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This week, I had the incredible priviledge of speaking at Saint Joseph's University to three hundred college kids getting ready to spend their spring break in the Appalachian Mountains. The students will venture into one of ten towns in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia as part of an immersion program, where they get to lend a helping hand and experience life in these rural communities. As it turns out, one of the newest sites for this year's service project is my hometown: Pulaski, Virginia.

So when SJU asked me to come speak about growing up in Appalachia, I turned to my photos, letters from home, and a few good reads for inspiration. Ultimately, I came away with four major topics: mountains, hometown, family, and mission. Each holds a special place in my heart...

• Mountains: environment defines Virginia. The mountains and rivers influence everything in our state, from train routes and farming to folk art and bluegrass music.
• Hometown: community defines Pulaski. While not a mining town, Pulaski shares an important part in the history of coal that still impacts school, church, recreation, and neighborhood life.
• Family: values define the Booker Family. I am who I am today because of Mom, Dad, and my brother David!
• Mission: service defines me. From rural Virginia to Camden, NJ, New York City, and Nicaragua, I'm passionate about walking alongside people in need (and you should be too!).

I wanted to provide my slides and notes, especially for my friends at SJU, so you can enjoy the photos and stories I shared in my presentation.

Download the slides (14mb PDF)

Thanks to Matt, Mary, Jeff, and everyone at St. Joe's for welcoming me into your community. Can't wait to hear about the Appalachian experience this year! Thanks to Cheri, Pam, and Kathy for helping me prepare for the talk. And special thanks to Mom for helping me track down some old photos.