Respond to ten scenarios based on the principles of motivation and performance as presented in the textbook. Please DO NOT USE SHORT ANSWERS. Your answers must be in paragraph form. Please demonstrate your writing expertise.

Write a paragraph of at least three sentences that contain between 100 and 200 words for each answer to the following ten scenarios. Please format the scenarios as if it were a term paper. Make sure to add a title page to your paper and to double-space your responses.

1. Design an explanation for what motivates Alexis Dixon to struggle to be “normal like everyone else” (See pages 53-54 in our textbook).

2. Compose a paragraph to explain how both Rebecca and Cheryl Hines are “both risk-takers” (See pages 84-86 in our textbook).

3. Create a list of reasons that LaSonya Moore did not allow the acceptance or rejection of her ethnic identity to influence her beliefs about learning and school (See page 117 of our textbook).

4. Plan how you would explain to a high school class how Nicholas Formato (aka Nick Holes) is the personification of integrated task orientation. You will need to explain what that means as well. See pages 148-149 of our textbook).

5. Combine Principle #36 – “Past performance guide future motivation” with the story of Nick Lowery found on pages 188-189 in our textbook.

6. Formulate a theory of Jessi Colter’s possible egoistic or altruistic motives (See pages 221-222 in our textbook).

7. Invent a description of how Alec Torelli is the type of person described by the “broken and build” view of motivation (See page 251 in our textbook).

8. Hypothesize how Darren Soto became a motivational leader (See pages 288-289 in our textbook).

9. Examine Robert Knowling, Jr.’s example of how core values, candid communication, and organizational alignment contributed to his work motivation (See page 317 in our textbook).

10. Write a paragraph using Amanda Boxtel as an example of an evolution of someone’s behavior that occurred through belief change (See pages 358-359 in our textbook).

Upload the file to Canvas. 

Pg. 53 and 54 question 1 

The biopsychology of motivation 53 Motivational Leader—Alexis Dixon Alexis (Alex) Paige Dixon contracted pneumonia halfway through fourth grade. Prior to that, she was a bright, kind, and sometimes socially awkward child. Academics came easily to her. She loved animals, playing the piano, art, and being outside. The pneumonia triggered a glitch in her central nervous system (CNS), and she would never fully recover from her illness. The glitch caused her body to contort, and she experienced considerable pain. She missed a great deal of school and spent many of her days in hospitals seeking a cure for her illness. By the time she began sixth grade, she was painfully confined to a wheelchair. Despite her illness, Alex began sixth grade in the gifted program. She continued to excel academically as well as in art and piano. However, her condition worsened halfway through sixth grade, 2 years after the initial onset. Her body began contorting in terrible ways, causing hundreds of dislocations daily. It seemed that she would not survive. She was flown to a hospital in the Midwest and placed in a coma in an attempt to buy time as new medications were introduced, but to no avail. On February 23, 2010, Alex underwent brain surgery as a last effort to save her life. It was her sister’s 10th birthday and Alex was just 12 years old. The surgery did not go as planned, although it did resolve her original problems. A mishap caused a massive stroke to the left hemisphere of Alex’s brain. She was placed in a coma for weeks in order to increase her likelihood of survival. Her classmates were behind her and folded a thousand paper cranes so that she might get her wish and find motivation to live. Alex survived. She emerged from the coma and slowly recovered the memories of her life experiences, but not of her academics. She knew her family, but not their names. When I spoke with Alex, she told me, “I only really have half a brain, my left hemisphere was destroyed. My motor skills were intact, but everything else was gone” (A. Dixon, personal communication, March 23, 2014). She did not even know her own name. She came home from the hospital in June, 4 months after the surgery, and was determined to enter seventh grade with her peers in August. More motivated to succeed than ever before, Alex met her goal. Now, 5 years after her stroke, Alex struggles to be “normal like everyone else” (A. Dixon, personal communication, March 23, 2014). She devotes her time to relearning how to eat, walk, care for herself, speak, read, write, and do math. She has more determination than can be imagined. She is in regular classes with a one on-one aide. She works nonstop. Although her right hand is no longer very useful, she has learned to write better than many with her left hand. She has not given up on her right hand and spends countless hours in therapy trying to regain use. During her recovery, she discarded first the wheelchair and, eventually, her cane, and now she is walking unassisted (and playing a mean game of tennis as well)! At the end of ninth grade, Alex passed both her state algebra and reading tests, achieving a five-out-of-five score in algebra. She is liked by her peers and adored by her teachers. She has a “Yes I Can” attitude that is nothing less than contagious. Alex has certainly encountered roadblocks and hardship resulting in significant disabilities over the past 5 years. However, her resilience, strength, and determination are unmatched, and her future is wide open. When asked why she did not give up, Alex replied, “Obstacles make me want to work harder. I am going to do something great, it’s easier to give up than to keep on going” (A. Dixon, personal communication, March 23, 2014). Alex has decided to take her experiences and put them to good use by providing motivational presentations to teachers, parents, and medical professionals. At the tender age of 17, she has given keynote speeches at several educational and psychology research conferences. A marvel of perseverance and energy, Alex has found her “MO,” albeit in the most unorthodox way, through the massive biological upheaval brought about by her stroke. Alex feels that by sharing her story and how she overcame such immense hardships, she can motivate others to do the same. Every day, she gets one step closer toward her intended career as a rehabilitation specialist, specializing in motivating others to reach personal goals, regardless of the obstacles.

