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30 HOURS IN NEW YORK'S CAPITAL REGION - FEB 08
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Greg Forbes Siegman is the real-life person upon whom The First Thirty by Jillip Naysinthe Paxson is based. In 2007, The First Thirty was honored in New York's Capital Region as NSDLC Multicultural Relations Book of the Year.
In February 2008, Greg went to the Capital Region for the first time. This part of the website features photos, feedback and links regarding the speeches, book signings and meals he took part in, the people who were part of them -- and the people and places who unexpectedly crossed his path along the way.
The italicized notes in parentheses are personal comments from Greg.
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THURSDAY
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Upon getting off the plane, Greg quickly discovered New York was already celebrating the Giants victory in the Super Bowl.
[Congratulations to the Giants players and coaches, their behind-the-scenes staff , and all their fans]
The Giants are also civic-minded. Some time ago, they sponsored a community service essay contest based on The First Thirty - in conjunction with a previous visit by Greg to speak with students in another part of New York.
For more on The First Thirty, click Here
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Shortly after arriving in town (thanks for the ride, Sabrina), Greg took part in the first event. He spoke with senior citizens at B'nai B'rith Parkview Apartments for about 45 minutes.
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Those in attendance were mostly Russian immigrants (here is a copy of the flyer about the event that staff put together and gave the residents in advance of the event)
Greg spoke at the event with the assistance of a (very nice and helpful!) translator.
[Special thanks to my friend, Irene, who taught me how to say, "It is a pleasure to be here with you" in Russian so I could say at least one thing, at the beginning of the event, without the assistance of the translator].
(Side note: Irene happens to be an alum of a college where Greg recently was a guest speaker. To see pics and feedback, click here) ]
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Nina, B'nai B'rith Parkview Apts (NY): "Greg is the first speaker we ever hosted who was able to transcend both language and cultural barriers to truly connect with the hearts of our residents, cultivating their laughter, understanding and curiosity...his simple telling of a great story diminished the necessary ennui of translation, allowing residents to fully appreciate the candid lessons offered. Many times our residents, limited in their English, were able to comprehend his words almost intuitively. He also touched our residents with his heart-felt concern for their lives...he extended to them an understanding that is, unfortunately, rare in today's culture. Many times our seniors are invisible because our youth does not have the time to sit and enjoy wisdom's company, but he made our residents feel seen. Thank you."
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The apartment complex and some of the residents ordered copies of The First Thirty .
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Seniors and/or those who provide their care, click Here.
Want to order a copy of The First Thirty for a grandparent (or grandchild) you know? Click here
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An hour later, Greg was brought to Sage College of Albany to have (a great!) dinner with some selected students and staff.
Following the meal, they all headed over to Albany College of Pharmacy . That night, at an event jointly sponsored by Sage and ACP, Greg spoke with students from both schools as part of Black History Month. Among other things, during his hour long address, he spoke at length about the concept, definition and application of Diversity.
[Some might be thinking, "Black History Month? But Greg's not black..." In extending me the invitation, organizers said they wanted to remind students that you don't need to be black to learn from black history -- and, in general, that you don't need to look like people to learn from them.]
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In advance of the event, both Sage and ACP ordered copies of The First Thirty, companion workbook A Place To Sit, and the posters based on them.
To order a copy for your students, or for yourself, click Here .
Those who are interested in Multiculturalism and Diversity, click Here.
College students &/or those who teach them &/or those who plan activities with them, click Here.
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Following the event, everyone had a milkshake -- courtesy of the folks at Sodexho.
If you are part of the Food & Beverage /Restaurant (or Hotel) Industry, click Here
The post-event milkshake receptions have become a tradition following Greg's events around the US and Canada. To see other examples, see www.ShakingUpAmerica.com
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"It was indeed a pleasure and a great honor to meet Greg. The presentation he gave...was a great experience as well as an important lesson... It's true that in our daily life we think we live in a pretty diverse place without knowing the meaning of diversity...Greg's experiences and ideas in fact prove that we are not just born to serve our personal purposes, but we are also here to be engaged in helping others and be with others without keeping the idea of race, culture and language in mind, and always struggle to raise the flag of humanity above every other thing in the world....Beyond any doubt, he has prized us with an imperative guideline and by following it, we can actually remove all the human made boundaries and distances among us, and make this world a better place to live in. Thank you." - Mati, student, Sage College
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After the event, Greg made it back to the hotel just in time to catch his favorite TV show (Lost). It is a show about survivors of a plane crash who are now 'lost' on a mysterious island. On a broader level, it's about a group of people whose lives intersect and whose paths cross time and time again in unexpected ways.
