Career Highlights
Numerous schools and libraries throughout the United States (references provided upon request)
- AVENUES “Team/Staff Building With Stories” Hannibal, MO
- Moberly Area Community College Moberly, MO
- Quincy Park District Quincy, IL
- Oral & Moral Storytelling Conference Hannibal, MO
- Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence conference Springfield, IL
- Quincy Museum Folk Arts Festival Quincy, IL
- Fort Leonard Wood Literacy Festival Waynesville, MO
- Sikeston Cotton Festival Sikeston. MO
- Northern Appalachian Storytelling Festival Mansfield, PA
- Chillicothe Chautauqua Chillicothe, MO
- Raintree Arts Council’s River Lore Intergenerational Project Elsberry, Louisiana and Winfield Missouri Schools
- Women’s Center of Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
- Salt River Folklife Festival Florida, MO
- Nebraska Storytelling Festival Omaha, NE
- Sioux Falls Storytelling Festival Sioux Falls, SD
- Old Courthouse Heritage Museum Sioux Falls, SD
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Conference Washington, DC May
- Mineral Area College Park Hills, MO
- Culver Stockton College Canton, MO
- Regional storyteller at numerous festivals
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS AS A FEATURED TELLER
- Big Muddy Folk Festival Boonville, MO
- Ironworld Button Box & Quilt Festival Minnesota
- Small Farm/Nutrition Conference Cahoka, MO
- New Salem Storytelling Festival (twice) St. Petersburgh, IL
- Vermont College Writer’s Conference Montpelier, Vt
- Storytellers’ Yagbe Milwaukee, WI
- Suncoast Writer’s Conference St.Petersburg, FL
- St. Louis Storytelling Festival (twice) St. Louis, MO
- NABS Festival Kansas City, MO
- Trails West St. Joseph, MO
- PBS St. Louis
- PBS Springfield, IL
- CSPAN (for portrayal of Mrs. Dred Scott during the Quincy, IL enactment of the Lincoln Douglas debates)
REGIONAL TELLER HIGHLIGHTS
- National Storytelling Network Annual Conference Kansas City, MO
- National Storytelling Festival Exchange Place Jonesborough, TN
- National Storytelling Network Featured teller Jonesborough, TN
- International Storyteller in Residence Jonesbourough, TN
- St Louis Storytelling Festival
- Maple Woods Community College Storytelling Festival
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHT
- Traveling as an Education & Storytelling Delegate to the People’s Republic of China with members of the National Storytelling Network 1997 (Bejing. Gaochung City, Shanghai. Gung Vllage)
- Telling Stories at Shaanxi Normal University Xi’An, China
AWARDS
- “Distinguished Literary Achievement Award” from the Governor’s Humanities Council for my book, Stories From the Heart, “ Missouri’s African American Heritage.”
- Griot’s Award from the Black History Museum in St. Louis
- “Individual Artist of the Year Award” from the Missouri Arts Council
- Scholarship recipient to Southern Arts Federation Conference for Professional Development Training
- Oral Histories Project Grant through MAC/MFP administered by Clarksville, MO’s Raintree Arts Council
- Missouri Historical Society Research Grant (Brownlee Fund)
- MFP/MAC.MFS Storytelling in MO grant
- MO Master Folk Artist in the area of Storytelling
- National Association of Black Storytellers Life Member
- HONORARY DOCTORATES DEGREE from The University of Missouri in May of 2015
- Project Grants (as Executive Director of FGAC/Hannibal)
- Making A Difference Award (St. Louis Continental Society)
- Outstanding Leadership Award (Phi Theta Kappa)
- Outstanding Student of the Year
- Full Career Scholarship to Washington University, St. Louis
EDUCATION
- Honorary Doctorate Degree from The University of Missouri in May of 2015
- Master Degree in Education (M.Ed.) University of Missouri, St. Louis
- Bachelor Degree in Psychology Washington University, St. Louis
- Certificate with honors in Journalism Washington University, City
- Associate Degree in General Education St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATES
- Excellence In Teaching University of Missouri/Columbia
- Fundamentals of Arts Management Missouri Arts Council
- Conflict Resolution Training Certificate (Martin Luther King Center)
- Outstanding photography (President’s Choice) St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
- Student of the year (St. Louis Community College at Forest Park)