Question 2 pg. 84-86

Motivational Leaders—Rebecca and Cheryl Hines Based upon the interaction between Rebecca and Cheryl Hines, the bond between sisters in arguably incomparable. On the surface, the two appear radically different in profession and demeanor; however, a unique and enduring cerebral connection transcends the superficial differences that often dominate the evaluation of someone you just met. Rebecca (Becky) Hines is a PhD Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, where she teaches preservice teachers how to teach, specializing in the instruction of exceptional children. Prior to her university position, she was a language arts teacher, a teacher of students with severe emotional challenges, and a middle school co-teacher. Her rich experiences working in and researching inclusive settings have led Rebecca to speak at seminars and conferences globally about her research and classroom experiences. She is the co-author of Co-Teaching in Secondary Schools , a guide book of evidence-based strategies supporting the challenges of co-teaching for educators. When not developing future teachers, Rebecca spends time with her family attending to her twin children. Cheryl Hines is a world-renowned actress, writer, director, and social activist. Cheryl is best known for her twice-nominated Emmy Award role as the irreverent and anguished wife of Larry David in the hit HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm , as well as from the television show Suburgatory starring Jane Levy. As a Hollywood staple since 2000, Cheryl has appeared in many hit movies, including RV , in which she starred opposite Robin Williams, and Waitress . Her 2009 directorial debut of Serious Moonlight starred Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton. Cheryl has recently attracted tabloid attention due to her 2014 marriage to Bobby Kennedy Jr., the third son of the late Senator Bobby Kennedy, brother of US President John F. Kennedy. When not acting or championing the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Cheryl lives in Malibu, California, with her husband and their combined families. Could the two sisters be so dramatically different on face value? Cheryl went to West Virginia University for a year before returning home to Tallahassee, where she earned a cosmetology degree and worked to pay her way through school. Rebecca worked her way through school at Florida State University as a paraprofessional at a school for special-needs children. Both ended up in Central Florida because of their brother who moved to the Orlando area. Cheryl landed a job at the Universal theme park in Orlando, and Becky followed to complete her teaching internship. The siblings were very close and roomed together in various configurations throughout their long college careers. Cheryl graduated from UCF and moved to Los Angeles a few years later, as Rebecca moved to the Tampa area to continue her education. The two sisters, who are obviously different in vocation, social circles, and interests, surprisingly have a lot in common, possibly leading the practitioner to conclude that similar motives can manifest into dramatically different behaviors. Motivationally, Rebecca and Cheryl are closely aligned. Resilience, perseverance, and the realization that failure is a distinct possibility define the sisters’ outlook on success. When asked to account for their mutual success, the sisters uniformly agreed they were both “bold risk takers.” Cheryl stated, “Things aren’t always going to go right; if you recognize this, you will succeed. Part of being an actor is not getting the job, but if I don’t feel I can get the part, I am wasting everyone’s time. There is a confidence factor.” (C. Hines, personal communication, May 22, 2014). Summarizing what leads to a fulfilling and satisfying life, Becky added, “It’s not about being motivated to achieve some abstract thing that someone else has defined, it’s about waking up and looking forward to every day, and going to bed every night feeling good about my day.” Cheryl added, “It’s all about your potential, asking yourself, did I reach my potential today? Did I challenge myself intellectually? Did I step outside of my comfort zone?” (Cheryl and Rebecca Hines, personal communications, May 22, 2014). Clearly, Rebecca and Cheryl realize that a combination of optimistic self-beliefs and the expectation of success are two critical factors that spark initiative as well as define motivated behavior.

