Scorpion Speaker Series
OMO's Scorpion Speaker Series connects the leaders of today with the leaders of tomorrow.
On Fridays, inspiring community members come to Oakland Mills High School to share their life, work, and experiences with students and staff. These presentations and conversations connect people, building appreciation and empathy, and inspiring others. If you see it, you can be it.
Recent Sessions:
Wellness Months
December 8, 2023: Reproductive Health - a thoughtful panel discussion with Reproductive Health Specialists from the Howard County Health Dept. featuring: Samantha Cribbs, and Abby Cobb, BSN/RN (for OMHS students, Media Center)
November 17, 2023: Behavioral Health- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders- a thoughtful panel discussion with Peer Recovery Specialists from the Howard County Health Dept. featuring: Jack Matthews, Scott Sheldon, John McGrath, and Catherine Blessing
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15, 2023: Lucy Reyna of Luminus, a local advocacy organization that assists new Americans, will explain the many, many steps our friends and neighbors take to become citizens.
Earth Month
April 14, 2023: Why Water Matters - a panel of students from OMHS Watershed Stewards will share their mission and provide updates on current projects
April 28, 2023: Greening Up our Schools - CEI and other organizations that are working to integrate environmental programs into schools
Recent Sessions:
Wellness Months
December 8, 2023: Reproductive Health - a thoughtful panel discussion with Reproductive Health Specialists from the Howard County Health Dept. featuring: Samantha Cribbs, and Abby Cobb, BSN/RN (for OMHS students, Media Center)
November 17, 2023: Behavioral Health- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders- a thoughtful panel discussion with Peer Recovery Specialists from the Howard County Health Dept. featuring: Jack Matthews, Scott Sheldon, John McGrath, and Catherine Blessing
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15, 2023: Lucy Reyna of Luminus, a local advocacy organization that assists new Americans, will explain the many, many steps our friends and neighbors take to become citizens.
Earth Month
April 14, 2023: Why Water Matters - a panel of students from OMHS Watershed Stewards will share their mission and provide updates on current projects
April 28, 2023: Greening Up our Schools - CEI and other organizations that are working to integrate environmental programs into schools
Want to volunteer as a speaker? Email us!
Volunteers Needed for the 2023-2024 School Year!
The Scorpion Speaker Series gives community members a chance to talk about their lives, their work, and their identities in small group settings where students are encouraged to be curious and ask questions. By sharing their lived experiences, community members, neighbors, and fellow students may inspire a student to explore a certain career or leadership role for themselves that they had never considered. If you see it, you can be it.
These sessions center around a monthly theme such as Mental Health Awareness, Unexpected Careers, and Black History Month. Want to volunteer for the 2023-2024 school year?
Volunteers Needed for the 2023-2024 School Year!
The Scorpion Speaker Series gives community members a chance to talk about their lives, their work, and their identities in small group settings where students are encouraged to be curious and ask questions. By sharing their lived experiences, community members, neighbors, and fellow students may inspire a student to explore a certain career or leadership role for themselves that they had never considered. If you see it, you can be it.
These sessions center around a monthly theme such as Mental Health Awareness, Unexpected Careers, and Black History Month. Want to volunteer for the 2023-2024 school year?
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We KNOW we can learn from one another.
We KNOW we can grow from each other's stories. We KNOW we all can be leaders by offering our gifts and talents. |
Monthly themes:
September - Hispanic Heritage October - Homecoming and Local History November - Wellness (whole self and whole community) December - Disabilities Awareness January - Collegiate Life February - Black History March - Women's History April - Earth Month May - Poetry June - Pride Vertical Divider
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Past Sessions
2023
Collegiate Life:
January 6 - Learn about JumpStart/CC classes at HCC - a thoughtful panel discussion about how you can earn college credits while you take high school classes with M. Gittermann, A. Magrin, B. Williams, M. Richardson, and various OMHS students who have taken CC courses.
