Brink of Greatness
Every young girl and boy have been asked the question; ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ For boys, it was an athlete, astronaut, doctor, scientist, policeman, or a fire fighter. For girls, a teacher, veterinarian, singer, actress, dancer, or artist would have been a typical answer. The answer kids give to that question is changing, and if Stephanie Hein, Julia Haried or Elizabeth Engele have anything to say about it, those typical stereotype answers will become a thing of the past. There has been great progress over the years, but consider that women make up half of the total college-educated workforce in the United States, however they are only 29 percent of the overall science and engineering workforce. “One of the main reasons why girls aren’t interested in the STEM fields is that there is a lack of role models,” explains Stephanie Hein. “Young girls don’t see many women in STEM fields and because of that, they don’t see themselves pursuing those fields. If more women pursue careers in STEM, then that can serve as a significant source of inspiration for young girls.” Founded in a social entrepreneurship class at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Co-Founders, […]
Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily landmine contaminated countries, and the impact to the civilian population as well as our military soldiers is the leading cause of injuries and death. A report was issued from the United Nations in October 2018 calling on militants in Afghanistan to stop using improvised explosive devices, “The killing and maiming of Afghan civilians by improvised explosive devises, particularly suicide devices, has reached extreme levels in Afghanistan.” We are seeing the decline of IED use in other areas of the world, but not Afghanistan, where it continues to rise. It is the weapon of choice the Taliban and the local Islamic State affiliate use to rein terror on both the local population and military forces. The impact on military, police and even peacekeepers is incredibly disruptive. Americans military forces have trained personnel that understand these explosive devices, and how to detect the IEDs that are meticulously buried in the Afghanistan landscape. Rob Jones was trained and specialized in finding these explosive devices and would typically work to secure the area prior to troops moving in. In Rob Jones words, “I deployed to Habbaniyah, Iraq in 2008, and again to Delaram/Sangin, Afghanistan in 2010. During my […]
It should have been a happy time, fresh off her retirement, Ria had set off across the country to visit her sister in Johannesburg, South Africa. As they pulled into a friends townhouse, some men had rushed the vehicle in an attempt to carjack⏤in the process they shot and killed Ria’s sister. “For some unexplained reason they spared my life,” explains Ria Pieters. “In one moment, I lost my sister, the next I lost my feeling of safety and then I had anxiety attacks. I was a mess.”. Life changed dramatically for Ria Pieters, anxiety attacks, panic, insecurity⏤something had to change if she was to survive. It was the night that one of these attacks prevented her from unlocking the door to her own home, she froze, and had to get assistance to walk into her own home. That very next morning, she confessed to a friend that she was seriously considering leaving the country. Her friend had a different reaction… “I get so fed-up with every one that wants to leave the country instead of helping and making a difference. On our own doorstep is a township with a 60% unemployment. Do something about that and they will not […]
Janelle had not a clue that when she contacted her friend at a local homeless shelter for her own daughter⏤who needed service hours for school⏤that it would turn into a life changing experience. It broke her heart when she discovered a family living in the shelter with two young girls just weeks before the holiday. She struggled with the idea that these two girls were living in a shelter with their parents at Christmas time. Janelle Towne understood the beauty of Christmas and as the mother of five children; she knew the impact the holiday season had on children. She decided to do something about it. A simple idea to raise awareness and provide a few gifts to the family. Janelle sent out about 50 emails inviting friends to her home two weeks before Christmas and asked everyone to bring gift cards, wrapping paper and tape for the family. The idea was to assist the children’s parents and give them the opportunity to provide the kind of gifts that only a parent would know their son or daughter would want. The response was more than she could have ever expected. She called the fundraiser “Fill in the Gap” and it […]
A high achiever at school, Jessica’s life completely changed at the end of 2005, when she caught a virus that her body just couldn’t get over. She tried to push forward with a ‘stiff upper lip’ but fell into a rapid decline and by May the following year could not get into school anymore. From a darkened world, bound by four walls, Jessica tells the tale of her battle against the M.E Monster. The severest form of a neuro immune disease called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis went to war with her at just 15 years old. From beneath her dark glasses, Jessica glimpses a world far different from the one she remembers as a teenage school girl. This true story follows her path as she ends up living in hospital for years with tubes keeping her alive. This harrowing story follows the highs and lows of the disease and being hospitalized, captured through her voice activated technology diary called `Bug’ that enables her to fulfill her dream of one day becoming an author. It provides a raw, real-time honesty to the story that would be impossible to capture in hindsight. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… BUY THE BOOK: […]
