Gerra Gistand, First Place Winner in the 13th Annual Gardere Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory

Gerra Gistand of MacGregor Elementary School won first place during the 13th Annual Gardere Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory.

This year's Oratory Competitions in Dallas and Houston took on special significance as participating students reflected on the upcoming inauguration of the country's first minority president.

More than 250 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students, representing a total of 26 schools in Dallas and Houston, competed in preliminary contests over the past month for the right to represent their schools at today's final competitions. Finalists were judged by panels of local well-known community and business leaders on their delivery, stage presence, decorum, content interpretation, and memorization of five-minute speeches written by the participants. This year's topic was "If Dr. King were alive today, what do you think he would say about current events?"

"This year's topic is especially poignant as these students will be witnesses to history with the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Obama," says Steve Good, Gardere Wynne Sewell managing partner. "It is our hope that, as a result of the oratory competition, these young students will embrace the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognize his continued influence on our culture, society and the political landscape."

Sarah-Elizabeth Thompson, a fifth-grader at Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary School, captured the 17th annual Dallas competition with a speech thanking Dr. King for inspiring change so that "our skin is no longer our sin." However, in pointing to the pride he would have felt over the coming inauguration, the 10-year-old emphasized the need to continue to work hard and demand more because "knowledge is free, you just have to bring your own container."

Troie Seawood, 10, a fifth-grader at Clara Oliver Elementary School placed second. Third place was Ana Laureano, 11, a fifth-grader at Amelia Earhart Learning Center.

Amongst 11 finalists, Gerra Gistand took the top prize in Houston with her engaging speech, proclaiming "the dream is almost fulfilled, and the promised land is within reach," referring to the election of President-elect Barack Obama. This fourth-grader from MacGregor Elementary commented that there are still many areas where continued improvements are needed and encouraged her fellow students to take responsibility for their own conduct and "dress for success." Her inspirational speech received a standing ovation after she concluded with a brief passage from Sam Cook's "A Change is Gonna Come," a song of hope for the Civil Rights Movement, singing "It's been a long, a long time coming".

Second place went to Christian Burgs, a fourth-grader at Garden Villas Elementary, and fifth-grader Joel Espitia from Crespo Elementary was awarded third place in the 13th annual competition.

"The oratory competition provides an opportunity for our youth to commemorate Dr. King's legacy," noted Claude Treece, Houston event chair and Gardere operating partner. "Each year, the students continue to impress the community and their peers with inspiring perspectives on Dr. King's example."

Last year, Dalton Sherman, winner of the Dallas competition, showcased Dr. King's dream to millions of Americans across the country. In addition to reciting his competition speech at an event honoring Dr. Maya Angelou, Sherman became a YouTube sensation with his oratory skills and went on to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition was established in 1993 by the law firm of Gardere & Wynne to commemorate the life of Dr. King. Presented in the spirit of learning and celebration, the program was designed to highlight the cultural diversity of the community while recognizing and encouraging the writing and presentation skills of elementary school students. In 1995,

Dallas' Gardere & Wynne merged with Houston's Sewell & Riggs, creating the law firm now known as Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. The Dallas oratory competition was embraced by the new Houston office, with the attorneys establishing a similar program in Houston in 1997. All finalists receive savings bonds and other prizes.

Photographs of the winner are available upon request.

ABOUT GARDERE WYNNE SEWELL, LLP:

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm, was founded in 1909 and is one of the Southwest's largest full-service law firms. With offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City, Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in areas of energy, litigation, corporate, tax, environmental, labor and employment, intellectual property, and financial services.

SOURCE: Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP

Lisa Whitley Coleman of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, +1-214-999-4548, lcoleman@gardere.com; or Media, Danielle Kernell, +1-713-867-3279, cell, +1-281-536-5755, dkernell@fkmagency.com, for Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP

Katherine's An Encourager and Inspiration

My newest friend, Katherine, has written a book that is filled with encouraging and inspiring words that will move you toward peace and happiness.

According to Katherine, "There are some things regarding an individual's HEART that book sense can not touch on, but A Friend CAN TOUCH YOUR HEART and bring deep awareness to you that can make all of the difference in YOUR LIFE and help you along the way toward filling an emptiness that was there, but now it is not there because A Friend cared enough to share words of LOVE, PEACE, UNDERSTANDING, CONSIDERATION and RESPECT on a PERSONAL LEVEL about life in general."

This is a lady who's truly maximizing her potential and is encouraging others to maximize theirs. Visit her by clicking on her picture below.

Rehina Roberts, Regional Executive Certified Travel Agent

Meet Ms Regina Roberts, Regional Executive Certified Travel Agent. Ms Roberts sells travel and enrolls people into her business.

According to Regina, "The money is very good and continues to grow."

If you would like information on making travel arrangements or making enough residual income to last you for the rest of your life, visit her website by clicking on logo below.

Khadijo: Virgin Islands' Own Musician, Producer, Choir Director, Instructor, and Teacher

KHADIJO, musician, music producer, choir director, instructor, and teacher, was born in the fall of 1972 on the beautiful island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. He started learning his instruments in selected stages of his life: the piano at the age of 5, the xylophones somewhere in the mid- teens, and the congas his second year college.

