(01/22/2025) Kate Gladdin, one of Australia’s Top 100 Women of Influence, visited with students at Sandburg Regional High School and Coon Rapids High School January 16 and 17 to share her inspiring message on teen resiliency. 

Gladdin is a Youth Resilience Expert and International Motivational Speaker and has spoken to over 200,000 teens about building resilience to overcome adversity. She teaches students the power of “response-ability” which is the ability to choose a response to any situation based on your perspective.

“Kate Gladdin’s presentation on coping with loss and being resilient in the face of adversity was powerful and resonated with many students,” said Joe Millard, assistant principal at Sandburg Regional. “After her presentation, several students waited to meet her to thank her, as her messages and advice were extremely relevant to the hardships they were experiencing. Part of our identity as an alternative learning center is adapting to difficult circumstances and situations, so Ms. Gladdin's presentation was perfect for our school.” 

Her speaking engagement helps students recognize the impact of negative thoughts and self-talk; understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings and reactions; use a simple 3-step strategy to quickly change unhelpful thought; identify sneaky negative beliefs and transform them; and develop a growth mindset during times of adversity. Learn more about Kate Gladdin. 

This opportunity was sponsored and made possible through a partnership with Thumbs Up, a non-profit organization that embraces all those who are struggling and breaking the stigma around mental health.