentations help students see through their fears, whether real or imagined and encourages them to believe in themselves. Staying positive, choosing to make a difference and choosing to care about other people helps students to choose to participate in this “thing” called Leadership.

Scott Greenberg
“Bouncing Back”

Scott Greenberg always dreamed of working in the movie business. After being accepted to New York University film school on a scholarship, Scott was diagnosed with an advanced state of cancer.  Forced to leave school, Scott began a courageous fight for his life.  Today, Scott is an established Hollywood screenwriting consultant and one of the youth market’s favorite motivational speakers. His powerful story of courage and survival is both touching and entertaining.  Scott shares his insights on how to turn adversity into opportunity and how to embrace each day to the fullest.

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Jennifer Esperante Gunter
“Who’s Life is it Anyway?”

Jennifer’s mission is to spread optimism across America.  As a positive role-model, Jennifer absolutely radiates with contagious and irresistible enthusiasm.  Her high-energy programs encourage young people to hold fast to their values and believe in themselves and their dreams.  Jennifer encourages young people to always make the “right” choice since each choice is essential to their health, their future, their communities and their world.  Her mission is to teach young people skills that will build integrity and personal character. She focuses on self-esteem, values, leadership and being real.  Jennifer holds a BA in Psychology with emphasis in Youth Motivation and Personal Achievement.

Keith Hawkins
“The Power of a Leader”

Keith Hawkins is an exciting motivational speaker and student leadership trainer for secondary education schools.  A great role model, Keith relates very well to young people with a simple message that will help awaken your dreams and turn them into reality.  Born in inner-city Los Angeles, Keith faced tremendous pressures and obstacles as a youth. But Keith was able to break away from the negative influences that challenged his childhood and teens. In “The Power of a Leader”, Keith talks about different types of leaders – good and bad and the power that you possess to lead your own life and achieve success.

Michael Hingson

Michael Hingson was already an incredible person. Blind since birth, Michael obtained a Masters in Physics from UC Irvine and was a successful businessman managing a sales force and field operations for Quantum Data Protection Services. On September 11, 2001, Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle escaped from the 78th floor of the first World Trade Center tower before it fell. The experience thrust them both into the international limelight.

In dozens of TV and radio appearances, feature articles, and speaking engagements, Michael has done much more than simply tell his own 9-11 story. He has also explored the broader lessons and implications of the tragedy in such heartfelt, thought-provoking presentations as: Trust and Teamwork, The lessons of 9-11, Making Choices and Ethics.

Mr. Hingson is now the National Public Affairs Representative for Guide Dogs for the Blind. NTLP will be donating his speaking fee to the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization.

Pat Hurley

Behind the humor, Pat’s message is one of inspiration, encouragement and empowerment as he urges everyone to remember the importance of personal responsibility and respect.  Pat Hurley is a professional stand up comedian and humorist – with an educator’s heart!  For over 18 years, Pat has addressed more than six million students, parents and teachers.   “As I travel to every school, my message is the same: Respect, Respect, RESPECT!  Without it, we have no way of seeing our potential realized or our society healed. It is a message that must begin in the home, flourish on the campus, and reach its maturity in every person.”

Micah Jacobson

Being REAL is about discovering the person you most want to be.  It is Responding with Enthusiasm and Acting with Love.  Micah helps us remember the spirit of the child inside and at the same time, reminds us that we cannot remain children our whole life.  Throughout our lives, the things we do leave a mark, often upon the hearts and minds of those closest to us.  In a world that believes only in itself, we need those among us who can reach out more than ever. In hundreds of presentations across America, Micah has helped students use their own humor, energy and enthusiasm to create a life that is full of joy, wonder and success.  Micah has been a motivational speaker since 1990, sharing his special brand of enthusiasm with thousands of teens across America and Internationally.

Michael Lee & Filbert

Michael Lee is a motivational speaker who empowers and entertains each audience with his dramatic, yet humorous story of blindness, self-acceptance and love for life.  Severely burned in an explosion and fire that left him totally blind at age 13, Michael was then, and still is, the “All American Boy.”  Skiing, surfing, bowling, beep baseball and golf are some of the sports in which he participates.  A single parent, Michael finds raising his eight year old daughter Robin an exceptionally great challenge with wonderful rewards.  With his faithful assistant Philbert, a trained guide dog, he has turned his blindness into a mere inconvenience.  In Michael’s eyes, being blind is not so much a handicap as a challenge. His powerful message is one of over-coming obstacles and learning to live with the cards your dealt.

Cara Filler

Since 1994, Cara has reached the unreachable with a style unlike most audiences have ever dreamt possible. Superintendents and Principals, Teachers and Counselors, Parents and Adult Leaders, and most importantly, young people, are living examples that Cara’s programs deliver. Her “Your Life…Your Choice!” message has moved, touched and inspired over a million young lives across Canada, The United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Cara has spent the last 12 years inspiring young people to live life to their fullest. During her presentation, Cara will give her audience the tools they need to tell the difference between positive and negative risk, how to handle peer pressure, how to be You-nique and how to stick your neck out.