January 13 - College Athletes, balancing school and sports- a thoughtful panel discussion with former and current college athletes about the challenges and benefits of playing sports while getting a college degree. Featuring: Mark Murray, James LeMon, Jamila Brown, Glenn Hayman, Chris Brewington, Rachel Edoho-Eket, and David Pindell.
Black History Month:
February 10 - Servant Leadership Panel- local leaders will discuss models of leadership and their experiences in Howard County and beyond. Featuring Regina Clay- former HoCo District Manager for Congressman Elijah Cummings, currently External Affairs Manager at CareFirst; Candace Dodson Reed- VP of Government Relations and Community Affairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County; treasurer for newly elected Comptroller Brooke Lierman: Maureen Evans Arthur (OMHS grad!)- Dir of Gov Affairs and Strategic Partnerships HoCo Government: Rich Gibson, HoCo States Attorney
February 17 - Black Scorpions: a reflection of OMHS alumni who have made history with former OMHS History ITL and Alpha Achievers’ founder, Vincent James.
Women's History Month:
March 10 - Making Room for Everyone: a panel of women will discuss the role of trendsetters in historically male-dominated fields. Featuring: Rikki McCoy (US Attorney's Office- Sex Offense and Domestic Violence), Sylvie Schafer (Aerospace Engineer/Software Developer), Ani Auld (Budget Analyst and Native American Advocate)
March 17 - Women’s Representation in Healthcare: The need for women leaders in medicine; research and treatment. Featuring: Dr. Kimberly Turner (OBGYN) and Dr. Jen Hayashi (Geriatric Medicine)
2021-2022
Hispanic Heritage:
September 17- My Hispanic Heritage: Amber Drenner, UnitedWay
October 1- Hispanic Heritage Panel Discussion: Students and Staff reflect on their identities as Hispanic Americans and discuss the immigrant experience
Homecoming and Local History:
October 8- Knowing our History: Former OMHS educator and founder of Alpha Achievers, Vincent James, will share the stories of amazing OMHS students who have made a difference in the world.
October 22- Where are They Now?: Hear from various OMHS Alumni about their journey after graduating from high school.
October 29- A Vision for OMHS- former principal, Frank Eastham, and current principal, Jeff Fink, will share how they were tasked with empowering staff and students after difficult times and what they know is true about the scorpion spirit!
Whole School Wellness:
November 5 - State's Attorney Rich Gibson and Police Lieutenant Ehart explain the Howard County LEAD Program and its purpose of restoring citizens and the community. The goal of the LEAD program is to improve public health and public safety by reducing future harm and criminal behavior caused by individuals engaged in crimes related to unmet behavioral health needs. Learn more about the LEAD Program
November 12 - Teen Mental Health Corrine Heilinger, LCPC, and Barbie Lewis-Johnson, LCSW-C, will share insights from their practices working with stressed-out teens and will demonstrate ways to stay grounded and calm when life gets messy.
Disability Awareness Month (ASL, ALS, AFB):
December 10 - American Sign Language expert (and OMO administrator) Jessie Patterson and other members of the deaf community will talk about life with cochlear implants, signing, and lip reading as they navigate a hearing world
December 17- POSTPONED due to COVID - Jenn Lavanish, Artist and OMHS parent, and others will share their experiences as people who are legally blind
Black History Month:
February 18 - John Milton Wesley returns to the Speaker Series to share stories from his life including his personal connection to the Emmett Till case and his life as a musician, author, and activist. He's the former Housing Discrimination Investigator for HC's Office of Human Rights and currently works in the Office of Equity and Civil Rights.
