Jeremy Cowart led a discussion on climbing the ladder of success and why without a heart-engaged vision , emptiness awaits at the top . After reaching the zenith of creative notoriety only a handful of artists achieve , Cowart realized that his true fulfillment had little to do with celebrity or visibility ; true fulfillment came when he unlocked a deep passion for visual storytelling from third-world conflict zones , documenting the hardships of war-ridden cultures and showing the power of survivors in their reach towards peace and reconciliation .
Cyntoia Brown-Long visited CPA to share her story with upper school students- a story of extreme pain and suffering . As a child , Brown-Long was a victim of sexual abuse and human trafficking . After killing one of her many abusers in 2006 , Brown-Long was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder at the age of 16 , despite her self-defense plea . Her time in prison brought unimaginable challenges , some of which she shared with students . Ultimately , Long turned to God , unable to deny His sovereignty even in the midst of her pain and suffering . She was granted clemency in 2019 and now works to raise awareness for cycles of sexual abuse and human trafficking . She also advocates for criminal justice reform , education in prison , and better resources to rehabilitate victims of abuse , in hopes of preventing juvenile crime .
“ Cyntoia , who emerged from the crucible of injustice , works tirelessly to free others from its chains . She showed us how to live fully in a tragic world through her faith , work , and service . Her inspirational story and her unwavering faith reminded us of our unique design and divine purpose ,” says Director ( TICE ) Maria Jernigan .
Scott Harrison shared his transformational shift from running a prime nightclub promotion business in New York City to growing one of the world ’ s biggest clean water initiatives . In a sudden moment of clarity , Harrison realized the desperate need for clean drinking water in communities with very little political agency or access to healthcare . With a little clarity and a lot of passion , his work to create and grow Charity Water took flight , and after his first fundraiser which funded the first three wells , this higher purpose came into sharp focus for Harrison .
“ Students were keenly interested in this presentation , by how just one person with an idea made such a big change towards a global crisis . They saw a real redefinition of what ’ s possible and looked to themselves to ask ‘ what can I do with my own unique skills ?’ - a question central to the TICE mission ,” explained Head of Upper School Brandon Barkley .
The Institute looks ahead to several ventures in the fall of 2022 , including the Woven summer reading program exploring Shannon Sedgwick Davis ’ s To Stop a Warlord : My Story of Justice , Grace , and the Fight for Peace . Woven is an annual communal literacy project , bringing dialogue and cross-curricular scholarship to students , faculty , staff , and families at the same time . Past selections have been The Sun Does Shine ( Hinton ), The Girl Who Smiled Beads ( Wamariya ), This Mortal Coil ( Suvada ), Hamilton ( Miranda ), Shoe Dog ( Knight ), Belonging ( Krug ), and Just Mercy ( Stevenson ).
Shannon Sedgwick Davis will be the first Sojourn speaker of the year this fall , engaging students in deeper discussions from her book . In September , TICE will launch its Community Development platform with The Summit . This event will begin with an address from keynote speaker Joey Lankford , Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Cul2vate . Thereafter , students are invited to a Community Engagement Fair . This event will connect them to various non-profit organizations in Nashville and beyond , helping them learn about the individuals these organizations serve , and discover how to get involved . Students will select four organizations they are interested in learning more about and will attend breakout sessions with those groups .
The trajectory of TICE at CPA Upper School is exciting , and the vibrant network of the signature program is growing rapidly .
“ Our students are on a journey to co-create with the Lord , to discover who He designed them to be , so that they can invest in others and use their gifts to love people , places , and things to life . At CPA you can follow your curiosity down a developmental learning pathway where you will discover who you want to become and how you want to engage the world ,” says Jernigan .
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