Vince Oghobaase is a 2005 Watkins Award Honoree who attended, played football, and graduated from Duke University.  He had an opportunity to play in the UFL and NFL.  Vince realized his true passion was coaching and has blazed a trail coaching in college and the NFL.  The excitement that follows Vince is truly magical and only will lead to a promising career as a head football coach.    

JESSICA TEIXEIRA and SHAUNA MUHONEN

FORGED

Jessica and Shauna forged the perfect friendship!  Both singers since childhood, they came together with complimentary skills and preferences.  Jess prefers singing melody while Shauna prefers singing harmony.  Jess sings high and Shauna sings low.  They have a love of harmony that is shown in the songs that they write.  They have pursued careers in country music as they love the storytelling aspect of the genre.  In 3 ½ minutes of a country song you can listen to a lifetime, hear someone’s whole heart, or go on an adventure!  Jess and Shauna have started pitching their original music to Nashville labels, and hope to someday hear their songs sung by other talented artists in the industry.

A little about Shauna:  She is the mother of 6, is self-taught in mandolin and piano.  Shauna has fond memories of learning how to sing harmony as a child sitting at the feet of her mother.  Shauna has spent many years singing in various capacities for women’s groups, churches, fundraisers, etc.  Shauna created and runs a woman’s ministry as well.  Shauna is living the country lifestyle too she has horses and her husband even competes in Hunter/Jumper shows.

A little about Jess:  She is the mother of 4, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, and her husband owns a pizza and sub shop that’s attached to their home.  Jess has spent many years singing in various competitions, churches, fundraisers, etc.  Jess even won the title as “college idol” in a spin off competition of American Idol at her alma mater.  

Forged has grown over the years from a duo to a full band.  The band has grown to include Matt Johndrow (drums/writer), Mike Pistone (guitar/bass/keys/sound engineer/writer), and Rob Murphy (bass/sweet dance skills).  The band has 2 new songs in studio that will be ready to release soon.  The new songs are from both ends of the country spectrum.  One is the type of song you’d listen to on someone’s front porch (with a banjo of course) while the other is more of a fast paced rockin’ empowered song.  Stay tuned!

MELANIE GIBSON

Melanie Gibson began taekwondo training at age ten. At age twelve she stopped taekwondo to pursue other interests, and resumed training in her early thirties.

Although Melanie had academic and career achievements throughout her life, she struggled with mental illness and low self-esteem. After making some progress through psychiatric treatment and counseling, she knew she needed to do something more substantial to make lasting changes. Returning to taekwondo had always been in the back of her mind, and the timing was right. 

Taekwondo proved to be not only an opportunity to re-learn a beloved skill from her childhood, but also a means to build her self-esteem and confidence, and heal from old wounds. It brought a needed excitement and purpose to her life, which she shares in her blog Little Black Belt (http://littleblackbelt.com). While continuing to work at her full-time job, Melanie dedicated herself to taekwondo training and earned her first degree black belt in 2015. In 2017, she earned her second degree black belt. Although a pandemic and knee injury sidelined her training in 2020, Melanie plans to return to taekwondo and test for her third degree black belt. 

She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Texas Woman’s University, a Master of Library Science from the University of North Texas, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. Melanie has worked in the healthcare industry since 2004, with roles as a hospital librarian, corporate trainer, and learning designer. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Melanie Gibson was an independent woman with a good job, multiple college degrees, and a condo in the trendy part of Fort Worth. She also had a few mental illnesses, a minor substance abuse problem, and rotten relationship skills. She was nearing a total mental breakdown and needed a good kick in the pants, literally and metaphorically. 

As a last desperate means to save her sanity, Melanie turned to a nearly forgotten childhood activity: the Korean martial art of taekwondo. To her surprise and delight, she discovered her childhood taekwondo instructors’ Grandmaster operated a taekwondo school a few miles from her home. She restarted her training as a white belt and quickly learned that taekwondo had much more to offer than just learning how to kick and punch.

In taekwondo, Melanie felt like she had a fresh start in more ways than one. She found an inner peace she’d never known before, a sense of community, a newfound confidence, healthy relationship stability, and a positive outlook on life. The kicking and screaming she was doing in class quieted the long-suffering kicking and screaming in her mind. Funny and frank, Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts  is the story of Melanie’s life-changing journey from troubled, lost soul to confident taekwondo black belt.

