"Hello.  My name is Terri Lee Butler and I am honored to have been chosen to participate in the 2011 Innovation Symposium.  As you can see by my picture, I am a returning adult student and much older than the other students going on our trip.  However, I am not a stranger to the educational environment as I have been employed for 30+ years at Indiana University Kokomo.  Currently, I am working on a degree in General Studies. 

I am married and my husband, Donnie, and I have been blessed with six children and eight grandchildren.  We have participated in six mission trips to Sao Paulo, Brazil—organizing and leading four of the six.  I love kids and drama and have directed and produced our children’s Christmas musical at Family Worship Center for approximately 15 years.  In addition, I am a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Association. 

"My name is Jeremy Gibson and I am a junior majoring in Psychology. I am very interested in treating individuals with various mental disorders as well as various disorders etiology. I believe the Innovation Symposium will give me the skills and knowledge to help make my community more tolerant of individuals with mental illness, and to create a program that could potentially be used to help individuals suffering from these disorders. Mental Illnesses and the individuals suffering from them are too often misunderstood and it is my hope to change that."

"My name is Christopher J. Hayes and I’m a senior here at Indiana University Kokomo Majoring in Business Management. I will be starting my first year of Dental School—either at Meharry Medical College or IU-School of Dentistry-- in June/July, to pursue a professional Doctorate in Dental Surgery. With the precarious climate that we face regarding healthcare and access to healthcare I feel that the Innovation Symposium will provide a framework i.e. a frame of reference to explore innovative ways of cognition. I hope that this experience will provide me with the much needed space, growth, and maturation to subscribe to new schools of thought; or either to begin my own. But of greater importance, is moving from theory to practice: therefore, my deepest goal is application, and from what I learned I will be able to apply that “idea” to my fellow human beings throughout my life- not just with respect to role of being a Dentist. But I do not know what this idea will be: hence, Innovation Symposium. I also hope that this program will provide me with the opportunity to build and foster long lasting healthy relationships."

"My name is Precious J. (PJ) Majors; I am a junior here at Indiana University Kokomo Majoring in Communications with a Minor in Leadership. My passion goes out to individuals who are underprivileged and underrepresented. I feel that the Innovation Symposium will expand my realm of knowledge and add to my leadership capabilities as I learn about individuals whose capacity to think above and beyond were tremendous. I hope this experience will provide me with growth and development to explore new ideas and innovative ways to tackle real-world issues. Most of all, I believe the Innovation Symposium will serve as a catalyst for tapping into the excellence within that will reveal my strongest characteristics, enhancing my overall leadership ability."

"My name is Jonathan Newlon. I am a psychology major. The Innovation Symposium is a great opportunity for me. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to go to England. This organization is giving me the opportunity that I have always wanted. It’s not just about the trip that I am looking forward to. I am always looking for opportunities to harness my leadership skills and improve myself. The Innovation Symposium is giving me the chance to do all of this, and for that, I am extremely grateful."

"My name is Jordan Ousley and I am a Secondary Education major. I currently coach Track and Cross Country at an area high school and I am very active in the community and IU-Kokomo. I am very excited about the opportunity to travel abroad with the Innovation Symposium. I don’t have an exact topic I am working on yet, but I am looking at working on something that has to do with education or health. I believe this opportunity will help enhance my views on each topic and allow me to help share what I learned with others when we get back. "