Inspirational Speaker to Address Students on 10/30
Thomas E. Smith to share his experiences with overcoming adversity
In 2008, one month after graduating from a New England prep school and signing a Junior A hockey contract, Thomas E. Smith suffered a spinal injury and a brain injury in a hockey accident. He underwent eight months of rehabilitation and was able to recover from paralysis. The next year, after being cleared to play hockey again, Smith injured a different part of his spine in another hockey accident, and he was able to recover a second time. He was then in a car accident the next year and injured his back a third time.
On his website, Smith writes, "I was at a crossroads and didn’t know if I wanted to live or die. However, one thing was certain; if I was going to choose to live, I would be forced to find my purpose and face my challenges head on."
Smith will share his remarkable story with Vermont Academy's students, faculty, and staff on Monday, October 30, at Community Meeting. He will share the strategies he has used to overcome adversity and find his purpose in life.
To learn more about Smith's story, watch this video, narrated by NBC's Bob Costas.
On his website, Smith writes, "I was at a crossroads and didn’t know if I wanted to live or die. However, one thing was certain; if I was going to choose to live, I would be forced to find my purpose and face my challenges head on."
Smith will share his remarkable story with Vermont Academy's students, faculty, and staff on Monday, October 30, at Community Meeting. He will share the strategies he has used to overcome adversity and find his purpose in life.
To learn more about Smith's story, watch this video, narrated by NBC's Bob Costas.
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.
