Seminole State College Speaker Series
Each year, the Seminole State Speaker Series welcomes speakers representing diverse views and interests.
All events are free and open to the public. To request accessibility accommodations, please email Disability Support Services
The views expressed by these speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Seminole State College of Florida, its Board of Trustees, employees, students, alumni or partners.
Seminole State's Speaker Series is co-sponsored by Addition Financial. For more information, please call 407.708.2776. You can also view a list of previous speakers at Seminole State.
M Abeo, Mental Health Advocate and Creator of the Faces of Fortitude Movement
- When: Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 7 p.m.
- Where: Sanford/Lake Mary Campus Building C or watch live via streaming video
- Topic: Unearth Your Trauma
How many of us had to learn to care for ourselves differently during the pandemic quarantine? M shares their personal story regarding how learning to care for their plants showed them where they were neglecting their own self-care. They share six plant-as metaphor steps they created to help us move through their healing journey.
Takeaways:
• How we can learn to heal, using plant life as a guide
• The six steps to unearth trauma and create space for growth
• How COVID-19 changed the way we take care of ourselves
M Abeo (they/them) is a Mental Health Advocate, Speaker, Podcast host, Producer and Photographer + Creator of the Faces of Fortitude movement. The movement began as a project consisting of a series of portraits documenting the healing of those affected by suicide. In just three years it has grown into a movement that consists of TEDx and other public speaking events, traveling gallery exhibits, the Face to Faces Podcast, portrait sessions and two upcoming books.
Gene Baur, Pioneer in the Field of Farm Animal Rescue
- When: Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 7 p.m.
- Where: Sanford/Lake Mary Campus Building C or watch live via streaming video
- Topic: TBD
President and Co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, Gene Baur has been hailed as “the conscience of the food movement” by Time magazine. Since the mid-1980s, he has worked to raise awareness about factory farming abuses and promoted a just and compassionate food system.
A pioneer in undercover investigations and animal rescue, Gene has visited hundreds of farms, stockyards, and slaughterhouses, documenting the deplorable conditions. His pictures and videos exposing cruelty have aired around the world, educating millions, and his rescue work inspired an international farm sanctuary movement.
Gene was instrumental in passing the first U.S. laws prohibiting cruel farming practices, and his work has been covered by major media organizations. He is the author of two bestsellers, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food (Simon and Schuster, 2008) and Living the Farm Sanctuary Life (Rodale, 2015). Gene has a Bachelor degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.