Emily Kustka found joy differently than most nine year olds. She enjoyed going with Grandma Kathy to help feed the homeless. She loved the feeling she got in making people happy! As Emily explains it, “My favorite thing to do was serve lunch to the homeless in Downtown Raleigh with the Bread of Life Ministry.” She quickly became frustrated in the way children were viewed and their lack of leadership roles for children volunteers; so in 2010, Emily created and organized her very first annual community food drive by posting notes throughout the neighborhood and asking folks for donations to feed the hungry. After finding out that people would give to a good cause when asked, Emily would continue that streak of successful food drives to the point where it became systematically in how she would approach each drive. She created a 5 step plan for each food drive⏤to insure maximum results. That 5 step plan is something she uses today to teach others the success metrics of a successful food drive. “Over the last eight years we’ve collected over 8,200 pounds of food, proving that you’re never too young to make a difference,” Emily explained about the food drives, providing […]
“One day, I saw an elderly man cutting grass, and something just hit me. God was talking to me (saying)⏤‘Do something about it.’” It was that one split decision when Rodney Smith Jr. pulled his car to the side of the road to offer Mr. Brown a helping hand to finish cutting his lawn⏤that would change his life forever. Mr. Brown became the inspiration for Rodney to help more people. He set an initial goal to cut forty lawns for free. It was his way of giving back to folks who needed the help but didn’t have the money to pay for lawn services. The elderly, the disabled, single moms, and veterans would be the recipient of Rodney’s generosity. “When I first started, I just had my car and my lawnmower; that’s all I had,” explains Rodney Smith Jr., “I was cutting lawns between classes. I was a college student and just graduated recently with a bachelor’s in computer science. All this got me wanting to go back for my master’s in social work because I believe I found my purpose in life, and that’s helping people.” The purpose that Rodney points out has now turned into a movement of […]
Caroline was not the first person to find herself in a good job with all the security, money and niceties that a good corporate job provides. She was also not the first person feeling unfulfilled in that role; a burning sense that something was missing in her life. The difference is⏤Caroline Boudreaux acted on that feeling. She decided that ‘money would not be the main ingredient that would make her world go round’. “I always thought if I made more and more money that I’d be happier, but it worked the opposite, the more money that I made, the more confused I became”, expressed Caroline, “I had everything that money could buy, but I wasn’t happy”. And with that, Caroline and her best friend Kris decided to quit their corporate jobs and take a trip around the world for one year. It was a trip that would change her life forever. She walked into an orphanage in India that as she describes “felt like a concentration camp.” “I was totally unprepared to meet 110 filthy, bald and hungry children. We called them Velcro babies because you’d sit down and have ten kids on you and then stand up and still […]
Addiction comes in all forms. Psychology Today, defines it as a condition in which a person engages in the use of a substance or in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeatedly pursue the behavior despite detrimental consequences. Greg Nance found himself is such a place for seven long years. As he explains, there were weekends where he would engage with thirty to forty drinks. He became the life of the party⏤except it was no party! In Greg’s words he explains the start of a life-chapter that changed everything. “My grandfather Charlie Nance (Marine at Iwo Jima and an incredible man who lived with us growing up and inspired me daily) had a debilitating stroke and soon passed away. One moment he’s the rock of the family the next he’s a shell of himself then gone. At 16 I didn’t know how to process the immense pain and confusion and hurt. The only escape was alcohol and I began a 7-year struggle.” After a series of accidents and terrible mishaps, Greg realized that at 23 he needed to do something and he needed to do it fast. The something was to quit drinking and […]
