Imagine waking up in the seventh grade to find all of your hair on your pillow. You feel lost, alone, and afraid. You soon get diagnosed with a condition called Alopecia Universalis, and your life is changed forever. This was my reality. With every strand of hair, I lost a bit of my confidence, until I was left with nothing. I felt completely empty on the inside. I couldn’t even look in the mirror.

The bullying I faced was endless- I received everything from gum in my wig to a mean note in my locker titled “50 Ways to Go Kill Yourself,” to a Facebook page created to make fun of me. However, I noticed something: People said mean things to me, but the things I said to myself were much worse.

I knew something had to change. Just like I taught myself to hate who I am, I had to teach myself to love who I am. I worked to slowly change the language in my head. It started with simple things; when I woke up and looked in the mirror, instead of saying “you are ugly,” I had to say “you are beautiful,” even though I didn’t believe it at the time. Eventually, I found the courage to go without my wig. For the first time, I felt free. In August of 2011, I developed the concept of The Love Your Natural Self Foundation. I wanted others to find the same freedom I found.

I made an organization to change the lives of others, but everyday more and more, it changes my life. I am grateful for the work I do, and hope to create a world with more self love and self-acceptance.

Brian N. Baird Ph.D.,  is a clinical psychologist and President of 4πR2  Communication. He is a retired six-term Member of Congress (WA 3rd), former President of Antioch University’s Seattle campus. Dr. Baird is an award-winning instructor and was named the funniest celebrity in Washington DC for his stand-up comedy performances.

In addition to his background in government and academia, Dr. Baird has worked in industry, written three books and made numerous media appearances on national and regional programs. From the one-on-one intimacy of clinical work to speaking before crowds of thousands of people, Brian understands communication in unique and exceptionally insightful ways. Participants in Brian’s courses consistently rate the experience among the most informative, valuable, engaging and entertaining of their careers.

In addition to her official peacebuilding work, Patricia is Chief Catalyst and Executive Director of international nonprofit Mothering Across Continents through which education projects are managed in several countries in East Africa. Previously, Patricia held senior positions in change management, communications and corporate affairs in two global Fortune 100 companies. She holds an MSc in Consulting and Coaching for Change – a joint-venture of Oxford University, UK, and HEC France; an MBA, Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management; and MA, Journalism from The Ohio State University.

NEWGEN PEACEBUILDERS℠ is a global, award-winning peace education, training, and mentoring program that equips people to BUILD PEACE. REPEAT THE PEACE.℠ in their communities, countries, and the world. 

Richard R. McCorkle (Ricky) is currently serving as Executive Director of the Chattahoochee-Flint RESA and has been in this position since August of 2016. His education experience includes Georgia Southwestern State University, Troy State University for Educational Leadership, and Columbus StateUniversity. Ricky is a native of Marion County.

He began his teaching career in 1987 as a history teacher at Tri-County High School and also served as the head baseball coach  and basketball coach. From 1997 through 1999, he served as principal of Tri-County High School and then went on to serve as Marion County’s Superintendent of Education until 2017.

During his administrative tenure, he led the construction of the new Marion County Middle High School which opened in 2012. It has provided the students and citizens of Marion County with a state-of-the-art educational facility and athletic complex. In addition to the new school, Ricky established a strong relationship with partners in education. This in turn helped strengthen support for students in all of their endeavors as well as all involved. Mr. McCorkle serves as a Governor appointed member on the River Valley Regional Commission Board of Directors, chairman of the South Georgia Technical College Board of Directors; Columbus State University and Georgia Southwestern State University Colleges of Education Advisory Boards; Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Valley Partnership Joint Development Authority Board.

Kim Carter Fuller grew up in Plains, Georgia and has the pleasure of still living there and working in her community. She and her husband Mark have been married for 42 years and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren. In her former life Kim taught school for 31 years… teaching English and Speech to high school students in Sumter County and surrounding counties.

She is now the Executive Director of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. The Friends help the Park fund various projects needed to adapt President and Mrs. Carter’s story for a public audience. They also partner with the Georgia Department of Education to fund an education program within the Park by providing an education specialist, giving school children an opportunity to learn about President and Mrs. Carter.

In addition to projects associated with the Park, Kim has the responsibility of working with the downtown historic district which includes the Plains Historic Inn and Antique Mall, the Buffalo Café, the Plains Community Center and various other properties downtown. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in Kim’s day!

Kim is a part of the SAM Short Line Train Authority and serves as a Plains City Council member. She is a member of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains and teaches Sunday School each Sunday.

Matt Stevens joined the Creature Comforts team in 2017 as its first Director of Community & Culture. A self-described ‘boomerang’ of Athens, Georgia, he’s returned to the Classic City during four chapters of his life, including years at the University of Georgia where he earned his MPA in Nonprofit Administration. Creature Comforts’ unique approach to community impact has been recognized across the city, and state, leading to Matt’s 40 Under 40 honors in 2020 and culminating in both a CBC Presentation and TED Talk, both delivered in 2021.

Prior to a career in craft beer, Matt worked in the public and nonprofit sectors, including 6 years as the Associate Director of UGA’s research station in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Altogether, he’s now spent the past 15 years asking essentially the same question: How do you position an organization to best impact the community around it?

Educational Psychology, Educational Research, Measurement, and Assessment at Auburn University

David Marshall, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of educational research in the College of Education at Auburn University. His research focuses on high school graduation outcomes, school choice and charter schools, and innovative approaches to preparing teachers. He spent the past year examining the impact that COVID-19 is having on K-12 schooling. Additionally, he has experience conducting evaluation work in K-12 and higher education settings funded at the federal and state level, as well as by industry.

Dr. Marshall worked with teacher residency programs in Virginia for seven years, serving in several capacities. He began his career in education as a middle and high school social studies teacher, where he taught in both traditional public schools and public charter schools in Philadelphia, PA. He currently serves as the Chair of the Alabama Public Charter School Commission.

JoAnna Arnold is a veteran educator, writer, and program coordinator for Language and Literacy and service-learning in Americus, Georgia. An enthusiastic teacher of French, Spanish, and English, JoAnna combines her research with Auburn University in international studies, world language and reading education to develop literacy initiatives and service-learning programs for students of all ages. In her 2022 TEDx Talk, JoAnna shares part of her journey as a learner and how she experienced a paradigm shift about what it means to be an educator during a service-learning trip to Haiti in 2019. Her desire is to inspire students to use their developing language skills to evaluate the needs of people in their community and around the world. JoAnna’s classroom has evolved into a place where students have meaningful opportunities to build relationships with diverse groups of people as they learn to serve others. 

JoAnna nurtures her insatiable love for adventure with her husband Bob and their family. She shares personal reflections and stories of travel in her collection of flash fiction and poetry published with Old Mountain Press and as a guest on the Americus Podcast.

Jay Krueger is senior conservator of modern paintings at the National Gallery of Art, and became head of paintings conservation. He received a BFA in Printmaking and a BA in Art History from Washington University in St Louis, and an MA with a certificate of advanced study in painting conservation from the State University of New York, Cooperstown Graduate Program. In 1992, Mr. Krueger was appointed senior conservator of modern paintings at the National Gallery of Art, and became head of paintings conservation in 2013. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC.)