3) PG. 117

Motivational Leader—LaSonya Moore LaSonya Moore is a 39-year-old African American female, who for many is regarded as an exceptional role model. However, based on Phinney’s (1990) model of identity formation, others may perceive LaSonya as an ethnic anomaly. LaSonya dispels the cultural stereotype often erroneously ascribed to people from a particular ethnic group. She grew up in an inner-city urban environment, or in what LaSonya and most other people call “the ghetto.” As a young girl growing up in the projects, it was difficult for LaSonya to have big dreams because she claimed her life appeared so small. She had the first of her two sons while still in high school, but motherhood did not temper her drive and ambition. LaSonya refused to become what society considered “another statistic” because of the color of her skin or because of what she did not have (L. Moore, personal communication, February 19, 2014). Seeking challenge and overcoming adversity are routine for LaSonya. After high school, while raising her son, she worked full-time to pay for school, earning a Child Development Associate certificate that allowed her to become a Head Start teacher in Pinellas County, Florida. Challenging herself even more, she continued to finance her own education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She then became a high school teacher and worked with emotionally and behaviorally disturbed students who were extremely challenging— you know the kind, the ones they call “deviant”; however, LaSonya never saw them that way. Her passion for helping the disadvantaged continued as she opened the first alternative school in Pinellas County, Florida, where she helped agedout students and juvenile offenders increase their possibilities of earning a high school diploma. Along the way, LaSonya completed her graduate studies in Educational Leadership and Administration at the University of South Florida. Today, LaSonya is a proud mother of two sons and a devoted wife. She has been an educator since 1995 and is currently employed with Pinellas County Schools on Florida’s gulf coast as an Assistant Principal and she supervises a variety of faculty and staff, as well as providing support to over 1000 students. She regularly coordinates training and meetings for programs, such as Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive Behavior Support (PBS), Pinellas County Girlfriends, Character Education, and Safe Schools. In addition to organizational training, she oversees and conducts extracurricular mentoring and tutoring programs, as well as business and community partnerships. Oh yes, one more thing, LaSonya is now studying for her Ed.D in Educational Leadership at the University of Central Florida, which she will complete in 2015.
 

