WEST PALM BEACH — Iyanla is coming! That’s right, Iyanla Vanzant, the sassy, no-nonsense, spiritual and psychological guru and talk show host, is coming to West Palm Beach, this Saturday night, May 30. Vanzant is the esteemed keynote speaker for Inlet Grove Community High School’s 10th Annual “My Teacher, My Hero” Awards Gala. The event is a formal affair and will benefit the school’s scholarship program.
Iyanla joins an impressive list of speakers who have come to the Palm Beaches for the affair. Last year, Oprah’s beau, Stedman Graham, was keynote speaker. In the past, other speakers have included slugger Hank Aaron, Judge Glenda Hatchett and the famous high school principal, Joe Clark. Iyanla, coming off the heels of her hit TV show, Iyanla Fix My Life, is sure to be a big hit!
Dr. Emma Banks, principal at Inlet Grove, said Iyanla is a superb choice. “Iyanla Vanzant was chosen as a speaker for this year’s event because we want her mission and vision to be an inspiration for all of the stake holders of Inlet Grove Community High School and its surrounding community.” Banks expects it to be a well-attended event. Donation is $150, and will provide scholarship money for the school’s high school seniors for college. These students who receive the scholarship monies are the first in their families to graduate from high school and the first to go to college. Altogether, guests who attend will be provided a sensational night for charity, and also Iyanla’s thought provoking commentary.
Vanzant is a lawyer, best-selling author, life coach and nationally recognized speaker who has always defied expectations. She is hailed among the “most Dynamic African-American speakers in the United States” by Emerge magazine. Vanzant is a nationally-recognized speaker devoted to showing others the way to transform their lives. During last season’s “Iyanla, Fix My Life,” TV program, she scored a ratings bonanza when she helped a young man sort through the complexities of his 34 biological children from 17 different women. Without being judgmental, Vanzant sought to help all the parties involved, including all of the mothers and children. She did it, though, in her usual direct, to-the-point manner. The show was so compelling it spun off into several additional episodes, creating a huge ratings spike.
Vanzant’s personal experiences have given her profound insight into life, which she utilizes in her approach to coaching others through life’s challenges and difficulties.
After she left her abusive first husband, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and Education at the Medgar Evers College and went on to earn a Jurist Doctorate at City University of New York Law School at Queens College. With a solid education under her belt, Vanzant moved to Philadelphia with her children where she practiced as a public defender for three years. She later became an ordained minister, committed to a message based on the principles of divine power and self-determination.
She is sure to have a powerful message for the students and guests at the “My Teacher, My Hero” Awards Gala, which is now in its 10th year.
The event was implemented with the help of Mr. Hank (The Hammer) Aaron the great baseball player. The purpose is for students to honor teachers who have made an impact on the lives of their students in education. This program is open to all accredited public schools in South Florida, and, unlike similar awards, students at each school will select all nominees.
The school hopes to achieve three goals in sponsoring the “My Teacher, My Hero” Awards Gala:
• To honor outstanding teachers from public schools in South Florida who have made a difference in a child’s life through education.
• To increase awareness of the high quality of our educators and their strong commitment to teaching students in South Florida.
• To encourage all South Florida residents to promote and support high standards of excellence in education.
For more information, or to purchase tickets for the “My Teacher, My Hero” Awards Gala, please contact Dr. Emma Banks at 561-881-4639.
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