Sweethearts & Heroes, a student empowerment and empathy activation organization, visited Chatham CSD on our April 14 staff development day to lead a presentation for our staff about communicating, connecting, and building a community and sustained culture of compassionate empathy. Bringing this message to our staff were Tom Murphy (pictured left with Dr. DeAngelo), a former UFC competitor and railroader who is now the director and co-founder of Sweethearts & Heroes, and Rick Yarosh (pictured right), a retired U.S. Army sergeant who was injured in Iraq with burns over most of his body. They spoke about the power of resiliency, their HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist!) model, overcoming adversity and turning challenging situations into opportunity, such as in the wake of the pandemic.
We plan to have them back in Chatham to speak with our students in the future!