SLĀ Foundation Presents The Power of Storytelling with Shane Adams

Patrick Lyons is a Mechanical Sourcing Engineer at Microsoft. He is an alum from the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. Patrick shares with Melissa his journey with fitness, how he founded his own personal training program, Lyon Shred Coaching, and his experiences training for American Ninja Warrior. Patrick lives in Seattle and works at Microsoft while continuing to expand his fitness programs.

Garrett Mireles graduated from UT Austin with a B.S. in Advertising with a concentration in copy-writing in the Creative Advertising Program. In this interview, he shares with Kat his experiences transitioning into UT and learning what was truly important to him. He also discusses what it is like to be a copywriter for Thimble, a tech startup, working towards his goals, and what he is finding joy in today.

Cheyenne Gordon works as a music therapist at Hospice of Lubbock, where she works along other medical professionals to provide end-of-life care to patients. In this interview, Cheyenne tells Kat about how she decided to pursue a career in music therapy, how music can help the healing process, and how she copes with such an emotional occupation. Cheyenne explains how life can be beautiful in all its stages and how she finds peace and comfort in helping others.

Jonathan Wong is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Business Honors, Management Information Systems, and Biology. Jonathan shares with Melissa his experiences with computer science and software engineering, his love for entrepreneurship, and his journey in combining technology, business, and healthcare to make the world a better place. Jonathan lives in Austin and works as a Product Management Intern for Roblox.

Giancarlo Bernini is a magician with his own show, Magic of Giancarlo Bernini. He is an alum from the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Religious Studies and took additional coursework in psychology and business. Giancarlo shares with Melissa his experiences growing up in a small town, discovering his love for magic at a young age, the road to becoming a full-time performer, and starring in the magic competition television program, Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Giancarlo lives in Dallas and works as a magician full-time.

From the small town of Aurangabad, India to the bright lights of New York City, Anish found mainstream success in corporate America. However, looking for something more, he embarked on a journey to make a difference in the social impact space and find fulfillment by following his passion. Currently, Anish is working to incubate his own social enterprise focused on multidimensional poverty, starting first with waste-pickers in India, with the goal of spending the rest of his life fighting poverty through economic empowerment.

Trang Truong is a recent graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in Psychological Sciences. Trang and Aniket discuss her experiences growing up with both of her parents battling cancer, dealing with a stutter, and how she learned to deal with adversity by setting on a mission to help others. Trang's story is one of empowerment and strength. Now as a graduate, Trang hopes to educate others on the importance of fitness and be an advocate for health and wellness.

Kush Singh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hitch. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for a year before deciding to leave McCombs and focus on his venture. Kush shares with Melissa his journey with entrepreneurship, the challenges of running an intercity ridesharing business out of his dorm room, and his personal and professional growth over the years. Today, Hitch offers ridesharing services in all major cities in Texas and has 13 operating routes. Kush lives in Austin and works full-time with Hitch.

In this interview, Lydia Breedlove tells Katherine about her unique childhood. Lydia grew up with two blind parents, and she explains how that experience shaped her today. Lydia recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in Athletic Training. She will be attending Texas Women’s University this fall to receive dual certification in Physical Therapy, as well.

Micky Wolf is a Venture for America Fellow and the Director of Programs at Dent Education. In this interview, Micky shares his journey with social entrepreneurship and demonstrates that the path to success is not a straight line. He currently works in Baltimore with Dent Education, empowering student entrepreneurs to discover and develop their creative potential. Our interview also features Di'Ja Thompson, a high school junior working with Micky at Dent building PPE to keep the Baltimore community safe.