After his years of university studies, his attention turn to recorded music, which lead to a deep and significant relationship with his music partners of Triptych Music Group.

It wasn’t until his international move to Bermuda that his true inner sound emerged. This website is just a short documented form of his life thus far of what he has done and the potential to do in the future. So go on,…tour the site listen to the sounds, see the pictures, buy the albums or a song, and learn more about KHADIJO.

Since the debut album of "After All This Time" broke out, KHADIJO has been working on new music almost everyday. KHADIJO feels very unfulfilled if he doesn’t at least play one of my instruments throughout some part of the day. Hence, why it never ends for me. After the rush and slight success of the debut, KHADIJO turned his attention to new stuff, which ultimately became "Journey Through", an album that exemplifies the deeper sounds on creative level that existed within him.

"Journey Through" begins with a soothing and subtle hint of something exotic, but then it quickly dispels that notion to bring you out of the tropics...and into the modern day studio with the acid groove jazz headliner track appropriately named, "Groovology". From there the album travels into the land of electronic, hip hop, and dub reggae music. "Journey Through" is out and here to stay.

So, go ahead and listen to "Journey Through" .

Love Life…Love Music.

KHADIJO

Click here to listen.

www.MySpace.com/Khadijo1

Willie Stewart: Setting Trends Across America

Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine is the newest national resource for linking strong minds and creating relationships.

Say "Hello!" to Willie Stewart, Publisher/CEO of Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine a magazine that brings positive and motivated individuals together in a networking community. Willie designed his magazine to honor and spotlight our unsung heroes, individuals who are making a difference in their communities but you don’t read about on a day-to-day basis.

Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine is a national publication that reaches thousands of homes and businesses bi-monthly via hardcopy in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Ohio with many more states to come as well as on the internet. If you cannot find a copy in your area, order a subscription at www.TrendsetterstoTrendsettersMagazine.com or www.TrendtoTrendMag.com.

Willie wanted to create a publication that was going to be different, a magazine that focused on positive individuals doing positive things. He also wanted to create a magazine that would be the meeting place for trendsetters around the country. For example, Willie wanted trendsetters in Atlanta to meet the trendsetters in Charlotte and the trendsetters in Chicago to meet trendsetters in Houston, the trendsetters in Cleveland to meet the trendsetters in Akron/Canton and the trendsetters in New York to meet the trendsetters in Des Moine.

Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine is the magazine that you can read and find out who those people are. This magazine has several different features including:

1. Trendsetter of the Month
   
   
2. Up and Coming Trendsetters
   
   
3. Education
   
   
4. Radio Personality Spotlights
   
   
5. Inspirational
   
   
6. Arts & Entertainment
   
   
7. Trendsetters on the Move
   
   
8. Global Trends
   
   
9. Real Estate Trends
   
   
10. Travel Trends
    
    
11. Legal Trends
    
    
12. Health & Fitness Trends and
    
    
13. Beauty & Fashion Trends

Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine is a free publication. Why? Because I don’t feel that we should have to pay for positive and informative information. Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine is surviving on advertisement and subscriptions and needs assistance in these areas to keep this positive uplifting publication alive.

Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine spotlights individuals from every state in the country. If you know of someone that is setting trends, making a difference in the community please contact our office:

Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine
3007 Panola RD, Suite 283C
Lithonia, GA 30038
Telephone: 404-437-4311 or
Toll-Free: 1-866-74TREND.

Give Willie Stewart your thoughts and opinions at

wstewart@trendtotrendmag.com

Vesta Stammer for President!

Angela Younger: Diabetic Patient and Patient Mentor

Angela Younger,
Patient Mentor

Branford, Connecticut

Diabetes had long been a part of Angela’s family when she learned in 1993 that she, too, had the disease. Her grandmother, who Angela had helped care for as a child, died of renal failure associated with the disease. A cousin had had a kidney transplant.

In Angela’s mind, complications like these were not an option; she had a disabled daughter who depended on her. Still, Angela struggled for years to manage her condition. It wasn’t until her own mother died in 2003 that she got serious about taking better care of herself.

"I made choices every day on what I would wear and eat," says Angela. "But on that day, I made the choice to live in a way that allows me to continue making my other daily choices." Today, Angela exercises three to four times a week, eats smaller portions, tests her blood sugar regularly and takes her medication. An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Angela works at a diabetes center which she says has also helped her efforts to control her disease. "By educating others, I also educate myself," she says.

Following her mother’s death, Angela spoke to her doctor about her continuing struggle with lows and her challenges with controlling her diabetes. At the time, her fasting blood sugar was high, ranging from 180 to 250, and her A1C ran in the 9 to 10 percent range. Angela's doctor recommended changing her medication, adding Lantos® to her regimen. And it helped.

Angela says she feels much better today, now that her fasting blood sugar is in a much more normal 70 to 90 range, and her A1C has dropped to around 6. Her passions today include living a healthy lifestyle, being a good mother, and enjoying frequent rides on her motorcycle. Because she understands the struggles others face in managing their diabetes, Angela became a Lantus® Believer in November 2006. She hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others make good choices.

Click on picture for a larger view.
"My daughter needs me, and I need her," says Angela. "I’m determined to do what I can to live a long and happy life so we can be there for each other."

Click here to visit the Patient Mentor Institute's website.