Summer Owens #44on22 birthday fundraiser
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Happy Birthday to Me #44on22

It's my #44on22 birthday! My 15th birthday changed my life forever. What happened on that day led me to becoming a mother, pregnant by someone I didn't know. Too many youth have been in similar situations or live in constant trauma. But…
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From Fired to Fired Up: Meet Jaime Ross, Award-Winning Real Estate Broker Associate

Do you remember the last time you started a new job? After I earned my MBA, I accepted a job as a marketing manager with ServiceMaster. I was so nervous and unsure of myself and, honestly, questioning if I made the right decision to leave…
Mayor Julian McTizic
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Mayor Julian McTizic: S.O. What! Success Story

How often do you meet people who impress you? Not just with their accomplishments but equally with their humility and kindness. A few years ago I met the Mayor (Julian McTizic) of my original hometown, Bolivar, TN, at a restaurant. Soon…
Melissa Graham
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Melissa Graham: S.O. What! Success Story

One thing I always tell my students is to talk to people. And something that almost always happens is you’ll find a lot that you have in common. Melissa Graham and I started talking because both of us have a passion for student success.…
Ed Robinson
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Ed Robinson: S.O. What! Success Story

When I attended my first Influence, the premier conference for professional speakers, I was excited and also intimidated. But I was immediately embraced. One of the incredible, experienced speakers who welcomed me was Ed Robinson, the Rainmaker.  Standing…
Summer Owens at the JCM class of 1997 25th anniversary class reunion
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25 Life Takeaways from My 25th Anniversary Class Reunion

Last weekend I attended my 25th anniversary class reunion. Even typing 25th anniversary doesn't seem like it could possibly apply to me.  It seems like it was just a couple of years ago that we got our green caps and gowns and excitedly walked…
Tim Ware
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Tim Ware: S.O. What! Success Story

Find your cheerleader. That was the closing advice given by the former athlete turned education leader, Tim Ware, in our interview. When we met over a decade ago, Tim Ware had started a school and today he leads another one just for young…
Annette Webb McNeil
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Annette McNeil: S.O. What! Success Story

It’s never too late to get your degree(s). That’s one of the first thoughts I have when I think of Annette McNeil. Another is how she too was a 15-year-old mom. A third is our connection to the Fogelman College of Business and Economics…
John Best
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John Best: S.O. What! Success Story

Have you ever met a giant? During my time working for the NBA, I did meet a few men who seemed like giants to me.  When I met John Best I definitely noticed his stature but I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t shocked to learn that John…