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GREG FORBES SIEGMAN
ACADEMICS (IMPROVING FOCUS, TIME MANAGEMENT, GRADES) - MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
WEBSITES: Greg's website - The First Thirty website
BOOK SUMMARY: One page synopsis of The First Thirty
BACKGROUND ON CONNECTIONS BETWEEN GREG & ACADEMICS: The First Thirty is based on the true story of Greg Forbes Siegman, the first thirty years of his life and the first thirty things he learned from his successes and failures along the way. Much of the book revolves around his school experience (grade school, middle school, high school and college). As noted on the cover of the book itself, Greg always had difficulty staying focused i-- from numbers and words getting jumbled up in his head to -- literally -- getting so distracted that he walked/ran/crashed into things. To add to his difficulties, he transferred high schools and transferred colleges. At the same time, he was always committed to taking part in athletics and extracurricular activities. Between the difficulties he experienced when trying to focus, the inevitable difficulties that come with transferring schools and moving towns, and his desire to be involved in a wide variety of additional activities, Greg needed to develop skills and techniques to improve his focus and time management if he wanted to succeed academically and make the most of his time outside of class.
The results: In high school, Greg was honored with top GPA in the freshman class and ranked at the top of his class among four year students when he graduated. Along the way, he earned nine varsity letters in three sports, was elected to student government by his peers, appointed to student office by the school administration, served as Editor of the school paper, Editor-in-Chief of the school literary magazine, coached a Little League baseball team, took part in Junior Achievement, volunteered regularly and had a role in the school play. In college, Greg earned an academic record of 37 A's and 1 B. Along the way, he joined a fraternity, played intramural sports, worked out daily, completed an internship on Capitol Hill, volunteered weekly at local schools, established a mentoring program, served on the Graduation Speaker Committee, was elected to student government by his peers and was appointed by the Dean to the position of Chairman of Community Service for the college.
Greg is now invited to speak to students in middle school, high school and college about overcoming struggles and achieving greater success in school (improving focus, time management and study habits) and making the most of one's time outside of class. A variety of schools and programs around the country use The First Thirty (and its companion workbook, A Place To Sit) with their students.
SAMPLE OF RELEVANT MEDIA & HONORS:
= The Washington Post feature story on Greg and Steven Spielberg, their school experiences and how that impacted the rest of their lives= Richard's Award (top GPA in freshman class)= Named to Dean's List & National Dean's List every semester of high school and college= College Bound magazine, Newsweek Kaplan College Guide, The Baltimore Sun, College News magazine among the other publications featuring Greg's story as an example for new students= Other honors include: Education Center Director's Award, Jefferson Award for Public Service, America's Daily Point of Light, CBS Tylenol Hometown Hero, honored by Hasbro as one of 30 real-life America heroes, CBS Tylenol Hometown Hero, Simply Family's Heroes of the Year. Honored at Princeton as one of nation's top social entrepreneurs under 40.= Other media includes: La Raza, USA Today, CBS, NBC, Education Week, Good Morning America, The NonProfit Times, FOX, NPR
EXAMPLE OF RELEVANT SPEECHES & USE OF THE BOOKS:
= Asnuntuck Community College incorporated The First Thirty into their First Year Experience Program, then booked Greg to come speak to them at an event on campus
= Greg serves as Writer-in-Residence at Denver Academy - a private school best known for its emphasis on teaching students with learning differences. In conjunction with the visit, DA incorporated The First Thirty into part of their curriculum and Maggiano's Little Italy sponsored an Art Contest based on the book and its lessons for the students.
= Greg serves as Scholar-in-Residence at Confederation College (Canada). Sessions include speaking with students about time management, focus, study skills. In advance of the visit, CC officials ordered copies of The First Thirty & A Place To Sit for students, staff, donors
= Book and companion workbook incorporated into curriculum of Special Education Reading Class at Middle School in suburban Illinois
= Greg invited to keynote annual Gear Up Site Leaders Conference in New York multiple times
= Invited to lead workshop for students at various Gear Up sites throughout New York
== Greg was invited to speak to First Year students at Columbia University as part of a pre-Orientation panel on Community Service (he could not accept the invite).
= In Connectict, Rockville Bank ordered copies of The First Thirty for 50 students to read during the summer before they started high school. Rockville Bank also sponsored a college scholarship for the winner of an essay contest based on the book for college-bound students.
= Greg keynoted the Life After High School program. In conjunction with the event, they ordered hundreds of copies of The First Thirty and its companion workbook A Place To Sit for the students.
= Sufffield High School, in conjunction with local community website MyTownHall.info, ordered a copy of The First Thirty for every graduate in the class of 2005, to read before they began college.
== In another instance, Greg was brought to Texas to speak to new college students.
== North Community Bank ordered copies of The First Thirty for students who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and had to transfer to another school
= Greg and Nobel Peace Prize Honoree Elie Wiesel were invited to be the two speakers at a Day of Tolerance (Greg spoke during the day, Wiesel spoke in the evening).
= Keynoted Global Fair for high school students in New Hampshire
= A high school in Connecticut used The First Thirty in conjunction with Tuesdays with Morrie.
