Pictured above (l-r): Chelsey Hooton, Don Hooton, Jr., Don Hooton, Sr., Gwen Hooton, Aidan Mikulas, Mackenzie Mikulas, Avery Mikulas, and, Kylee (dog) By Alicia Wanek The course of your life can change directions in an instant. In July 2003 and in his senior year of college, Donald Hooton, Jr. was preparing…
BY KARYN BRODSKY The author Maxwell Frazer said, “You don’t need eyes to see—you need vision.” U.S. Marine Michael Jernigan, a third-generation Marine, currently of Ft. Worth, TX, understands the meaning of this quite literally. In fact, it took the loss of his eyes and other serious injuries sustained while…
BY KARYN BRODSKY Keep your eye out for a woman on a mission to help others, who has a heart of gold, and a will of steel. Jo Trizila of Dallas is a successful public relations entrepreneur, a busy single mom, and a member of the board of directors of…
BY KARYN BRODSKY Her mother always said she would one day change the world, but for 12-year-old Haylie Geraci of Trophy Club, TX, the call of duty came at a young age. She’s now on a mission to create awareness for blood donation and childhood cancer, following the diagnosis that…
BY KARYN BRODSKY They say silence is golden. That silence is what child sexual abuse offenders depend on when perpetrating their crimes. Its use is manipulative and can produce fear, shame, and punishment. For Jenna Quinn of Melissa, TX, it was breaking the silence that led to the conviction of…
By Alicia Wanek Rolando Blackman knows personally the value of education. When he came to the U.S. at the age of eight from his native Panama, he spoke little of the language, and for three years he went to school two to three hours before the first bell sounded to…
By Deb Silverthorn According to Elyse Barnard’s daughter Hallie Bea, the “I” in VIP stands for Inspiring, as GLF would have it, but also Important, Incredible and Intelligent. The 10-year-old pixie could go on and on about her mother, who has fought her disease alongside her. “This journey means lots of questions, but God…
By Deb Silverthorn Hallie Bea Barnard was just five pounds at birth and at 13 months old a blood test provided a diagnosis of Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA). Now at 10 years old, she is fierce and to see her playing piano or selling Girl Scout cookies, you wouldn’t know that she…
An epiphany that inspired leadership, lifelong learning and a commitment to literacy BY KARYN BRODSKY Raising oneself up from extreme poverty is a major challenge for anyone to conquer, but it was Jeff Willie’s revelation at age 19 that would forever change his life. The current Allen, TX resident was…