April 26, 2001

(DALLAS) — A special group of students knows what it means to be motivated. They study, learn and succeed every day both in the classroom and in the community. These seven students from the Dallas County Community College District — each representing the seven campuses of DCCCD — will be recognized for their efforts when they receive the Max and Rosa Goldblatt Endowment Awards in Community Service on Fri., April 26, at Eastfield College.

The students' efforts reflect Max and Rosa Goldblatt's dedication to community service and, in keeping with that theme, motivational speaker and author Stedman Graham will share his tips for success with a number of area high school and college students that afternoon. The workshop will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in Building F (Eastfield's performance hall); the college is located at 3737 Motley Drive in Mesquite.

The Goldblatt scholarships will be awarded during a ceremony and luncheon for invited guests from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room C-135 at Eastfield College. During the program, Graham will talk to the scholarship recipients; following the reception, he will host his free motivational workshop for other students. The seven scholarship recipients are: Audrey Atwater of Garland, Brookhaven College; LaTasha Brown of Cedar Hill, Mountain View College; Terry Gary of Irving, North Lake College; Antong Lucky of Dallas, El Centro College; Phoung Luu of Dallas, Richland College; Emmet Pitts of Dallas, Cedar Valley College; and Sherly Zachariah of Mesquite, Eastfield College.

The scholarship is given annually to DCCCD students who show leadership in volunteer and community service work. Each awardee receives a $600 scholarship ($300 per semester) from the DCCCD Foundation, which administers the Goldblatt scholarship endowment. The seven DCCCD students receiving Goldblatt scholarships have been involved in community service projects, such as mentoring young school children; therapeutic riding for the handicapped; volunteering for area hospitals, the Red Cross and the Dallas Halfway House; gang intervention; helping with read-a-thons; tutoring; helping in nursing homes; and service through JROTC, churches and other organizations.

The scholarship was established in 1986 to honor the late Max and Rosa Goldblatt, who both served as former Dallas leaders and longtime supporters of DCCCD. Max Goldblatt served three terms as a Dallas city councilman and played a major role in the creation of DCCCD (then the Dallas County Junior College District). Rosa Goldblatt was involved in many community service projects and, together, the couple inspired their children to continue that tradition of service to others.

Dr. Joe Goldblatt believes in the tradition that he learned from his parents, and he believes that Graham's experiences will inspire the scholarship recipients to continue their efforts in community service. "Stedman Graham is an excellent role model for the Goldblatt recipients, as well as a role model for all students and alumni of the Dallas County Community College District," he said. Dr. Goldblatt is one of the speaker's personal friends and co-authored The Ultimate Guide to Sport Event Management and Marketing with him.

Dr. Goldblatt added, "He has overcome great challenges in his life to build a reputation earned through self-determination, education, honesty and integrity — values that are imbedded in the Goldblatt scholarship recipients. I think it is only natural that he would be selected as the first distinguished speaker for this prestigious program."

Graham, author of You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success, has appeared on several popular television talk shows, including Oprah. A nationally known speaker and lecturer, he has delivered messages based on his precepts from two other books, You Can Make It Happen and Build Your Own Life Brand, to more than 100 corporations, colleges, universities, high schools and non-profit organizations. His clients include the U.S. Department of Education, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is chairman and CEO of S. Graham and Associates, an education-based company that creates customized corporate training and leadership development programs for organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Graham also is an adjunct professor with the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University; an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois; a distinguished visiting professor at Coker College (S.C.); and a visiting professor at George Washington University, where he founded and directed its Forum for Sport and Event Management and Marketing — the first program of its kind in the U.S. He also has founded the Leadership Institute of Chicago, a nonprofit education and research organization dedicated to promoting effective leadership in the community; and is founder and executive director of Athletes Against Drugs, an organization of athletes and civic leaders committed to developing leadership among youth.

For more information, call Eddie Miranda, DCCCD Foundation, at (214) 860-2160.