= Invited to speak at universities like Boston College, GW and University of Connecticut on topic of multiculturalism and diversity.
== Greg keynoted the 66th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet for The University of Chicago Hospitals; organizers ordered hundreds of copies of The First Thirty to give out as thank you gifts for their top volunteers
== Guest lectured Global Social Entrepreneurship Course at Daniels College of Business
== Suffield Rotary Club in CT ordered copies of The First Thirty for local students to learn more about philanthropy.
== Greg (and John Sculley - former CEO of Apple & IBM) spoke at the Valley Business Conference.
== Genesis Mitzvah Fund & Justice Squared in Minnesota ordered hundreds of copies of The First Thirty -- one for each of their teen philanthropists -- and brought Greg to speak to them about social action & philanthropy.
== The NY Giants (NFL) sponsored an essay contest based on the book for high school students in NY.
== In Minnesota, the Vikings (NFL) purchased copies of The First Thirty for local middle school students and sponsored an essay contest based on the book for them
SAMPLE OF FEEDBACK FROM GREG'S SPEECHES
"The speech was...just what I needed. It really was the kick I needed to keep me scholastically focused. Due to the curriculum, this is kind of a soft time in my four years, and the speech really has gotten me to work harder. The book is really great, I'm just over half way through, and I wish I had read it before I started college." - Andy, Princeton University
"Greg is the most interesting not-smart person I've ever heard speak." - Tamara, student, New York
"Greg set the tone for our 'Life after high school' program. His presentation was incredible!! Based on the students' evaluations, they greatly appreciated what he had to say and the fact that he didn't just come to lecture [them]...His visit has inspired our staff to read "The First Thirty" together as a unit so that we can make the St. John's University stronger..." - Yvette Morgan, St. John's Gear Up
"I listened to Greg's speech and loved every minute of it!...I want to be an elementary school teacher and hope to make a difference in children's lives. I like to keep a notebook of all of the things that I want to do in my classroom, and I added a bunch of stuff after his speech." - Amanda, Boston College student
"...We've been reading the book about Greg for my First Year Experience class and the teacher thought it would be great if the class [went to the event]. Almost everything that Greg said connected with me on a personal level...I was meant to be there...." - David B, Student, Asnuntuck Community College
SAMPLE OF REVIEWS OF THE FIRST THIRTY
"A great story of redemption and determination...a virtual case study for First Year Experience programs...a blueprint for new college students." - Amy
Pszczolkowski, Office of the President and First Year Experience professor, Asnuntuck Community College
"For anyone who's been knocked down or told, "you can't do it," The First Thirty is an uplifting read that will make you want to get up, dust yourself off, have a milkshake, and get back to work..." Jarah Euston, Fresno Famous
"...I have been using The First Thirty as a reading text with my 4th grade class. The kids are highly engaged in the story. The vignettes and lessons provide so many jumping off points for thoughtful, critical discussion. I bought each of my kids a copy of the book so that they could make it their own by writing notes in the margins and underlining sentences and phrases that really stood out to them. They have also populated their books with sticky notes filled with questions, connections, evaluations, and analysis... I think this book is a wonderful teaching tool because it addresses so many of the kinds of issues kids face – like teasing, bullying, respect, self-esteem, imagination, friendships, loss, facing challenging situations, overcoming setbacks and obstacles, race/ethnicity and a variety of other important life issues. As I mentioned, my kids love it! The book also provides many opportunities for writing extensions and could easily provide a starting point for social studies related discussions or art projects. The reading level is accessible to my kids, especially with my support, and would be great for kids at the 5th or 6th grade reading levels [and up]..." - Megham, grade school teacher, Illinois
"I am a special educator and I am using "The First Thirty" with my students in my reading class...I am using the workbook with them, too (A Place To Sit). Wow! What a great way to teach these kids about life...Thank you for touching my life and my students." - Bari Levin, Middle School educator, Illinois
"A remarkable story of strength filled with lessons that will take every student through the college years and beyond." - College News
"The First Thirty should be read by any college bound student or anyone with hopes in making a difference. Student's everywhere can easily relate to Greg Siegman's story and sense of humor..." - Natalie, High school student, California
"This should be required reading in business school. It's a case study in how to start small, think big and lead by example." - Bob Middlemas, Executive Vice President, Nordstrom
"...Every teacher should make The First Thirty required reading. It's William Saroyan for the next generation." - Sam Geil, President, Geil Enterprises Inc.
"A dazzling gem...When you finish, you will want your students to read it, too. Its lessons are immensely teachable." - Teacher Information Network
"I personally read 'The First Thirty' earlier this year and was brought to tears on three different occasions. I knew right away that I wanted to try and make it possible for our students and staff to meet Greg. The themes of his story reinforce aspects of our mission like service, leadership and lifelong learning." - Paul Newton, Principal, Enrico Fermi High School (CT)
"Every educator in America should read this story. It reminds me why I became one in the first place." - Amy Ziperstein, Elementary School Teacher, Illinois
For more on the book, go to www.TheFirstThirty.com
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