To see a list of his other favorite shows and favorite films, click here (and scroll through the Frequent Questions)
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FRIDAY
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The next morning, Greg keynoted an annual breakfast for Capital Region Sponsor-a-Scholar in Schenectady. For more on this great nonprofit organization and its wonderful mission, visit www.CRSAS.org
During his 35 minute address, he spoke about the ways those already engaged in service and philanthropy can get their friends, families and co-workers involved as well.
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Greg's appearance at the breakfast was sponsored by Time Warner Cable.
If your company would like to bring Greg to speak at an event for a nonprofit organization in your area - or at an event for your own staff, email us here.
Time Warner Cable also was one of two companies honored by CRSAS at the event.
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The event was attended by CRSAS Board Members, donors, volunteers, mentors and some prominent local leaders - as well as some of the students impacted by CRSAS' efforts.
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"Greg's role in our CRSAS breakfast on Friday was fantastic! He is by far the best speaker we have ever had. I know he travels all over and speaks to countless organizations with compelling causes, but he did such a great job engaging our audience as if we were the most important organization he has ever worked with. His ability to relate his experiences and create the connection with the CRSAS organization as well as individual goals was tremendous. Our Board, staff, students and guests left with positive feelings all around." - Sheila, Capital Region Sponsor-a-Scholar
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The highlight of the event featured remarks by two CRSAS Scholars. One is a former Scholar who has now graduated. The other is a current Scholar. They did a great job talking about the impact CRSAS has had on their lives.
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In advance of the event, CRSAS ordered 100 copies of The First Thirty, as well as copies of the companion workbook A Place To Sit and dozens of copies of the posters based on them for donors and students.
"The First Thirty is a great story about defining what success really is; a must read for anybody, especially teenagers and young adults coming of age and trying to come to grips with what really matters to themselves and their connections. The simple lessons will stay with you a lifetime." - Steve, Capital Region Sponsor-a-Scholar Board Member
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Following the breakfast, a book signing took place for attendees who were interested in getting additional copies.
Nonprofit organizations, click Here.
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After a short break, he participated in a workshop for a group of (super!) high school students selected by CRSAS to attend the event. The students had read The First Thirty in advance of the event. The workshop revolved around the companion workbook, A Place To Sit.
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After going to lunch with some new friends (thanks Sheila and Crystal), Greg sat down to check email and send out thank you notes to everyone he had met on the trip.
[Thank you notes are time consuming, but I think they're important. Not much worse than being 'too busy' to thank people who just took a lot of time to welcome you so warmly to their community!]
For more on Project Thank You, see www.ProjectThankYou.com
After sending out the notes, Greg headed to the airport for the flight home (Thanks for the ride, Bill)
A busy 30 hours!
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CROSSING PATHS
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As always, his trip was filled with unexpected meetings and adventures. Here are pictures of some of the memorable people and places who crossed his path during the trip...
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... including George, the cab driver, who turned out to be a former Professor of Physics (in Syria) and former small business owner, is married to a woman who has a Master's degree in Child Psychology, and has put three children through college.
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...and the parent of a student who happened to be the former roommate of the student at Princeton University who coordinated Greg's speech there a couple years earlier
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To get The First Thirty (ISBN: 0975879405) in Albany in person, check out Borders Albany or Borders Albany Crossgates
To get it in person in Chicago, try Borders (Clark/Diversey - 150 N State - Michigan Ave - Deerfield - Highland Park)
To get the book or companion workbook or posters right here online, go to www.TheFirstThirty.com, click Shopping Cart
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[Special thanks to Albany College of Pharmacy, The Sage Colleges, Capital Region Sponsor-a-Scholar, Time Warner Cable, B'nai B'rith Parkview Apartments, their staffs, students, supporters, residents, and all the people who I met along the way! ]
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