LISA MCCOURT

Lisa McCourt has taught joy—in all its many flavors—for over two decades to thousands of learners. In addition to operating Joy School, Lisa is a bestselling author and ghostwriter specializing in the field of joy and personal transformation. Under her own name, her books have sold over 8.5 million copies, earned over 9,000 glowing Amazon reviews, been featured on Lifetime TV, CNN, and PBS, won publishing awards, and been translated into 11 languages. Along with writing I Love You, Stinky Face, the perennial bestseller that Publisher’s Weekly called a “modern classic,” Lisa has collaborated with industry leaders such as Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and James Van Praagh, and has also been the silent ghostwriter for many other prominent thought-leaders, from New York Times bestselling authors to Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Hollywood stars.

Her joyful clients have appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, Saturday Night Live, The Dr. Oz Show, ABC’s 20/20, The View, The TODAY Show, Dr. Phil, The Doctors, and The Nancy Grace Show. Lisa has shared her joy trainings on stages around the world, and now delivers her vibe-skyrocketing program primarily through her popular online, small-group coaching Circles. A former CBS Radio host and a frequent speaker at spiritual and self-growth events, she brings her passion and unique blend of skillsets to an eclectic career path that is ever mysteriously unfolding, just the way she likes it. With open arms, she welcomes you to Joy School

Joy School is a unique online space where you can learn, relax, and unfold into your greatness while being seen, heard, and honored as the perfectly imperfect creature you are. These are strange days. Our commitment to staying centered, loving, and peaceful is being challenged at every turn. Joy School is dedicated to providing support and training for not only surviving these challenging times but transmuting them into fuel for exhilarating expansion and positive transformation. You’re invited to experience your own brilliant, unique and shining self with us—through private trainings, group-coaching Circles, and interactive conversations with some of the world’s top transformational superstars. Wherever you are in the world, you can experience all this online from the comfort of your cozy home. 

Joy School Circle is the heart and soul of Joy School. This popular, online group-coaching program provides personal, transformative training in a small group setting. You may not realize it, but you have a setpoint for joy. We all do. Whatever your past or current circumstances may be, there is a level of joy that—when you get close to it—begins to feel uncomfortable to you, so you subconsciously shut it down. Joy School Circles are designed to permanently recalibrate your setpoint for joy.

VANESSA RACCI

Growing up with her Barese (Southern Italian) grandfather in New York, Vanessa learned Italian American classics at an early age.

She developed as a singer in musical theater, discovered her love for jazz in her early 20’s and started performing with a trio. After her grandfather passed away, Vanessa was inspired to reinvent the Italian American classics that he taught her with modern jazz arrangements. Her mission; to keep the music alive for future generations, and in turn, her grandfather’s memory. She teamed up with Gianni Valenti of Birdland Jazz Club, NYC, producer, David Finck, and Manhattan Transfer arranger, Yaron Gershovsky, to realize her vision.

The result was a sold-out album release show at Birdland in June, 2017 and a unique album entitled, Italiana Fresca, that reached #65 on the jazz charts. Since then, she has performed at over 70 Italian festivals, events and jazz clubs across the country and has been played on over 20 Italian radio stations across the US and Italy.

For her next project, she was inspired to pay homage to Italian American influence on jazz music after a performance in New Orleans and from learning of her relation to the late jazz guitarist, Tony Mottola. She debuted a new show, Jazzy Italian, on October 13th, 2019, at Birdland, to another sold out audience, to celebrate Italian American heritage month. She is scheduled to record this show and release as a new album in 2021.

“I love what she did with my father’s songs” – Deana Martin (Dean Martin’s Daughter)

“Racci gives [the songs] imaginative jazz vocal makeovers” –  NYC Jazz Record

“A full plate of Neapolitan flavors” – Jazz Weekly

“The Mob-Hits compilation for Hipsters” – Midwest Record

“She has taken songs treasured for generations and completely redefined them” – Jane Monheit, Jazz Sensation

“Vanessa Racci is one of the most talented performers I have ever met. Her shows are first class and her reinvention and choice of songs are unique.” – Angelo Venuto, Italian Pop Sensation

“A gracious presence on the stage and beautifully dressed as for a 1950s cocktail party, Vanessa Racci traced the contributions of Italian-Americans to jazz, a much more extensive history than a casual observer might think. She brings along a lovely voice, a fine sense of rhythm, a gracefulness evidenced in her dancing across the stage and a genuine appreciation of the music and her musicians.”  – Bart Greenburg for Cabaret Scenes Magazine, NYC