Cara’s presentations are tailored for each individual audience. Heartwarming and often hilarious, Cara’s special brand of enthusiasm is guaranteed to last long after she leaves your organization. Count on Cara’s presentations to be genuine, funny, relevant and memorable.

Willie Lopez
“Si Se puede!” “You Can Do It!”

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Willie Lopez came to America as a child with his parents, hoping for a better way of life.  Throughout his early years he was constantly exposed to the harsh reality of farm labor work, gangs, drugs and discrimination.  With the help of his family and the kindness of strangers, he eventually escaped that life.  Willie has extensive experience as a storyteller and is able to capture his audience through colorful illustrations of his personal real life experiences.  His message is one of over-coming obstacles and the importance of making the right choices in life.

Dale “Mad Dog” Messmer

Dale’s life started out on the right track. A graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in Journalism, Dale entered the United States Marines, served in Vietnam and earned a Navy Cross, Silver Star and three Purple Hearts. His professional life included work as a restaurateur, a charter pilot and bodyguard for Charlie Daniels and the Oak Ridge Boys. But something went wrong. Dale made some choices that landed him 10 years in prison.  Since his release, “Mad Dog” has chosen to save as many young people as possible from the bad choices life frequently has to offer.  He has spoken to hundreds of schools and youth organizations, leaving a lasting impact on all who hear him.

Rick Minniefield

Rick Minniefield is a big man with a big message.  Growing up in a busy family of 11 children, he found valuable support and guidance through athletics and leadership programs. He learned to make positive choices, commit and exercise options.  Rick’s keynote deals with how to beat peer pressure, boredom, poor role models, low self-esteem and negative societal influences. His presentations encourage, inspire and challenge youth to take control of their lives and deal with difficult issues.    Rick is a big man, with a big heart, a big smile and a big message.

Sunjay Nath

Sunjay Nath is a dynamic young man, who has been traveling across North America inspiring and motivating hundreds of thousands of young people with his exciting presentations since 1995.  Using humor, magic and loads of enthusiasm Sunjay will open our conference on August 4, with “It’s Okay to be the Only One Left Standing”, a dynamic and motivational presentation about personal leadership and goal achieving.

A scholar and athlete, Sunjay holds a degree in Mathematical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration.  He has earned his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, run a marathon and jumped out of a perfectly good airplane (some call it skydiving).  He is a magician, a comedian, a professional actor and he can juggle.  But more importantly, he excels in motivating youth.

Mike Patrick
“Think About It”

Mike Patrick got the electric chair and lived to tell about it.  A junior in high school, a football injury left Mike a quadriplegic.  Moving beyond his obvious limitations and the limitations of other people’s perception, Mr. Patrick has transformed his wheelchair into a speaker’s platform. Today he’s a motivational speaker and health educator who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of students, parents, teachers, business and community groups throughout the country. His presentation “Think About it?”  helps individuals overcome obstacles, creatively problem solve and perform successfully at school, at work and at home.   As Mike puts it, “Let’s face it. We all have a limitation of some sort. Maybe its diabetes. Or a learning disability. Or maybe you’re just nearsighted. Whatever it is, you can learn to deal with it. The problem isn’t the issue, the issue is how you deal with the problem.”

Leon Quan

Leon Quan has electrified audiences across the nation with a straightforward blend of insight and humor.  His passionate commitment to understand and empower his listeners makes him today’s most relevant young communicator.

Leon has a daily presence on school campuses and at conferences as he travels the country as a professional speaker and consultant. In addition to serving public and private schools, Leon is a columnist for the Arizona Republic and speaks extensively for companies and organizations seeking to influence 21st century leaders.

His new book, “One Second to Think”, is an information-age guide to critical thinking.  In this ultimate challenge to pop-culture, Leon exposes the tactics used by advertisers to define, manipulate and mentally restrain the emerging leaders of America.

Richard Santana

“As long as there is someone dying, I need to say what I got to say.” Richard Santana is a third-generation gang member who credits education and teachers for helping him leave a life of crime.  A captivating speaker, Richard uses personal gang-life experiences to illustrate his former destructive attitudes and behaviors. Richard has three messages:  1) Don’t judge others by appearance, 2) Don’t presume that someone can’t change, change is possible for everyone, and 3) Apathy- We are becoming apathetic to violence in our every day lives.  As leaders we must get involved, be role-models and stay involved in our communities to effect change for the better.

Josh Shipp
“Don’t be Average!”

