The 2019-20 academic year will mark the fourth year of the HYPE Career Ready® Program. Heidelberg students will again have the opportunity to hear from six speakers who are sure to be inspirational and thought-provoking.
Scott Dikkers
September 19, 2019 | Job Search Skills
Creator of The Onion
Scott Dikkers encourages everyone to think outside the box and seize opportunities to create something new. He is co-founder and the longest-serving editor-in-chief of The Onion, which evolved into one of the most popular humor destinations in the world with millions of readers and followers. The Onion has spawned countless viral videos, three TV series and two New York Times best-selling books. With a comic’s command of timing, Scott paints the picture of a starry-eyed kid who loved reading Mad Magazine and dreamed of one day getting his work published, to improbably founding the world’s first humor website and heading up America’s longest-surviving humor publication.
Frank Warren
October 23, 2019 | Values
Creator of PostSecret
Frank Warren demonstrates the power of sharing your hopes, dreams, fears and failures and how PostSecret became the catalyst for his passionate commitment to mental health advocacy. What started as a community mail art project in which people anonymously share never-before-voiced secrets has since captured our collective imagination and evolved into a worldwide phenomenon. Several New York Times best-selling books, national art exhibits and an album and theatrical production later, PostSecret website has become the most visited ad-free blog in the world. PostSecret has also raised over $1 million for suicide prevention and earned Frank a Mental Health Advocacy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Laverne Cox
November 19, 2019 | Conflict Management
Actress, Orange is the New Black
Laverne Cox is a two-time Emmy-nominated actress and Emmy-winning producer best known for her work on the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange is The New Black, where she plays the groundbreaking role of Sophia Burset. Laverne is the first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted television show and the first openly trans person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category. Laverne is also a renowned speaker and has traveled the country to deliver her empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically. Her work as an advocate landed her a coveted spot as one of Glamour magazine’s 2014 Women of the Year.
Bryan Terrell Clark
January 28, 2020 | Collaboration
Singer-Songwriter-Actor
Terrell Clark shares life-changing lessons from his career on Broadway and work in arts education and philanthropy to empower young people to leave their mark on the world. Bryan is a rising actor and singer-songwriter, known for his starring role as George Washington in Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway. In keeping with the theme of his life’s work, Bryan has made it his mission to help as many young people as possible find their unique purpose in life. He connects his experiences on Broadway and in the entertainment industry to relatable, real-life issues, like tackling insecurity and finding motivation, while inspiring audiences to use their past to fuel their future and discover the best version of themselves.
Christine Brennan
February 25, 2020 | Communication
Sports Journalist, USA Today
Christine Brennan is an award-winning national sports columnist for USA Today, a commentator for ABC News, PBS NewsHour, CNN and NPR, a best-selling author and nationally-known speaker. Twice named one of the country’s top 10 sports columnists by the AP Sports Editors, Christine was the first woman writer at The Miami Herald in 1981 and the first woman to cover Washington’s NFL team as staff writer at The Washington Post. She was the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media and started a scholarship-internship program that has supported more than 130 female students over the past two decades.
Fredi Lajvardi
March 26, 2020 | Work Styles
Nationally-Recognized STEM Educator
Fredi Lajvardi kindles your innate sense of ingenuity with his remarkable first-hand account of how he transformed a group of high school students into a national champion robotics team. Fredi captivated the country when he led his team of disadvantaged teenagers in a university-level underwater robotics competition, where they defeated leading schools, including top-ranked MIT. Their story inspired the acclaimed documentary Underwater Dreams and was also adapted into the major motion picture, Spare Parts. Honored with numerous awards for his spirited passion for teaching, Fredi continues to serve as a prominent advocate for the importance of STEM education nationwide.
HYPE Speakers are selected by a committee aided by suggestions from the campus community.