4) PG. 148-149

Motivational Leader—Nick Holes Nicholas Formato (aka Nick Holes) is the personification of integrated task orientation. Nick was born and raised in Elmont, New York, a sleepy bedroom community about 30 miles east of New York City. Nick graduated from high school in 2001 and went on to earn a Business Management degree from Five Towns College in 2005. In February 2005, a few months before he graduated college, Nick received a fantastic opportunity, a piercing apprenticeship. Piercing involves “puncturing or cutting a part of the human body and creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn” (FloridaHealth, 2015, para 1). Piercing is a regulated and licensed occupation in many states. Minimally, a piercing career requires completion of a certification course verifying ability, including knowledge of safe and sanitary procedures. Nick dreamed of becoming a piercer since he was 16. At the time, he thought it would be an interesting and fun profession. Today, he realizes his passion is much more rewarding than he ever imagined because Nick is highly content with his career choice, having few regrets in what some people might despise as an “alternative lifestyle.” In addition to his professional skill, Nick has over 20 piercings and has endured hundreds of hours of intricate tattooing, but for him, piercing is not just about making money, passing time, or doing something he likes. Nick sees his work as meaning much more than just piercing people. Nick explained, “I help transform them.” He added, “There are many people out there who get piercings for purely aesthetic reasons. Then there are people who are doing it for a deeper meaning” (N. Holes, personal communication, December 28, 2013). For nearly as long as he can remember, Nick felt reticent about his life. For Nick, being pierced or tattooed was a metaphysical catharsis, akin to solving a mystery by recovering some of the pieces he thought were missing in his life. As he became more accomplished in his craft, his views of personal satisfaction and contentment significantly increased. Nick also engages in body suspensions and flesh pulls, along with a scarification. For a moment, visualize Nick dangling from the ceiling with four hooks his back. He knows for most people, these rituals all sound painful and weird, but according to Nick, “once you realize that you are in charge of what your body is going through, that changes everything. You never really know what you are capable of until you challenge yourself.” “These marks (referring to his scarification),” he says, “you have to earn them” (N. Holes, personal communication, December 28, 2013). As of 2015, Nick has been piercing for 10 years. Even now, he explained, “I still get a big rush when I pierce someone. I can’t think of any other profession that could give me that same feeling” (N. Holes, personal communication, December 28, 2013). Nick also loves animals and the outdoors. In his spare time, he enjoys running, hiking, camping, and practicing outdoor skills. He has competed in several marathons and obstacle courses and plans on taking his physical abilities to the limits even more in the near future. Don’t let Nick scare you. He is one of the most genuine, gentle, and congenial individuals you could ever hope to meet. When asked about his eventual goal, Nick responded he wanted to “live off the land and do as much for myself as I can, without depending on other people” (N. Holes, personal communication, December 28, 2013). Nick currently lives in in Brunswick, Maine, and pierces at Vibes Tattoo. Stop in and see him for a stabbing sometime.