At 19, Joshua Shipp had the distinction of being one of the youngest member EVER in history to be accepted into the NSA, the National Speakers’ Association. He has shared his message of individual success with over 300,000 people since 1999.  Josh has spoken to groups as large as 27,000 and as personal as high school auditoriums and has been featured with such speakers on a national level as comedian Bill Cosby and President Bill Clinton. His presentation, “Don’t be Average”, inspires his audiences to accept nothing less than the best. Josh combines the humor of a standup comedian and the inspiration of a motivational speaker to reach students of all ages and backgrounds.

Joshua Sundquist

At age nine, Josh was diagnosed with bone cancer and given a fifty percent chance to live.  He spent a year on chemotherapy treatments and his left leg was amputated… at the hip. Doctors declared Josh cured of the disease at age thirteen and he took up ski racing three years later. He trained for the next six years and in 2006 he was named to the US Paralympic Ski Team for the 2006 Paralympics in Turino, Italy.

Josh has since shared his story as a keynote speaker at schools, Fortune 500 companies, and in Washington, DC at the White House.  In April, 2006, as a finalist for the DO SOMETHING Brick Awards (see the link on our home page) he appeared on national television with Mandy Moore to present an award to Lance Armstrong.  Josh was a model for the American Eagle Outfitters 2006 Live Your Life Contest, and he is co-author of the teen devotional book, Forty Voices: Stories of Hope from Our Generation.

Today, Josh is a 23 year-old Paralympic ski racer and a nationally known inspirational speaker. He has been featured on CNN and in USA TODAY and has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

Calvin Terrell

Calvin Terrell is an internationally recognized authority on leadership and personal development. For over a decade, his impact on his listeners has been profound and his life has inspired millions through his “Chicken Soup for the Soul” story in the (now famous) series. Calvin has mastered the art of effective diversity training helping hundreds of schools and organizations to measurably decrease violence, hate speech, and prejudice of all kinds. Poetic and candid, Calvin opens his spirit and that of his listeners as he disarms the powers of intolerance and injustice. His efforts for students are unparalleled and Calvin’s activism has garnered him multiple awards from educational, religious, and civic organizations.

SSgt Gary Thompson
“A Message of Hope for the 21st Century”

A “Leader” as defined by Webster comes from the root word Lead: to be ahead or at the head of; to guide. To live; pursue (to lead a happy life). To tend toward a given result. The result, foremost, or winning position. A margin of advantage or superiority.

However, in every potential leader’s life he or she will encounter many crossroads and these are times when decisions must be made. Some choose to: Stop in their pursuit; some make wrong turns, others return to where they started and then there are those who make the decisions to move forward, to their Goals and Dreams.

Gary Thompson or Sgt. “T” as he is known, is with the Texas Army National Guard on special assignment to Dallas Challenge Positive Directions, working with at risk youth.  He speaks to the heart of youth by sharing a message of hope in a simple way.  Gary will show you that everything you need to know about becoming a leader can be found in the classic movie “Wizard of Oz”. (Wisdom, Compassion, Courage, Effort).

JeVon Thompson
“Heart of Leadership”

Since 1980, JeVon Thompson has spoken to more than 6 million people throughout the United States and Canada.  His program, entitled “Heart of Leadership”, gives insight into why we are who we are and examines the subconscious motives that program our destiny for both failure and success. JeVon will also examine difficult teen issues, such as relationships, harassment, attitude, race issues and decision making. The Washington Traffic Safety Council said that Mr. Thompson’s presentations are “sheer magic!”  A highly acclaimed international speaker, JeVon has spent more than 25 years motivating and empowering students and adults.

Tiana Tozer

Tiana Tozer was born in Eugene, Oregon and raised on a farm outside of Boise, Idaho. After a fairly normal childhood, Tiana attended college at University of Oregon. In her sophomore year, Tiana was run over by an intoxicated driver. She spent a month and five days in intensive care and has undergone 34 surgeries. After four years of struggling to walk, Tiana learned that a wheelchair would become a permanent part of her life.While doctors worked on her physically, Tiana worked to heal herself emotionally. She went on to graduate school at the University of Illinois where she played wheelchair basketball. In her sport, Tiana holds four national titles, a silver medal from the Barcelona Paralympics and a bronze medal from Atlanta. In 1993 she graduated from the University of Illinois with a MA in International Relations.

Using personal experiences, Tiana shares her journey of recovery and challenges people to look closely at America’s drug of choice — alcohol. Tiana’s inspirational message addresses overcoming obstacles, fear of failure, self-image and peer pressure to make the right choices.

Gary Zelesky

“The most positive thing a person can do, is bring out the best in somebody else.  Few speakers inspire and motivate an audience like the great Z-Man. Using humor to entertain and compelling information to educate, Gary helps everyone “feel good” about life and to be more tolerant of challenges.  Gary-isms include: “you cannot lead, until you have learned to follow,” “the best leaders are those who inspire leadership in others” and “leaders never have to tell what they are, people just recognize it.”  Gary speaks to literally thousands of teenagers each year and is one of the most popular speakers on the circuit today.