Choosing to Change the Way the Story Ends – Part II – with Sammy Rangel – 8-23-14

August 30, 2014

Last week we got an introduction to author and speaker Sammy Rangel and his remarkable life story.  This week we get a more intimate look at the people and events that were catalysts for change in Sammy’s life after addiction and crime, and how he is working to help create change in the lives of others.  Join us to be inspired by Sammy and his commitment to helping others live a violence- and addiction-free life focused on opportunity.

Sammy Rangel spent most of his early years in mental institutions, foster homes, and detention homes.  He embraced violence at the age of 11, joining the Maniac Latin Disciples gang and spending long periods in prison. It wasn’t until a drug abuse program helped him rehabilitate that Sammy began to further his education and start working for a Safe Streets Outreach Program in Wisconsin.Today, he writes articles for Life After Hate and consults with law enforcement on addressing and curtailing gang behavior. Sammy is the author of the autobiography FOURBEARS: The Myths of Forgiveness.

Sammy is an in-demand speaker and has spoken about his story to audiences around the world.  In 2004 Sammy graduated with Presidential honors from Gateway Technical College-Racine as the District and College Ambassador representing 450,000 students in Wisconsin. Sammy graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelors of Social Work Degree with a minor in Psychology, Cum Laude, in 2008. On September 13, 2009 Sammy graduated with a Master of Social Work Degree, Summa Cum Laude, with a mental health focus, from Loyola University-Chicago. He was also awarded An Excellence In Service Award by the school at graduation.

Sammy also worked at the Racine County Jail from 2004 through 2008 as a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor helping men and women with addictive and criminal lifestyles. In addition to his work with youth he also provides mental health treatment as Racine Psychological Services with patient who are chronically mentally ill and/or dual diagnosed. Sammy is an adjunct teacher for MATC, Gateway Technical College, and for the Department of Transportation. Sammy contributes to the community by sitting on various committees that address race, homelessness, crime, gang activity or drug abuse issues among our youth and adults.

Sammy considers his most crucial role in the community as raising a family of four girls.

Choosing to Change the Way the Story Ends – Part 1 – with Sammy Rangel – 8-16-14

August 16, 2014

Every person’s life is a story.  Often we feel that upon meeting them, we have an idea of how their story is going to look….we have expectations and assumptions about what will be the outcome of who they are now.  But for those whose life story has been filled with tragedy, we can only hope that there is a chance for the ending to be different.  Such is the case for our guest, Sammy Rangel, whose life story was filled with an incomprehensible amount of violence and hate, but is on a path to follow a journey that is filled instead with hope and joy and accomplishment.  Join us as we hear from Sammy himself about his life journey, and the amazing events that changed the course of his life story.

This is the first of two shows featuring our interview with Sammy.

Sammy Rangel spent most of his early years in mental institutions, foster homes, and detention homes.  He embraced violence at the age of 11, joining the Maniac Latin Disciples gang and spending long periods in prison. It wasn’t until a drug abuse program helped him rehabilitate that Sammy began to further his education and start working for a Safe Streets Outreach Program in Wisconsin.Today, he writes articles for Life After Hate and consults with law enforcement on addressing and curtailing gang behavior. Sammy is the author of the autobiography FOURBEARS: The Myths of Forgiveness.

Sammy is an in-demand speaker and has spoken about his story to audiences around the world.  In 2004 Sammy graduated with Presidential honors from Gateway Technical College-Racine as the District and College Ambassador representing 450,000 students in Wisconsin. Sammy graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelors of Social Work Degree with a minor in Psychology, Cum Laude, in 2008. On September 13, 2009 Sammy graduated with a Master of Social Work Degree, Summa Cum Laude, with a mental health focus, from Loyola University-Chicago. He was also awarded An Excellence In Service Award by the school at graduation.

Sammy also worked at the Racine County Jail from 2004 through 2008 as a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor helping men and women with addictive and criminal lifestyles. In addition to his work with youth he also provides mental health treatment as Racine Psychological Services with patient who are chronically mentally ill and/or dual diagnosed. Sammy is an adjunct teacher for MATC, Gateway Technical College, and for the Department of Transportation. Sammy contributes to the community by sitting on various committees that address race, homelessness, crime, gang activity or drug abuse issues among our youth and adults.

Sammy considers his most crucial role in the community as raising a family of four girls.

The Value of Stories with Lori Silverman – 8-9-14

August 4, 2014

Stories are the link between cultures and generations, and they also help us to understand ourselves and each other.  This week we begin a series of discussions exploring stories.  Our guests will help us understand why are they so helpful in communicating information, what impacts our own stories, and how can we better understand our own stories and other’s better.

We begin with Lori Silverman who is a speaker, consultant, trainer and author who has written three books on the topic of storytelling.  She helps corporations and individuals understand how to use stories to create action and change.

Lori owns Partners for Progress, a management consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage in their marketplace. She’s authored myriad books, articles and workbooks including Critical SHIFT: The Future of Quality in Organizational Performance and Stories Trainers Tell: 55 Ready-to-Use Stories to Make Training Stick. Her 2006 book, Wake Me Up When the Data is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results, debuted in the top one hundred books on Amazon and is a best-seller.

Lori has a Bachelor’s degrees in psychology, an MBA and a Master’s degree in Counseling.

You can find more about Lori and her books at www.partnersforprogress.com and www.business-storytelling.com.