Patrice Mallet

"All my life I wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids" 

~Patrice Mallet

In 2006, Patrice Mallet was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer. He was told that he would only survive if a stem cell transplant took place.

In 2007, after the surgery took place and his cancer was in remission, Patrice Mallet decided he wanted to help the children in his home country of Haiti which had been a dream of his. 

Mallet sold his company and formed Foundation Notre-Dame du Perpetuel Secours (FONDAPS). 

Mallet's goal is to teach children growing up in slums important life skills by using soccer. His first target area in Haiti was Port-au-Prince, which contains the countries most dangerous slums. 

At first, this program faced some hardship, but after time the area accepted Patrice and large amounts of children came to participate in FONDAPS. 

Patrice pays for tournament fees, equipment, uniforms, and transportation all out of his own pocket so that this program is free to all that want to join. 

He hopes to enstill a sense of hope in these kids in order to help them realize they do not need to join a gang or steal to get things in life. 

When the earthquake hit Haiti, it caused a large drop in the number of kids able to participate in the program, but still today many join Patrice Mallet to practice five days a week and then play a game on the weekend. 

Patrice's cancer returned in 2009, but he has been treating it with different medications and continuing FONDAPS. 

"I realize how important life is, every moment, I am not ready to die yet. I have many, many things to do."

~Patrice Mallet

Mark Kobanna

Soccer Heals Refugees

It is tough being the new kid in school. Living in one town my whole life, going off to college was the first time I had to experience this, so I can not imagine how difficult it had to be for Mark Kobanna and many other like him who come to the United States from war stricken countries or the isolation they felt due to the language and cultural differences. 

When Mark worked as a refugee case manager for a non profit organization. San Diego, where Mark works and lives, is the countries largest refugee resettlement locations. Although he went through the same situation, seeing others go through the challenges of living in a new country as a refugee and having to rely on others helped Mark create Youth and Leaders Living Actively (YALLA). 

YALLA also is Arabic for "Let's go!" This program started in 2009 and provides free tutoring programs and soccer training to 200 girls and boys in San Diego, California. 

Mark's goal was to help those who come over and are years behind both catch up and surpassing the language barriers to understand what they are learning through mandatory twice a week tutoring. 

Mark Kobanna's program also creates a support group for these kids. When he came over he was ostracized for being different and poor. YALLA allows these kids somewhere they feel safe and can learn. This program has helped many kids and I hope it continues to do so for a long time! 

For More Information: CNN Real Heroes

Randy Pausch

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play our hand" 

~Randy Pausch 

Everyone's heard the question before "If you knew how long you had left to live, what would you do with that time?" Many will think of things like sky diving, swimming with sharks, traveling, or just doing things we never had the courage to do before. 

Randy Pausch chose to inspire. 

Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science and human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University. Given three to six months to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Randy Pausch chose to embrace the life he was living and the family he loved. 

On September 18th of 2007 Mr. Pausch gave a speech called "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." 

This speech instantly became a internet sensation and encouraged millions of people. It also led to him writing a book and multiple media appearances including The Oprah Show. 

His lecture and his book discuss his many attempts at achieving his childhood dreams through out life.
Both contain an optimistic outlook on life and his disease. 

Randy Pausch, in my mind, is one of the most inspirational people and I really wish I had had a chance to meet him myself. He is a personal hero of mine and is without a doubt an inspiration. 

"The key question to keep asking is, 'Are you spending your time on the right things?' Because this time is all you have"  ~Randy Pausch

Jessica Cox

"This is how I've been my whole life, I don't know any different. I just live my life through my feet."
~Jessica Cox

Photo Courtesy of: The XO Directory

Jessica Cox is another unique individual who has over came many obstacles. Born without her arms due to a rare and undetected birth defect, Jessica has had to do things differently her entire life. But this did not stop her from living a very close to normal life, except for the fact that she uses her feet for almost everything one would normally use their hands for. She can write wit her feet, drive a car, and most recently, flew a plane with her feet. 

Jessica has learned how to play piano with her feet, text, earned a black belt in Tao Kwan-Do, and was the first certified pilot without any arms! 

Sergey Brin & Larry Page

"We have a mantra: don't be evil, which is to do the best thing we   know how for our users and our customers, for everyone. So, I think if were known for that, it would be a wonderful thing.

~Larry Page 

I feel a little odd talking so candidly about these two on part of their own site, but there is no way to not mention how the thought child of these two has changed the world today. 

After graduating from Stanford in 1995, Sergey Brin and Larry Page created the idea for a new, and improved, public search engine. "Basically, our goal is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful," Larry Page says. Page and Brin certainly did that, and more. 

Today, Google is the most widely used search engine but it has expanded also into a great tool for daily life. 

I don't know about you reading this blog, but I use Google on a daily basis for things like homework, shopping, travel plans, directions,to keep updated with the news, and stay in contact with friends.  

I truly cannot imagine the world without Google. It has been such a common word, and even a verb. It is quite common to hear someone say to "Google" something. I don't know if Page and Brin knew how widely their innovation would effect people today, but their genius has turned an already great search engine into so much more today. 

"Obviously everyone wants to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world"

~Sergey Brin

For more information: USA Today

April Capone Almon

April Capone Almon

Photo Courtesy of: Hip Hop Wired 

On the topic of awesome mayors, the mayor of East Haven, Connecticut went way beyond her political duties in 2010. April Capone Almon donated a kidney to one of her constituents.

While running for re-election, Ms. Almon was on facebook.com one day when she saw one of her constituents was in need of a kidney. 

Carlos Sanchez updated his facebook status after finding out his kidneys were failing due to his diabetes. None of his family or friends were matches. He never expected his mayor to be the one to volunteer. At first thought the mayor was joking when she messaged him saying she would get tested, but she insisted she was very serious.

April Capone Almon said "I really felt from the very beginning that I was going to be a match and a donor. I don't know why, but I just knew it." And indeed she was right, she got tested and was a match! To make the situation even better, the mayor's insurance covered both her surgery, and Mr. Sanchez's. 

Both surgeries went with out a problem and each made a full recovery!
It is without a doubt that Mayor April Capone Almon truly strives to make a difference in her community.

For more information visit Hip Hop Wired

Mayor Cory Booker

Cory Booker

"When Chuck Norris has nightmares, Cory Booker turns on the light & sits with him until he falls asleep!"

Photo Courtesy of: Red, Black, and Blue

Cory Booker is the mayor of the city of Newark in New Jersey, but recently he has received the new title of "super-mayor." The story of his heroism has blown up social media, especially twitter with #corybookerstories. 

Mayor Booker was on his way home when he noticed flames and smoke coming to the building next door. Cory and three members of his security team went into the house and tried to get everyone out, unfortunately someone was upstairs. Mayor Booker went back into the house, although a police officer voiced his objections, and carried the woman out of the burning building. 

Cory suffered from both smoke inhalation and second degree burns on his hand. 

Cory Booker shies away from the title of hero, although if you look at his history, it is obvious that he is one. Him running into the burning building was not his first act of heroism, eight years ago Cory had ran toward a gun shot while on a walk one night when he came across 19 year old Wazn Miller. Booker put pressure on his wound and held the teenager until he died. 

Cory Booker himself went out to help the citizens of his town after a snow storm. He went outside and shoveled sidewalks, buying diapers and necessities and delivering them to families who could not get to the stores. 

Mayor Cory Booker is not only a good mayor, but a person to be admired for his courage and eagerness to help those in need.

For more information: Washington Post