Most Inspiring of the Month

Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton knows how to persevere. As a young surfer she hoped to become a professional surfer one day. At only 13 years old, Bethany was attacked by a shark and lost her left arm. Incredibly it only took one month for young Bethany to get back into the water and start surfing again after the shark attack. Bethany lives out her Christian faith by sharing with others the message of overcoming obstacles, peace in Jesus, and discovering hope for the future. She not only has inspired young people around the world, but her story has also inspired the new movie Soul Surfer that recently came out this past April. Bethany now fiercely competes in surfing competitions and has authored several books such as Soul Surfer and Soul Surfer Devotions.

Elizabeth Taylor

Actress Elizabeth Taylor captured America’s heart as a 12-year-old in 1944’s National Velvet and became one of the most famous Academy Award-winning film stars of all time. She was a recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Legion of Honor, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, which named her one of the "Greatest American Screen Legends." But she was also a humanitarian and from the mid-1980s, used her fame to champion HIV and AIDS programs, co-founding the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1993. She died of congestive heart failure at the age of 79, but her work lives on.

Linda Gadson

Linda Gadson has been fighting for justice and equality nearly all her life. As a teenager, she helped desegregate a high school in her native Charleston, S.C. Despite the abuse she endured, Gadson persevered, beginning a lifelong commitment to fight for the disenfranchised. For four decades, she has served thousands of residents and migrant workers on the sea islands of South Carolina through her work at Rural Mission. When people need child care, jobs or help to pay their bills, when they are hungry or need clothing, or when their homes are in disrepair, they turn to Gadson and Rural Mission. Although 40 years is a long time for her to carry this mantle, she shows no signs of slowing down. The needs are too great, places to turn too few. So Gadson, sometimes armed only with prayer, other times with an army of volunteers, continues to do the work she began so long ago. After all, this is no ordinary job, it is her calling.

Vera Wang

Known for reinventing and transforming the wedding dress industry, Vera Wang had other aspirations before she rocked the fashion world with her modern designs. In 1968 Vera competed as a figure skater in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship. She didn’t make the Olympics, but 20 years after her first boutique opening, the New York City native was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame (2009) for her costumes. Vera also was given the Leadership in the Arts Award by the Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association (accepted the award in 2010) for her continual success in the fashion industry. The Vera Wang brand has moved beyond the runway to eyewear, fragrances, mattresses and china.

Pat Summitt

Tennessee Lady Vols basketball head coach Pat Summitt has made a name for herself in college hoops for almost four decades in Tennessee. The all-time winningest coach compiled an overall record of 1037-196, winning 10 titles and eight NCAA national championships during her illustrious career with the Vols. Tennessee advanced to the NCAA’s Elite Eight, and fell in the region final to Notre Dame this season, but Pat is still motivating the masses. She addressed young challenged adults in Cleveland during a benefit lunch in April about keeping a positive attitude regardless of circumstances. “When you get up in the morning you should say ‘Good morning, Lord,’ not “Good Lord, morning!’ You need to decide how you want to start your engine.”

Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson was a self-described quirky leader with a passion for the people and culture of Japan. She learned Japanese as a youngster and fell in love with the language and culture and in 2008 she took a job teaching English in Japan. She was beloved by both staff and students. On Friday March 11, she was teaching in Mangokuura when the devastating 8.9 magnitude quake hit. Taylor helped evacuate the children in her school, waited with other teachers as anxious parents picked up their children and then helped the remaining children to higher ground. She left on her bike and headed back to her apartment in Ishinomaki just before the tsunami hit but she was unable to escape the water as it overwhelmed the entire city. The children were spared but at only 24 years of age, Taylor had lost her life. To honor Taylor, an avid reader, the board of education in Ishinomaki has agreed to put in a reading corner in each of the seven schools where she taught.