Are you living up to your responsibility to make a difference? Once terrified of public speaking, Virginia Walden Ford is now a leading advocate for expanding educational opportunities for American students and the subject of the feature film “Miss Virginia,” available on Netflix. She joins the show to talk about accepting, and eventually embracing, the call on her life to change educational outcomes for her own son -- and for other children. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com. MORE ABOUT VIRGINIA WALDEN FORD Virginia Walden Ford is one of America’s leading advocates for parent empowerment. As a student, a mother, an advocate, and a grandmother, Virginia has spent her lifetime fighting to create new educational opportunities for children and families. Virginia Walden Ford is best known for the feature film Miss Virginia, of which she is the subject. The starring role was played by Emmy-award winner Uzo Aduba, and other stars include Matthew Modine, Vanessa WIlliams and Amirah Vann.  While she was raising her three children in Washington, D.C., Virginia was shocked that so many children were forced to attend failing, crumbling schools simply because they lived in the “wrong” ZIP codes. In fact, she worried that her own son, William, was falling through the cracks of a system that wasn’t focused on the best interests of children. In 1998, she took action, forming a grassroots organization, D.C. Parents for School Choice. In 2003, with the support of national education organizations and lawmakers, Virginia and her courageous group of parent advocates succeeded in enacting the nation’s first-ever Opportunity Scholarship Program for low-income children, a program that set into motion a complete overhaul of Washington, D.C.’s education system. This program provides scholarships for low-income children to attend private schools. Thousands of students have received Opportunity Scholarships, and the program boasts a 91% high school graduation rate. Virginia shared her advice and experiences in her book, Voices, Choices, and Second Chances. Her second book, School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, was published in 2019. Episode Topics and Mentions Miss Virginia, feature film Uzo Aduba Matthew Modine Fear of public speaking Parent empowerment School choice D.C. Parents for School Choice D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program Washington, D.C. Fairfax County Harriet Tubman Little Rock 9 Desegregation Little Rock Central High School National Museum of African American History and Culture The Moving Picture Institute Takeaways Maria Remember that you have a responsibility to make a difference. When you see a need, you need to do something about it. Kelly Find your voice through your stories -- everyone has stories that matter to others. Find them and share them to make an impact. Quote of the Week “You have a responsibility to make a difference.” -- Virginia Walden Ford Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected].