Speaker hopes students will 'gain a lot' from Tuesday's LCS

The Lecture-Concert Series will host "Overcoming Adversity and Discovering Your Best True Self" by Maxine "Precious" Ballard at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Union Auditorium.

"I am both excited and humbled to be asked to speak at Arkansas State," Ballard said.

Ballard is the sister of Florence Ballard, the founding member of the musical group The Supremes.

She is also the author of a book about her sister's life, "The True Story of Florence Ballard."

Her lecture will focus on her life story, featuring main points about overcoming a family legacy of alcoholism, resilience from poverty, the impact of domestic violence, finding your purpose and your passion, and setting and achieving goals.

"Certainly this year in Honors the theme is 'the power of story,' and we are always looking for people willing to share their story," Gil Fowler, associate dean for the Honors College, said.

He also explained speakers for the Lecture-Concert Series are selected because they are people "to identify with and learn from."

Lillie Fears, associate professor of journalism, was instrumental in bringing Ballard to ASU.

She said she is excited about the lecture for a variety of reasons.

"To know firsthand why her sister died is a story that can benefit a lot of people," Fears said.

Florence Ballard was an entertainer, but the lecture will emphasize other aspects of her life.

"We oftentimes only see the brighter or exciting time of life and don't realize that everyone has problems, concerns and tribulations," Fowler said.

Being a teacher is a significant part of Ballard's life and she will be visiting ASU classes in addition to her lecture.

"I became a teacher not just to teach. I wanted to touch somebody's life in a special way, to lift their self-esteem, and inspire them to go all the way to the top," Ballard said. "I recently ran into a student of mine from 1998 who brought tears to my eyes when she stated, 'I made it because you didn't give up on me.' I hope that one day this will be my legacy, that I never gave up on anybody."

Ballard hopes students gain a lot from attending her lecture.

"I would encourage students to attend my presentation because, as a college graduate myself, I feel that I can communicate to them on many different levels, both professional as well as personal, leading to accomplishing their highest goal possible," Ballard said.