It's Almost Here

Marlee Matlin received worldwide critical acclaim for her film debut in Paramount Pictures’ Children of a Lesser God, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Actress. At 21, she became the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar and only one of four actresses to receive the honor for her film debut. And in 2022, her Apple TV+ film CODA swept every category it was nominated in at the 2022 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In 2021, Marlee was nominated once again as Executive Producer for the Live Action Short, Feeling Through.

Marlee has also starred in numerous television projects, including Seinfeld, The West Wing, Law and Order SVU, The L Word, Switched At Birth, The Magicians and Quantico, garnering four Emmy nominations along the way. In 2022, Marlee made her first foray into directing, being the first network television director who is Deaf for the Fox TV anthology drama, Accused.

In addition to her film, TV and stage work, Marlee broke barriers when she starred on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and in 2012, Marlee released her first app, appropriately titled Marlee Signs, teaching American Sign Language to millions of smart phone users. She has also penned three novels for children, as well as her New York Times best-selling autobiography, I’ll Scream Later.

In 1994, Marlee was appointed by President Clinton to the Corporation for National Service and in 2010, Marlee joined President Barack Obama at the White House in ceremonies celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In June 2022, Marlee was elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, representing the Actors Branch.

Despite the odds, Marlee’s journey is an inspiration to everyone, regardless of the barriers they face and she has refused to let the naysayers get in the way of her dreams of success. As she so aptly stated, “The only thing I can’t do is hear. The rest is there for the taking.”

NASA engineer José M. Hernández wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American had been chosen to travel into space. "I was hoeing a row of sugar beets in a field near Stockton, Calif., and I heard on my transistor radio that Franklin Chang-Diaz had been selected for the Astronaut Corps," says Hernandez, who was a senior in high school at the time. "I was already interested in science and engineering," Hernandez remembers, "but that was the moment I said, 'I want to fly in space.' And that's something I've been striving for each day since then." And now that hard work has paid off. He was selected to begin training as a mission specialist as part of the 2004 astronaut candidate class.

One of four children in a migrant farming family from Mexico, Hernandez -- who didn't learn English until he was 12 years old -- spent much of his childhood on what he calls "the California circuit," traveling with his family from Mexico to southern California each March, then working northward to the Stockton area by November, picking strawberries and cucumbers at farms along the route. Then they would return to Mexico for Christmas, and start the cycle all over again come spring

"Some kids might think it would be fun to travel like that," Hernandez laughs, "but we had to work. It wasn't a vacation."

After graduating high school in Stockton, Hernandez enrolled at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and was awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara, where he continued his engineering studies. In 1987, he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he had worked as a co-op in college.

While at Lawrence Livermore, Hernandez worked on signal and image processing applications in radar imaging, computed tomography, and acoustic imaging. Later in his career, Hernandez worked on developing quantitative x-ray film imaging analysis techniques for the x-ray laser program. Hernandez applied these techniques in the medical physics arena and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. This system has proven useful for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage than present film/screen mammography techniques. Hernandez has won recognition awards for his work on this project. He has also worked in the international arena where he represented Lawrence Livermore and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues.

During the astronaut application process, Hernandez had to meet with a review board. That's where he came face-to-face with his original inspiration: Franklin Chang-Diaz.

"It was a strange place to find myself, being evaluated by the person who gave me the motivation to get there in the first place," Hernandez says. "But I found that we actually had common experiences -- a similar upbringing, the same language issues. That built up my confidence. Any barriers that existed, he had already hurdled them."

Hernandez smiles. "Now it's my turn!

Tara Roberts spent the last seven years following, diving with, and telling stories about Black scuba divers as they search for and help document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “null” and featured in the March 2022 issue of National Geographic magazine. Tara became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of the magazine. That same year, she was also named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Currently, Tara is an Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society. Her book “Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging” hit stands in January 2025.
Tara is also a former magazine editor and indie publisher, a nonprofit communications director and editor of several non-fiction books for girls. 
She calls Atlanta home but loves to hit the road ... Her motto is - have suitcase, will travel.

Jessica Soho is the most celebrated and most-awarded Filipino broadcast journalist in the Philippines.  Born on March 27,1964 and proudly Ilocano, she has forged an indelible legacy in the field of journalism.

Celebrating her 40th year in the Philippine broadcast industry, Soho has built a remarkable career marked by unparalleled achievements and widespread recognition both nationally and internationally. She made history as the first Filipino to win the esteemed GeorgeFoster Peabody Award, and is a two-time recipient—first in 1999 for her documentaries Kamao and Kidneys for Sale, and again in 2014 for her in- depth coverage of the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban.

She also became the first Filipino to be nominated for—and to win at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, and has been inducted into the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards Hall of Fame, having been named “Most Trusted TV Host for News and Current Affairs” for 13 consecutive years.

Soho holds the distinction of being the first alumna of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication to receive the prestigious Gawad Plaridel Award for Journalism.

A highly recognizable figure on Philippine television, Soho began her journalism career  in 1988 as a news reporter. She rose to become the First Vice President for News Programs at GMA News, playing a pivotal role in elevating the network to its position as the Philippines’ most trusted and dominant news organization, until her retirement in GMA News in 2014.

Known for her compelling storytelling and steadfast commitment to journalistic integrity, Soho continues to be a defining voice in Philippine media. She currently hosts Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho - GMA Network’s highest-rated, most-awarded, and the Philippines' No. 1 television show in 2024.

Her body of work spans investigative reporting, human interest features, and coverage of landmark events. With empathy, insight, and an unwavering dedication to  truth, Jessica Soho remains a pillar of credibility and excellence in journalism.

Steve Young is a former NFL quarterback best known for his time with the San Francisco 49ers, where he earned three Super Bowl titles and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXIX. He was a 7-time Pro-Bowl selection, 2-time NFL league MVP, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Steve’s #8 jersey was retired by both the 49ers and the BYU Cougars and he remains one of the most celebrated figures in football history.

Beyond the field, Young is an accomplished author, broadcaster, and businessman. His book, The Law of Love, offers a heartfelt exploration of how unconditional love can transform relationships and communities. He is passionate about philanthropy through his Forever Young Foundation and is active in business as managing partner of HGGC.

Young and his wife, Barbara, are the proud parents of four children.

The Gardiner Brothers are five-time World Champion Irish dancers, viral content creators, and keynote performers who have captivated audiences worldwide. With over 8 million followers and 1 billion views on social media, they fuse traditional Irish dance with modern music and creative storytelling, earning recognition from global brands, media outlets, and celebrities.

Through high-energy corporate entertainment, keynote experiences, and brand collaborations, they inspire individuals and businesses to embrace innovation, teamwork, and the power of social media. As former principal dancers with Riverdance and stars of their own touring show, Unleashed, they bring world-class performance and innovation to every stage—both online and in person.

Arthur Antunes Coimbra, znany jako Zico, urodził się 3 marca 1953 roku w Rio de Janeiro w Brazylii. Powszechnie uznawany za jednego z największych piłkarzy wszech czasów, Zico zyskał przydomek „Biały Pelé” dzięki olśniewającym umiejętnościom technicznym, świetnej wizji gry oraz zdolności do zdobywania licznych bramek. Jego kariera jako ofensywnego pomocnika trwała ponad dwie dekady, podczas których stał się symbolem doskonałości i kreatywności w piłce nożnej.

Zico rozpoczął profesjonalną karierę w 1971 roku we Flamengo, gdzie szybko zdobył uznanie. Poprowadził klub do wielu krajowych i międzynarodowych tytułów, w tym Copa Libertadores i Pucharu Interkontynentalnego w 1981 roku. Jego kariera klubowa obejmowała również występy w Udinese we Włoszech oraz w japońskich Kashima Antlers, gdzie zyskał ogromny szacunek i wśród japońskich kibiców został nazwany „Bogiem futbolu”.

Na arenie międzynarodowej Zico reprezentował Brazylię na trzech Mistrzostwach Świata FIFA (1978, 1982 i 1986), strzelając 48 goli w 71 meczach, co czyni go piątym najlepszym strzelcem w historii reprezentacji Brazylii. Choć Brazylia nie zdobyła wówczas tytułu mistrza świata, drużyna, którą prowadził w 1982 roku, nadal uważana jest za jedną z najbardziej kultowych w historii futbolu.

Znany ze swoich mistrzowskich rzutów wolnych, Zico zdobył ponad 100 goli z bezpośrednich stałych fragmentów gry, z czego 62 w oficjalnych meczach. Jego precyzja i siła w strzałach pozostają niezrównane, przez co często wymieniany jest w gronie najlepszych specjalistów od rzutów wolnych w historii futbolu.

Po zakończeniu kariery zawodniczej w 1994 roku, Zico został trenerem i menedżerem piłkarskim. Prowadził reprezentację Japonii, doprowadzając ją do zwycięstwa w Pucharze Azji w 2004 roku oraz do dobrych występów na Mistrzostwach Świata FIFA w 2006 roku. Jako menedżer pracował również w takich klubach jak Fenerbahçe, CSKA Moskwa, Olympiakos czy drużyna Iraku.

W ostatnich latach Zico pozostaje aktywny w świecie piłki nożnej jako doradca techniczny Kashima Antlers oraz globalny ambasador tego sportu. Odegrał również kluczową rolę w rozwoju piłki plażowej w Brazylii w latach 90., pomagając sformalizować ten sport i inspirować nowe pokolenie zawodników.

Dziedzictwo Zico definiują nie tylko jego osiągnięcia sportowe, ale także pokora, sportowa postawa i trwały wpływ na społeczność piłkarską na całym świecie. Jego historia pozostaje źródłem inspiracji dla młodych sportowców i kibiców w każdym zakątku globu.

Stephen T. Rockwood is the president and CEO of FamilySearch International, a global nonprofit sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to joining FamilySearch, Rockwood specialized in creating unique service offerings for worldwide customers of such brands as MasterCard International, AT&T, Disney, Office Depot, and Citibank among others. He also started two companies that were later acquired by larger companies. Most recently Steve served as director of the international division at FamilySearch.