Women's History Month:
March 11 - Unique Careers: featuring Diana Vogel, Zookeeper at National Zoo, and Antonia Watts, former Crash and Safety Engineer and current HCPSS Board of Ed member
March 18 - Women Making History by Leading with Love: Charmaine Heard will profile bell hooks, Valarie Kaur, and Katherine Woodward-Thomas
March 25 - Women in Corrections and FBI: featuring Jama Acuff, Director of HoCo Detention Center; Glennor Shirley, former MD Prison Librarian; Kim Howell, FBI Data Analyst; and Special Agent Carleen Emery
National Poetry Month:
Rescheduled to May - Poetry Assembly, Writing Workshop, Poetry Slam
Arab-American and Asian-American History Month:
May 13 - Arab-American Experience Panel Discussion featuring Laila El-Haddad, Palestinian-American cookbook author and journalist; Yassin Daoud, Palestinian-American Ophthalmologist; Eman Abdelmegid; and Assmaa El-Haggan, Egyptian-American educator
May 27 - Asian-American Experience Panel Discussion featuring Jennie Kwon, owner of Blowfish Poke Bowl, and Ying Matties, founder of CARY
Pride Month:
June 10 - Celebrating Pride in 2022 with Byron MacFarlane, Register of Wills and first openly-gay elected official in Howard County
June 10 - Creating Outdoor Spaces (and Celebrating the new OMHS Outdoor Classroom) featuring Amy Brooks, OMHS teacher and Outdoor Classroom organizer; Freddie Striano, OMHS grad and cofounder of Upcycled; Erica Jones and Theresa Taylor of CEI; and other farmers and outdoor enthusiasts
2023
Collegiate Life:
January 6 - Learn about JumpStart/CC classes at HCC - a thoughtful panel discussion about how you can earn college credits while you take high school classes with M. Gittermann, A. Magrin, B. Williams, M. Richardson, and various OMHS students who have taken CC courses.
January 13 - College Athletes, balancing school and sports- a thoughtful panel discussion with former and current college athletes about the challenges and benefits of playing sports while getting a college degree. Featuring: Mark Murray, James LeMon, Jamila Brown, Glenn Hayman, Chris Brewington, Rachel Edoho-Eket, and David Pindell.
Black History Month:
February 10 - Servant Leadership Panel- local leaders will discuss models of leadership and their experiences in Howard County and beyond. Featuring Regina Clay- former HoCo District Manager for Congressman Elijah Cummings, currently External Affairs Manager at CareFirst; Candace Dodson Reed- VP of Government Relations and Community Affairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County; treasurer for newly elected Comptroller Brooke Lierman: Maureen Evans Arthur (OMHS grad!)- Dir of Gov Affairs and Strategic Partnerships HoCo Government: Rich Gibson, HoCo States Attorney
February 17 - Black Scorpions: a reflection of OMHS alumni who have made history with former OMHS History ITL and Alpha Achievers’ founder, Vincent James.
Women's History Month:
March 10 - Making Room for Everyone: a panel of women will discuss the role of trendsetters in historically male-dominated fields. Featuring: Rikki McCoy (US Attorney's Office- Sex Offense and Domestic Violence), Sylvie Schafer (Aerospace Engineer/Software Developer), Ani Auld (Budget Analyst and Native American Advocate)
March 17 - Women’s Representation in Healthcare: The need for women leaders in medicine; research and treatment. Featuring: Dr. Kimberly Turner (OBGYN) and Dr. Jen Hayashi (Geriatric Medicine)
2021-2022
Hispanic Heritage:
September 17- My Hispanic Heritage: Amber Drenner, UnitedWay
October 1- Hispanic Heritage Panel Discussion: Students and Staff reflect on their identities as Hispanic Americans and discuss the immigrant experience
Homecoming and Local History:
October 8- Knowing our History: Former OMHS educator and founder of Alpha Achievers, Vincent James, will share the stories of amazing OMHS students who have made a difference in the world.
October 22- Where are They Now?: Hear from various OMHS Alumni about their journey after graduating from high school.
October 29- A Vision for OMHS- former principal, Frank Eastham, and current principal, Jeff Fink, will share how they were tasked with empowering staff and students after difficult times and what they know is true about the scorpion spirit!
Whole School Wellness:
November 5 - State's Attorney Rich Gibson and Police Lieutenant Ehart explain the Howard County LEAD Program and its purpose of restoring citizens and the community. The goal of the LEAD program is to improve public health and public safety by reducing future harm and criminal behavior caused by individuals engaged in crimes related to unmet behavioral health needs. Learn more about the LEAD Program
November 12 - Teen Mental Health Corrine Heilinger, LCPC, and Barbie Lewis-Johnson, LCSW-C, will share insights from their practices working with stressed-out teens and will demonstrate ways to stay grounded and calm when life gets messy.
