BACKGROUND
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The First Thirty by Jillip Naysinthe Paxson (and expanded version, The Silhouette Man ) tell the story of a person's efforts to explore the world around him, try and leave each place a little better than he found it, and the first thirty lessons learned along the way.
Greg is the real-life person upon whom the books are based. In May 2009, he spent 3 days in Colorado. This part of the site has photos and links regarding his trip, some of the memorable people he met along the way, and feedback from the speeches.
Italicized notes are Greg's personal comments.
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DAY ONE
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In the morning, Greg attended "Latino College Fair: Steps Toward Our Future"
{That's what the shirts say, in Spanish: Steps Toward our Future)
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The Latino College Fair served as a great opportunity for people of different ages to meet (some very cool!) representatives of top local universities, colleges and community colleges, and to learn about the schools and the application process. There were also a number of neat organizations in attendance - who could provide information about helpful books (ie a library) and scholarship opportunities (ie a scholarship fund). Those in attendance and asking questions included parents...
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...the students themselves...
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...and younger kids (because it's never too early to start thinking about their future!)
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Greg served as the event's opening speaker. He spoke for about 30 or 40 minutes. As a fun surprise, instead of using a translator as planned, he delivered the speech in both English and Spanish.
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In conjunction with his appearance, Museo de Las Americas provided a scholarship to further the art education of one of the students in attendance.
Before the event began, school district representatives selected the recipient and Greg had the fun of surprising her with the news at the end of his speech.
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In advance of the event, organizers ordered hundreds of copies of the book, The First Thirty. A book signing took place after the speech.
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Greg took part in a fun photo shoot for a literacy campaign promoting reading and libraries (two of my favorite things!).
He posed with a stack of books that influenced his path -- and a milkshake.
Click here to read about the connection with milkshakes.
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DAY TWO
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Greg was the guest speaker at an event...
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...at an incredibly beautiful community for seniors
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There was also a book signing for those interested in getting copies of The Silhouette Man (the expanded version of The First Thirty).
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DAY TWO - NIGHT
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Greg attended dinner with people he had just met and/or did not know. Taking part in brunches and dinners with 'new friends' is a fun tradition he has been involved with hundreds of times in different cities around the world. For more on those events, visit www.ShakingUpAmerica.com
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DAY THREE
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With a few hours until his flight home, Greg rented a car and set off to explore Colorado. His first stop was Cave of the Winds.
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He received an -- incredibly educational -- tour of this fascinating cave that has been around for more than a hundred years and stretches up to 80 feet below the surface.
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Cave of the Winds is open for guided tours all throughout the year. It is a great way to develop an interest in -- and learn about -- some of the many things we can find below the Earth's surface. It is an especially neat way to generate interest in these topics among students (like this class, pictured left, taking a guided educational tour).
A highly recommended stop if you are in Colorado!
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His second stop was to head toward the mountains.
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A vast, beautiful place where people can walk, hike, run, bike, or even ride a horse.
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If you are in the area, you should definitely sign up for at least one hour horseback ride - even if you have no experience at it (and I had none). They help show you the right way to do it. A great experience!
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SIGNS
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On each trip, Greg tries to find at least one memorable sign...
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THE FIRST THIRTY ELEVATOR PROJECT
SAMPLE OF FEEDBACK
Claudia Hernandez-Ponce, Community Relations Manager, CollegeInvest: "...His speech was great and the stories he shared were very unique...he had their attention the entire time. His story provided the parents and students an understanding of what it takes to be successful not only in terms of their education but also their personal success. As a native Spanish speaker, I was very much impressed by his Espanol:)..."
Ivonne Tovar-Vargas, Spanish Cultural Liaison & Interpreter: "...Thank you very much to him for speaking in both English and Spanish, as our Latino community really appreciated it. He not only shared his life experiences in an inspiring way, but he also made them relevant to the Hispanic community. Thank you to Greg once again for coming and inspiring our kids to be their best."
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CROSSING PATHS
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His trip to Colorado provided him a chance to meet all kinds of interesting people - new friends and old. Here are pictures of some of the (many!) additional memorable people and places who crossed his path during the trip...
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SAMPLE OF RIPPLE EFFECTS
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On one of the flights during the trip, Greg sat next to one of the stars of the Chicago Red Stars -- the professional women's soccer team...
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A couple days after getting home, she invited Greg and a friend to attend a game.
If you live in the Chicago area, you should definitely check out the Red Stars. They're some great athletes, and the game is a really fun, family-friendly environment. Thousands in attendance. They play at Toyota Park, televised primarily on Fox Soccer Channel.
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WEBSITE & CONTACT INFORMATION
BOOK & POSTER ORDER INFORMATION
SPECIAL THANKS
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It
was a packed 3 days! Special thanks to the organizers of the events, the guests who attended the
events and dinners, the friend who hosted me, the two horses who did not toss me aside, and thanks to
all the people I met along the way. I hope I have the chance to return soon. Colorado is a beautiful place! (And special thanks to Delta Airlines whose team helped out with the flights - and on whose flights I met so many interesting people) :)
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