“Growing up, I was always told that I would end up pregnant, that I would never be anything, that I would end up in jail, that I would be homeless”, explains Cordelia Cranshaw. “I really felt like I didn’t have much confidence. My mother — after her being incarcerated, in and out of my life, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. My dad being an alcoholic,” she said. One of 18 children, Cranshaw lived her childhood years in foster care, and at 14 she tried to take her own life. Throughout those challenging years growing up, Claudia Cranshaw never lost her confidence. She was one of 6% of the children who aged out of the foster care system and still achieved a bachelor’s degree. Today, as a social worker, she helps children facing many of the same challenges that she did growing up – achieve and overcome those obstacles. “My message is for any life challenge – go out their and reach for your dreams, turn them into reality. Hard work, dedication, and consistency will get you there,” says Cranshaw. They say 3 Strikes and you’re out! Claudia defied those odds, and after striking out 3 Times for the Crown, […]
This story starts at a doorstep back in 1991 in the country of Romania. Baby Hannah was left hours after birth, umbilical cord still attached to her tiny body. When Hannah was discovered, she was still bleeding, but alive⏤as the homeowners called the authorities with the news. Alone, lost with an uncertain future… Hannah would say, “the despair and loneliness would surface throughout my middle school years when I began to understand my adoption and experience the trials and triumphs of growing up.” The orphanages in Romania were overloaded with babies. What are the chances that an American couple would find their way to Romania in search for a daughter to love? The story of Hannah from that doorstep to a new life in America might only happen in fairytales⏤consider this a real life fairytale. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Hannah Elisabeth Dougherty founded GenUp Sports in 2018, with the goal of serving and giving hope to disadvantaged and at-risk youth in the Texas area, through educational scholarships and leadership programs. GenUp’s staff and volunteers know firsthand the benefits access to physical enrichment activities, mentorship, and peer support provide children and young […]
Seconds can make the difference between life and death. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can change the outcome as well. Having trained personnel with the proper equipment for treatment close by is often the deciding factor. At just 17 years old, Mike Papale was in a life and death situation. At one point his brother John heard that he had died. It was that serious, and if it wasn’t for Bob hearing the call next door, chances are Mike would not be here today. There was no AED on site, but fortunately for Mike–Bob, an EMT working nearby was able to get there in time to perform CPR for eight minutes. Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy can and will attack at any age. You’ve seen the stories where a young athlete, seemingly in great health, goes down for an unexpected heart problem! Sudden Cardiac Arrest is an equal opportunity killer. It strikes victims of all ages, colors, ethnic backgrounds, sizes and shapes at any time of the day or night and without regard to their religion. There are rarely any symptoms or warnings, and for most, their first symptom is their last. The electric shock […]
“When I stood on the starting line at the Boston Marathon two runners down from Alberto Salazar (then the world record holder) and Bill Rodgers (four-time winner at the Boston Marathon), I wondered, ‘Dick, what in the heck are you doing on the same line with these guys?’“ It was at that moment that an inner voice spoke to Dick Beardsley with a reassuring message. “Dick, you deserve to be here, you’ve done the work.” If the name Dick Beardsley seems somewhat familiar to you, then you might be remembering the 1982 Boston Marathon. Beardsley was in a squeaker of a race with Alberto Salazar, fact is, it was the closest finish in history of the marathon, as both runners broke records. The most memorable moment of that race was when a motorcycle cut Beardsley off near the end of the marathon, a marathon which he lost inside of two seconds. You have to be thinking, how did Beardsley ever get over that race! Was he able to accept the results and move on with his life? And how is the man doing today? It was years later in 1989, when Dick was working at his dairy farm, that a tragic accident […]
Seventeen years ago, Greg Buzek was working as a Product Development Manager making anti-theft devices. They were the type of devices designed to deactivate if merchandise left a store without being purchased. Greg made a very good living at this, but found himself completely unfulfilled inside. Something wasn’t quite right in his life. It was at a casual lunch one day with the Pastor from his church, when the first seeds would be planted. Pastor Kelly Lyons worked with small groups and missions at the church, and he needed help. He asked Greg to work in missions, and although Greg was engaged in the talk, internally, he was full of fear: “I’m a business guy, I have nothing to offer.” Before he got back to his desk that afternoon, he was fired from his job! “Okay Lord, you have my attention.” But now what? It kept coming back to helping the people of Liberia. Yet, Greg knew nothing about Liberia. So Greg prayed about this big decision in his life, “Lord, All I know about Liberia is that Chet’s over there, and he’s had malaria three times, been shot at, had an AK47 pointed at his chest from an 8-year-old – If […]
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