HECA Conference 2013 Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Stacey Bess

Nobody Don't Love Nobody is the story of young Stacey Bess's first teaching assignment, the only job she could find, at The School with No Name. In a small shed behind a community homeless shelter Stacey Bess taught Kindergarten through sixth grade to children with no homes and little hope, an experience that effected a profound change in the teacher as well as her students. Stacey discovered that by teaching and modeling love, self-worth, personal power, and courage she could reach children who had previously been labeled unteachable. These children have grown into living proof that Stacey's methods work. Her memoir Nobody don't love Nobody inspired the Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie "Beyond the Blackboard."

Stacey’s outstanding service has been recognized with a number of awards on the local, state, and national levels, including the National Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service. She has also enjoyed speaking in many forums around the country as she works to shed light on her quest as a leading advocate for the educational rights of impoverished children.  Below are a few of the awards Ms. Bess has won:

    •    National Jefferson Award, Greatest Public Service By Someone 35 Years or Younger
  The Jefferson Award winner represents the best of what America has to offer in the fields of Public and Community service. 
    •    Dedication To Homeless Youth, Golden Deeds Award
    •    Delta Kappa Gamma Educator's Award  
    •    Rescuer of Humanity, Project Love (Other award recipients included Jimmy Carter)
    •    Distinguished Woman of the Year, American Association of University Women

FEATURED SPEAKERS:  Jim Walker

Mr. Walker earned his BA at UCLA and his MA at UC, Berkeley. He is a retired California public high school teacher, principal and college counselor. He also is a retired independent college counselor and brings over 35 years of counseling experience to the conference.

After 38 years in public education, he and his wife Dorothy formally retired in 1997. They established Walker Walker & Associates, an independent college counseling service that eventually included 7 associates. Before he retired again in 2009, Mr. Walker also was a college applications reader for 10 years in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, UC, Berkeley, and subsequently served as a university representative to local high schools and once to high schools in Beijing, China.

In 2005, in association with the non-profit Gooden College Connection organization, Mr. Walker started the Road to College in the East Bay. He matches volunteer college counselors with 64 inner-city high school juniors and their parents or guardians. The counselors provide 75 minute sessions of intensive and comprehensive college advising, as well as a Handbook and a plan of action.

Mr. Walker was an active member of the Western and National Association of College Admission Counseling, as well as a founding member of the Higher Education Consultants Association.

Mr. Walker now enjoys volunteering as a college counselor for inner-city high school students in Richmond, California. He also loves traveling and spending as much time as he can with his 13 grandchildren. Jim and his wife live in Kensington, California.

In the debate Rumor v. Research, Lynn O'Shaughnessy will share ways that students, parents and consultants can explore schools  both academically and financially.

Cyndy has over twenty years of experience in the college counseling field.  She is a member of several professional organizations, and one of the founders of HECA. Cyndy has extensive professional development experience working as a consultant for Central Valley AVID, providing training to teachers, administrators and counselors in a six county area in central California on college access, equity and financial aid issues.  She has been sought after as a presenter, frequently presenting at the regional and national level.