5) PG. 188-189 

Motivational Leader—Nick Lowery There is so much more to the Nick Lowery story than just football. Nick transcends any simple category. He is a Kansas City Hall of Fame athlete, Ivy-League scholar, a former presidential aide, poet, teacher, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. Nick’s life is about persistence, focus, and passion, regardless of where he dedicates his energy. He is the only person to work for both Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton in the White House Office of National Service. In 2002, Lowery became the first pro athlete with both a Master’s degree and a fellowship from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He founded Champions for the Homeless in 2006, giving food and gifts to the less fortunate on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter each year. Nick’s Champions Against Bullying program may be the next major program adopted by the NFL, and the program is currently helping 81 schools across the country combat bullying. His latest national philanthropic program Taking Control: Safe Healthy and Empowered Campuses is designed to counter sexual assault and domestic abuse on campus, with an expected kickoff during fall 2015 at Arizona State University. Nick’s lifetime of work is about giving power and voice to the youth and to all people looking to find their true purpose. According to Nick, “We live in a post-governmental era where government cannot fully solve any of the crucial problems of our day. In this vacuum, youth are not our future; they are our PRESENT!” (N. Lowery, personal communication, November 7, 2014). Lowery was instrumental in the passage of AmeriCorps in 1993 for President Bill Clinton and was recently recognized by the five living Presidents at the White House for the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps program. In addition, the Nick Lowery Youth Foundation (www.nickloweryfoundation.org), founded and managed by Nick, thrives by supporting many national and community-based programs, including creating the Adult Role Models for Youth (ARMY) program, now called Youthfriends , celebrating its 24th year with over 5,000 volunteers working to help 20,000 at-risk youth! The foundation also supports the Native Vision program along with the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and the NFL Players Association. Nick was also instrumental in creating the Nation Building for Native Youth (NBNY) program, now in its 14th year, featured on PBS in the documentary “Hungry Minds,” a Motivational Leader—Nick Lowery There is so much more to the Nick Lowery story than just football. Nick transcends any simple category. He is a Kansas City Hall of Fame athlete, Ivy-League scholar, a former presidential aide, poet, teacher, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. Nick’s life is about persistence, focus, and passion, regardless of where he dedicates his energy. He is the only person to work for both Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton in the White House Office of National Service. In 2002, Lowery became the first pro athlete with both a Master’s degree and a fellowship from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He founded Champions for the Homeless in 2006, giving food and gifts to the less fortunate on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter each year. Nick’s Champions Against Bullying program may be the next major program adopted by the NFL, and the program is currently helping 81 schools across the country combat bullying. His latest national philanthropic program Taking Control: Safe Healthy and Empowered Campuses is designed to counter sexual assault and domestic abuse on campus, with an expected kickoff during fall 2015 at Arizona State University. Nick’s lifetime of work is about giving power and voice to the youth and to all people looking to find their true purpose. According to Nick, “We live in a post-governmental era where government cannot fully solve any of the crucial problems of our day. In this vacuum, youth are not our future; they are our PRESENT!” (N. Lowery, personal communication, November 7, 2014). Lowery was instrumental in the passage of AmeriCorps in 1993 for President Bill Clinton and was recently recognized by the five living Presidents at the White House for the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps program. In addition, the Nick Lowery Youth Foundation (www.nickloweryfoundation.org), founded and managed by Nick, thrives by supporting many national and community-based programs, including creating the Adult Role Models for Youth (ARMY) program, now called Youth friends , celebrating its 24th year with over 5,000 volunteers working to help 20,000 at-risk youth! The foundation also supports the Native Vision program along with the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and the NFL Players Association. Nick was also instrumental in creating the Nation Building for Native Youth (NBNY) program, now in its 14th year, featured on PBS in the documentary “Hungry Minds,” a

6) PG. 221-222

Motivational Leader—Jessi Colter One might not figure how a lovely girl from a strict Pentecostal family would become a leading lady “Outlaw,” but Jessi Colter is not your average woman. Born Mirriam Johnson in Phoenix, Arizona, to a race car builder father and a preacher mother, Jessi Colter was anything but ordinary, starting her career as a church pianist at the age of 11 years. Soon after, Jessi was in demand to play her piano and sing at talent shows, local television shows, school assemblies, school dances, and weddings. At 18 years, she appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand singing Lonesome Road . It did not take long for Mirriam Johnson, as she was called back then, to be noticed, and she caught the eye of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Duane Eddy, who she married in 1963 in lavish ceremony in Las Vegas with Dick Clark serving as best man! After 6 years of marriage, the two separated and eventually divorced, but for this talented, young singer-songwriter, the best was yet to come. After her divorce Jessi returned to Phoenix and met Waylon Jennings, who was so taken with her voice that he invited her to record a duet with him. Waylon helped Jessi secure an RCA record deal and co-produced the tracks for her first album titled A Country Star Is Born. By the time the record was released, thecouple were married. At the suggestion of RCA’s Chet Atkins, Mirriam changed her stage name to Jessi Colter in honor of her great grandfather, Jesse Colter, who was rumored to be a member of the Jesse James’ outlaw gang. In 1975, Jessi recorded her debut single, I’m Not Lisa The song was an instant success and reached #1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the song peaked at #4 on Billboard’s US Pop Chart. In 1976, she recorded another hit What’s Happened to Blue Eyes , and soon after completed two more highly successful albums, Jessi and Diamond in the Rough . The beautiful singer-songwriter continued to enjoy burgeoning fame and charting singles, but she also found success working with her husband Waylon. Colter appeared on the double-platinum album Wanted! The Outlaws along with Jennings, Tompall Glaser, and Willie Nelson. Colter and Jennings released their first formal duets album, Leather and Lace , in February 1981. After taking many years off to raise her son, in 1996, Jessi recorded a children’s album entitled, Jessi Colter Sings Songs for Kids: Songs from Around the World. This album also included a video, which she starred in, along with her husband Waylon Jennings and her old songwriting partner, Basil McDavid. This album had 21 tracks, which include children’s music from different parts of the world, including Europe and Latin America. Jessi Colter continued to record and perform after Waylon’s death in February 2002. She has done many tribute compilations to her late husband’s career. She frequently performs around the country, often on the same stage as her countrymusic star son, Shooter, appearing at major venues and music festivals such as Austin’s annual SXSW event. Jessi and Steven Van Zandt, famed member of the Bruce Springsteen band and star of HBO drama, The Sopranos , launched Sirius Radio’s, Outlaw Country , station during 2004 in Scottsdale Arizona. In 2006, Jessi released her most recent Grammy-nominated album Out of the Ashes to wide critical acclaim. Jessi continues to perform, frequently appearing at major philanthropic and charity events. Soon you will see and hear Jessi tell the behind-the-scenes story of the Outlaw Era , when she appears on Ken Burns’ documentary, Study of Country Music , to be aired on PBS. The award-winning director/writer is chronicling country music history from the 1920s to the present and appropriately includes Jessi for her lifetime of industry contributions and musical achievement.

