Blog
Guest Speaker series 2021-2022
- September 13, 2021
- Posted by:
- Category: Activities and Events Alumni Community News
Olney Friends School is delighted to announce the next two virtual guests in our 2021-2022 Guest Speaker Series.
Friday, September 24, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT:
Olney alumna Alix Generous ’10 will speak on “Neurodiversity, Overcoming Adversity, and Contributing to this World.”
Friday, October 8, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT:
Mental health expert Lian Zeitz will speak on “Mental Health and Our Shared Humanity.”
See below for bios of these exciting speakers.
To attend one of these Zoom presentations:
- Follow the link in your invitation email. We send one a week in advance, and another on the morning of the event; OR
- Request an invitation by emailing [email protected].
Alix Generous ’10: Neurodiversity, Overcoming Adversity, and Contributing to this World
Friday, September 24, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT
Alix Generous (photo featured above) is an activist, writer, entrepreneur, aspiring child psychologist, story-teller, and artist. Her TED talk “My inner life” has received over 1.9 million views and she has spoken around the world on her life experiences. She takes on projects that increase awareness and acceptance of those with mental differences advocating for non-violence, sustainability, and equality.
She grew up in Potomac, MD & Santa Fe, NM, graduating from Olney Friends School in 2010 and from the College of Charleston & University of Vermont in 2016. She lives in Los Angeles and is a graduate student at Pepperdine University studying to become a psychologist.
Lian Zeitz: Mental Health and Our Shared Humanity
Friday Oct. 8, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT
Lian Zeitz is a global mental health and well-being expert working to make sure all people are supported with love and dignity. Lian has worked with therapeutic programs for struggling youth in 15 states in the US to identify pathways for young people to play a greater role in their own care and the development of mental health programs. He has also worked internationally on areas such as suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse in Bhutan, Indonesia, and Zambia. He was previously the Global Director of Love and Compassion for citiesRISE, a global platform working to transform mental health policy and practice in cities across the world. In this role Lian supported the design and scale-up of mental health programs across 5 international cities and built a network of youth leaders.
Lian earned a B.A. from Quest University Canada, where he focused on public mental health and literature, and a certificate for Leadership in Mental Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Lian currently serves on a number of international boards and advisory groups while completing a Master of Divinity at Naropa University, studying contemplative wisdom, bioethics, youth mental health, and community healing.