Dozens Of Guests Work To Inspire Franklin Lakes Students At Special Program

On Thursday, May 19th, the Franklin Avenue Middle School in Franklin Lakes, NJ hosted its third Living Lessons, a very special educational event that was originally brought to the FAMS community in 2012 and is presented every two years, to inspire, encourage, motivate and empower the students through unbelievable stories of tragedy and triumph told from inspirational figures and everyday heroes who visit the school from around the world. This year's distinguished roster of guests included more than 50 speakers, including Mark Herzlich, New York Giants linebacker who in college missed the entire 2009 season due to Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, which he overcame and earned numerous honors for his courage and outreach; Ali Stroker, an American actress and singer who became the first actress who needs a wheelchair for mobility known to have appeared on a Broadway stage; James and Jane Clementi, who after losing their brother and son to a cyber-related suicide, founded the Tyler Clementi Foundation to raise awareness about bullying, suicide prevention and LGBT rights; Mark Barden, a father who lost his son Daniel in the Sandy Hook school shooting and has since become a national spokesperson to find sensible solutions to gun violence; Alison Crowther, whose son Welles Crowther, also known as the Red Bandana Man, was an equities trader who saved at least a dozen lives during 9/11 before he lost his own life when the tower collapsed; Bernie Kerik, one of the most dynamic, undisputed, controversial and accomplished leaders in law enforcement, correction and national security in the United States; Jeff Hart, a well-regarded expert in deep drilling who made international headlines for his leading role in the rescue of 33 Chilean miners trapped underground in a collapsed mine; and Prince Ea, a poet, activist, speaker, director, content creator and social media icon who has touched the hearts, minds and souls of millions of people worldwide.

"In today’s world, it seems more urgent than ever to tell our children stories of tragedy and triumph, impossible challenges and unbelievable accomplishments, deep sorrow and great joy, biased hatred and unconditional love," states Principal Joe Keiser. He continues, "Today’s Middle School students in communities like Franklin Lakes have many opportunities and yet at the same time, they also have many demands on their time and attention. They are also often insulated from problems and issues that happen outside of their happy place. The Living Lessons program was created to teach today’s youth to be more resilient and aware of the greater world-at-large."