College & Theater Events

<p>A political communications expert who served in the White House and Congress, Ari Fleischer provides an in-depth look at the Biden Administration, the 2024 elections, foreign policy, and the failures of the mainstream media. </p><p>As former White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer was the primary spokesperson for President George W. Bush and delivered the daily White House press briefings from 2001 to 2003.

<p>Sharing exhilarating stories from his extraordinary career, commercial astronaut and space program executive Dr. Alan Stern encourages audiences that anything is possible with dedication, perseverance, and strong leadership.</p><p>Dr.

<p>With her authentic style and trademark joie de vivre, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is an inspiring advocate for emotional literacy, equality and mental health—sharing anecdotes from her own personal journey.</p><p>As the former unofficial First Lady of Canada, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has been not only an illustrious role model on the public stage, but she has worked tirelessly to advocate for mental health, female empowerment, emotional literacy, gender equality and conscious leadership.</p><p>Combining insight from top psychologists, psychiatrists, scientists, a

<p>A renowned NASA astronaut named one of <em>TIME</em>’s Most Influential People and one of <em>Forbes</em>’ 50 Over 50, Peggy Whitson shares insight on leadership, building resilient teams, developing soft skills for success, and the importance of STEM education. </p><p>An inspirational leader dedicated to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and advancing our understanding of space, Peggy Whitson has over 37 years of experience with NASA.

<p>The inspiring subject of the Prime film, <em>A Million Miles Away</em>, José Hernández shares stories from his extraordinary journey from migrant farm worker to NASA astronaut, empowering audiences to persevere in challenging environments and to achieve their greatest goals. </p><p>NASA engineer José Hernández wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American had been chosen to travel into space.

<p>Described by Billie Jean King as “a bold and dynamic force for good with the courage to fight for social justice, live authentically, and inspire others to do the same,” Joanna Lohman is committed to building a new generation of leaders who harness adversity as a catalyst for success.</p><p>Joanna Lohman is a former professional soccer player and member of the United States Women’s National Team. During her 16-year professional career, she built a platform for social impact and became the first player in Washington Spirit history to have her jersey retired.

<p>Drawing from his experience breaking era-defining news for the nation’s leading media outlets, award-winning political correspondent Geoff Bennett brings audiences essential insider information on politics and public affairs.</p><p>An acclaimed and nationally recognized journalist, Geoff Bennett has reported from the White House under three presidents, covered five presidential elections, and his exclusive interviews with many of Washington, D.C.’s most influential figures have grabbed national headlines.</p><p>Prior to becoming PBS <em>NewsHour</em

<p>Amber Briggle (she/they) is a self-described “mamabear” of a transgender teen in Texas.</p><p>Amber and her family were investigated by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services for “child abuse” in 2022 after TX Gov. Greg Abbott directed the agency to open such cases against families like theirs.

<p>The very personification of courage, optimism, and resilience, former U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords shares her remarkable story on stage, joined by her renowned speech pathologist, Dr. Fabi Hirsch Kruse. </p><p>Gabby Giffords’ story of perseverance and hope is unparalleled. The youngest woman ever to serve in the Arizona State Senate and a trailblazer in other offices, Gabby became a rising star on the national stage after being elected to the U.S. Congress in 2006.

<p>A renowned cultural critic who coined the term “Know-Your-Place Aggression,” Koritha Mitchell created the C19 Podcast episode, <em>The N-Word in the Classroom: Just Say No!</em> </p><p>In 2013, Koritha published <em>Love in Action: Noting Similarities Between Lynching Then and Anti-LGBT Violence Now</em>. She found that what lynching and anti-LGBT violence most have in common is the targeted group’s success.