Disability Awareness Month (ASL, ALS, AFB):
December 10 - American Sign Language expert (and OMO administrator) Jessie Patterson and other members of the deaf community will talk about life with cochlear implants, signing, and lip reading as they navigate a hearing world
December 17- POSTPONED due to COVID - Jenn Lavanish, Artist and OMHS parent, and others will share their experiences as people who are legally blind
Black History Month:
February 18 - John Milton Wesley returns to the Speaker Series to share stories from his life including his personal connection to the Emmett Till case and his life as a musician, author, and activist. He's the former Housing Discrimination Investigator for HC's Office of Human Rights and currently works in the Office of Equity and Civil Rights.
Women's History Month:
March 11 - Unique Careers: featuring Diana Vogel, Zookeeper at National Zoo, and Antonia Watts, former Crash and Safety Engineer and current HCPSS Board of Ed member
March 18 - Women Making History by Leading with Love: Charmaine Heard will profile bell hooks, Valarie Kaur, and Katherine Woodward-Thomas
March 25 - Women in Corrections and FBI: featuring Jama Acuff, Director of HoCo Detention Center; Glennor Shirley, former MD Prison Librarian; Kim Howell, FBI Data Analyst; and Special Agent Carleen Emery
National Poetry Month:
Rescheduled to May - Poetry Assembly, Writing Workshop, Poetry Slam
Arab-American and Asian-American History Month:
May 13 - Arab-American Experience Panel Discussion featuring Laila El-Haddad, Palestinian-American cookbook author and journalist; Yassin Daoud, Palestinian-American Ophthalmologist; Eman Abdelmegid; and Assmaa El-Haggan, Egyptian-American educator
May 27 - Asian-American Experience Panel Discussion featuring Jennie Kwon, owner of Blowfish Poke Bowl, and Ying Matties, founder of CARY
Pride Month:
June 10 - Celebrating Pride in 2022 with Byron MacFarlane, Register of Wills and first openly-gay elected official in Howard County
June 10 - Creating Outdoor Spaces (and Celebrating the new OMHS Outdoor Classroom) featuring Amy Brooks, OMHS teacher and Outdoor Classroom organizer; Freddie Striano, OMHS grad and cofounder of Upcycled; Erica Jones and Theresa Taylor of CEI; and other farmers and outdoor enthusiasts
History:
In her role as a high school English teacher, Amy first created the Scorpion Speaker Series in 2019 as a way to connect students with leaders in our community. Each Friday, volunteers came to Oakland Mills High School to share their experiences with the students and staff in a "small" group (think 100+ students/staff) space.
The Scorpion Speaker Series was the inspiration for OMO--when school buildings closed on March 13, 2020, Amy wanted to give students a chance to still listen and talk with the amazing community members she had lined up. This led to her connecting to Jessica about how to take SSS online, and make it more accessible to all ages, which then led to the creation of eight sessions a day five days a week. OMO quickly became a place of connection during COVID isolation.
In her role as a high school English teacher, Amy first created the Scorpion Speaker Series in 2019 as a way to connect students with leaders in our community. Each Friday, volunteers came to Oakland Mills High School to share their experiences with the students and staff in a "small" group (think 100+ students/staff) space.
The Scorpion Speaker Series was the inspiration for OMO--when school buildings closed on March 13, 2020, Amy wanted to give students a chance to still listen and talk with the amazing community members she had lined up. This led to her connecting to Jessica about how to take SSS online, and make it more accessible to all ages, which then led to the creation of eight sessions a day five days a week. OMO quickly became a place of connection during COVID isolation.
Session Start times: 10:25, 10:45, 11:15, 11:45
Location: OMHS Media Center
Note: COVID safety protocols have been removed. Community member who would like to attend must check in at the OMHS front office about 10 minutes prior to the session start time.