College Welcomes Motivational Speaker Damon West

September 23, 2020

All are welcome to join a live, virtual event on Thursday, Oct. 1 with Damon West, author of “The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World.” The presentation from noon to 1 p.m. will be shared via Zoom. Visit the Cultural Affairs webpage for access details.

As a teenager, Damon West was the “all-American kid” – a natural born leader, athletic and charming with a stable, loving home. He had other options when his Division I football career was cut short by injury. But he also used illicit drugs trying to bury a memory of childhood sexual abuse. While a young stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland, West got hooked on methamphetamines. He ultimately found himself serving a 65-year prison sentence, where a chance discussion with another inmate sparked a revelation that motivated West to turn his life around. He published his autobiography just three years after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison.

Today, West is a motivational speaker. In addition to his autobiography, he is co-author of the best-seller “The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change” with Jon Gordon. He holds a M.S. degree in Criminal Justice and teaches at the University of Houston (Texas) Downtown.

West’s appearance at Hudson Valley Community College is co-sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Program and Athletics Department. Time will be allotted for Q&A.

More Information

Visit the Cultural Affairs webpage for a full schedule of fall 2020 cultural events.

Please email d.gardner@hvcc.edu for more information.