7) PG 251

Motivational Leader—Alec Torelli On the surface, Alec Torelli seems just like any other friendly guy; he is bright, talkative, and sincere, with a cheery disposition and an affable approach to life’s challenges and obstacles. In other words, in many ways he exemplifies the type of person described by the “broaden and build” view of motivation. However, Alec Torelli is no “ordinary” guy. Hailing from Orange County, California, he attended Southern Methodist University, but at the age of only 19 years, he decided to change his life and pursue his dream of financial and personal independence by becoming a professional poker player. Alec has played over 2,000,000 hands of poker, winning tournaments around the world while cashed out at nine final tables, including twice at the World Series of Poker and twice at the World Poker Tournament. Today, he is considered a world-class poker champion, who, by age of 27 years, had collected over $3,000,000 in tournament winnings. Alec, however, is not like the slick, commercialized, and animated characters portrayed on television; instead, he is an anomaly— he does not play poker for fame or notoriety. Alec’s goals are far greater than being a top-notch player. For Alec success is not just about being a winner in poker but being a winner in life. Winning means feeling adequate, loved, healthy, and financially free to live the life he wants— a life filled with freedom, excitement, and choices. Alec craves the independence of being his own boss, free to follow his passions and dreams. At the apex of his poker career, when he was cashing in on every tournament, he had a catharsis; there is more to one’s success than what happens at the poker table. He took a hiatus from poker and started to work toward realizing some of his dreams. He gave speeches at universities, competed in an Olympic triathlon, visited 30 countries, learned Italian, trained in yoga in Bali, studied at the Gelato University, met his future wife, and began coaching other poker players. He now thrives on sharing what he has learned with others through his coaching activities, and ironically, helping others allowed Alec to increase his own motivation to play and challenge himself to reach new heights. He has been a coach for over 6 years now and is taking on bigger challenges every day, playing against the heavy hitters at Macau, China, where the best global contenders compete in the largest cash games on the planet. When asked if he had a message for readers, Alec replied, “Don’t choose a job and try to adjust it around the life you want. Choose a lifestyle and then pick the job that will allow you to make it a reality. Don’t listen to what anyone else wants for you and your future. Trust yourself, and follow your dreams. Life’s too short for anything else.” (A. Torelli, personal communication, October 13, 2014). When not at the poker tables, Alec attains happiness through fitness, tennis, writing, reading, speaking, personal development, health, online marketing, and, of course, traveling the globe pursing his dreams with his adorable wife, Ambra..

8) PG 288-289

Motivational Leader—Darren Soto Florida State Senator Darren Soto was born and raised in Ringwood, New Jersey, to a Puerto Rican father and an Italian American mother. From 1998 to 2001, Darren worked for the Prudential Insurance Company in finance while he attended Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 2000. He continued his education at George Washington University earning a Juris Doctor degree in 2004, opening his law practice the following year. However, unlike many politicians or lawyers, Senator Soto is measurably different from many of his political and legal peers. Evidence shows that he is truly a man of the people, devoting his professional life to improve the well-being of others. Darren is a commercial and civil rights attorney and an ardent defender of civil rights. He is committed to rendering legal services pro bono (no charge) to benefit the underprivileged in the central Florida community. In 2006, he was named counsel in the federal class action brought on behalf of Hispanic voters against the City of Kissimmee. Soto is also a former member of the Civil Service Board for the City of Orlando and was Treasurer of the Orange County Democrats and Vice President of Communications and Co-host for the Orange County Young Democrats, all positions where he volunteered his discretionary time to help the community. Darren’s foray into politics began in 2006, when he unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Andy Gardiner for the Florida House of Representatives 40th District house seat. Undeterred by this defeat, Soto persevered, and in April 2007, he emerged victorious from a crowded Democratic primary in a special election to replace John Quinones, who had resigned. In the general election, Soto narrowly defeated former State Representative Tony Suarez, the Republican nominee, by 285 votes to win the election. Soto’s election was no fluke, as he was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2008 and 2010. During his Florida House terms Soto passed legislation, to curb illegal street racing, protect families of fallen firefighters, and maintain school safety. He also protected homeowners’ access to the courts in foreclosure proceedings as well as assured adequate funding for courts to deal with the unprecedented housing crisis in Florida. Soto was also a key voice in the passage of Sunrail, bringing the first commuter rail service to Central Florida. He played a critical role bridging the split of the Florida Supreme Court and preventing a highly restrictive, profiling-type immigration law from being passed in Florida. In 2012, following redistricting, Soto opted to run for the newly created 14th District Senate seat rather than seek re-election in the House. He won his party’s nomination uncontested and faced Republican Will McBride, who had previously run for the United States Senate in 2006. Although the contest was predicted to be an extremely tight race, Soto overwhelmingly defeated McBride, winning over 70% of the vote. In his first term in the Senate in 2013, Soto passed legislation expediting the time for immigrant children to acquire a driver’s license, which was ultimately vetoed by Governor Rick Scott, setting off statewide protests. He also played a critical role in reducing the statute of limitations from 5 years to 1 year for banks to collect foreclosure debt, as well as helping to start Florida’s Principal Reduction Program to assist struggling homeowners. In 2014, Soto passed historic legislation giving authority to admit immigrant lawyers to the Florida Bar while being a strong advocate for successful passage of legislation giving immigrants in-state tuition. Soto secured funding to start the Poinciana Valencia Campus and the Lake Toho Restoration project, which will keep clean water flowing through Florida’s Northern Everglades. Looking to the future, Soto has proposed legislation to promote economic growth in emerging businesses, including the solar, space, biotech, film, and software industries. He also is an advocate to ban fracking in Florida and has proposed a bill to boost minimum teacher pay to $50,000 per year. For Senator Soto, the fight to improve the lives of his fellow Floridians does not stop!

9) Pg 317

Motivational Leader—Robert Knowling, Jr. Robert E. Knowling Jr., also known as Bob, has over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors, leading companies through periods of high growth and organizational turnaround. Currently, Knowling is Chairman of Eagles Landing Partners (ELP). ELP specializes in helping senior management formulate strategy, lead organizational transformations, and re-engineer businesses. As such, ELP serves as an advisor to company officials across multiple industries. Previously, Bob served as CEO of Telwares, a JP Morgan Chase/One Equity Partners Private Equity owned company from 2005 to 2009. Prior to joining Telwares, from 2001 to 2005, Knowling was CEO of the NYC Leadership Academy, an independent nonprofit corporation created by NYC Chancellor Joel I. Klein and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that was chartered with developing the next generation of principals in the New York City public school system. From 2001 to 2003, Knowling was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SimDesk Technologies, Inc. During his time at SimDesk, he defined the company’s go-to-market strategy, developed numerous strategic partnerships, and managed the successful launch of the company’s software. Prior to this, Knowling was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Covad Communications; a Private Equity/ Venture Capital backed startup company located in Silicon Valley. Knowling led the company through its rapid growth and Initial Public Offering to become the largest and most recognizable brand in the high-speed Internet access industry. In 2011, Knowling published his autobiography titled You Can Get There from Here: My Journey from Struggle to Success . Knowling was awarded the Wall Street Project’s Reginald Lewis Trailblazers Award by President Clinton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson in 1999. In presenting the award to Knowling, President Clinton commended Knowling’s efforts in developing a national agenda for the spirit and mission of inclusion, opportunity, expansion, advocacy and success in the workplace for women and people of color in the high-tech industry. Knowling received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology from Wabash College and a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Currently, Knowling serves on the board of directors for Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois; Bartech in Livonia, Michigan; and Roper Industries in Sarasota, Florida. Knowling has been a YMCA volunteer for more than 20 years and served as Chair of the National Services group for the YMCA in 1993. He maintains an active nationwide corporate and public speaking schedule.

10) PG 328-359

Motivational Leader—Amanda Boxtel A measurable transformation of mind, body, and motivation is Amanda Boxtel. At age 24, Amanda felt invincible. Her unstoppable and charismatic personality not only brought her often to the ski slopes as way to relax but also to display her exceptional talent. In 1992, a skiing accident shattered four of her vertebrae, along with her dreams of immortality. Amanda sustained a permanent spinal cord injury, immobilizing her from the pelvis down, but a broken back did not break her spirit. Her indomitable will and positive attitude have contributed to her reputation today as an internationally renowned and inspiring motivational speaker. After her injury, through sheer will and determination, she pursued her love of skiing by teaching skiing while sitting down ! “But on the inside I still ached to walk,” she remembers (A. Boxtel, personal communication, December 3, 2014). While adaptive sports equipment helped her to live a rich and adventurous lifestyle, nothing enabled her to walk again until the invention of a bionic exoskeleton suit. The wearable technology provides a means to advance human mobility beyond wheelchairs and unpowered orthotics and mobilizes those unable to walk unassisted. As the world’s first exoskeleton recipient, Amanda serves as the founding Executive Director for Bridging Bionics Foundation, demonstrating how bionic technology changes lives. In November 2013, she displayed the first partially 3D-printed exoskeleton in the world for Singularity University’s European Summit in Budapest, Hungary, and then again in July 2014 at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. She continues to appear at venues globally, displaying her robotic suit, remarkable abilities, and competitive spirit. Amanda’s achievements include serving for 10 years as a professional ski instructor for Aspen Skiing Company; being named the Colorado Ski Country. USA Adaptive Athlete of the Year in 1999; carrying the Olympic Torch in 2002 on her mono-ski; orchestrating the first disability whitewater rafting trip down the Grand Canyon, and co-founding the Challenge Aspen, which has grown into a successful nonprofit organization. What is her greatest life lesson? “It’s taken 22 years of paralysis for me to understand that acceptance and hope must coexist. I accept who I am this moment, which frees me to be hopeful for what the next moment might bring” (A. Boxtel, personal communication, December 3, 2014). As a dynamic, passionate speaker she has shared the stage with high-profile figures, such as Deepak Chopra, Les Brown, President Jimmy Carter, Ali Velshi, Michael York, and Florence GriffithJoyner. Amanda has been featured as a speaker at numerous conferences and venues around the world, including TEDCity2.0 Salon in Chengdu, China, TED (2011), TEDx San Antonio, TEDxDU, TEDxSF, The Wall Street Journal ’s NewFronts 2014, and the USA Science and Engineering Festival 2014. Amanda lives near Aspen, Colorado, in the quaint town of Basalt with her loveable golden retriever Benson (pictured above). Everyone in town knows Amanda, as she is involved in many community and outreach projects that aim to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. In her spare time, and when she’s not walking in her wearable robot suit, Amanda enjoys writing, painting and drawing.