PRINCIPALS:

“Joel is a natural presenter with a great sense of humor. He relates well with all students male or female; athlete or non-athlete. He delivers a powerful message that all teenagers should hear. It was probably the best school assembly I have had in my 13 years as a high school administrator. Our kids talked about the assembly for several days – no joke.”
-Jeff Goodwin, Edison HS

“He had all 700 of my students eating out of the palm of his hand.”
-Larry Kisabeth, Tiffin Columbian HS

“My students were absolutely attentive to every word he said… I would love to have Joel back in the future to speak to my high school students again… I highly recommend him to speak at any public or private high school, or any meeting or banquet. You will not be disappointed.”
-Donald P. Huysman, St. John’s Catholic HS

“Too often speakers use their life experiences to show what not to do. Joel’s story demonstrated that good decisions translate into success.”
-David Ryder, Tuslaw MS


TEACHERS:

“I can tell you honestly, our event with Joel had a greater impact than any other event we’ve ever had.”
-Matt Wilbur, Mount Vernon HS

“The message was wonderful. It really inspired the students while giving them a lot to ponder in regard to their own lives… It was perfect.”
-Stephanie Renner, Lincolnview HS


STUDENTS:


“Joel, I just wanted to say thank you for coming to our high school and speaking…. I loved your story. It really hit me deep… It is a relief to see there are still athletes that can be great role models on and OFF the field.”
-Brian, HS Student

“Joel, you gave us great advice to make the choice and stick with it. You helped me to see that you have to stick to your commitments even if you have to lose a friend. Knowing that you didn’t give into drugs helped me believe that I should not give in too. Now I know that I will walk away from drugs because of you!”
-Amy, MS Student

“Joel was one of the first speaker we went to that we really felt motivated when we left. In my 7 years going to national conferences, Joel is by far the best speaker I’ve ever heard.”
-Alex, HS Senior

“His speech was incredible. He really knows how to relate to teens today. He really knows what to say to make you understand how to deal with conflict, how to make a commitment and how to keep it.”
-Amber, HS Student

“It was really inspiring. It makes me feel like I don’t have to give into peer pressure and I’ll eventually find a group of friends who will accept me.”
-Jessica, HS Student

“I loved it. He’s a great speaker. He made me laugh. It was really powerful… Kids today really need to hear his message. If he keeps doing what he does, he’s really going to make a huge impact.”
-Kelsey, HS Student


PARENTS:

“Joel, yours is the type of message that all of us, especially impressionable children like my son, need to hear more and more. Thank you so much.”
-Doug, Parent of MS Student

“Joel, you will never fully know how much you affected her life in such a positive way. The message that you gave I thought was written for her and many other teenagers who are battling the same problems and temptations. And some people think that God doesn’t perform miracles anymore.”
-Chris, Parent of HS Student


REFERENCES:

Aaron Rex
Wapakoneta High School (OH)
419.739.5200
rexaa@wapak.org

Joel Mengerink
Continental High School/Middle School (OH)
419.596.3871, ext. 2226
cn_mengerink@cn.noacsc.org

Deanna Cheek
Camp Ernst Middle School (KY)
859.534.4000
Deanna.Cheek@boone.kyschools.us

Tara Smith
Reading High School (MI)
517.283.2142
tara.smith.rcs@gmail.com

Kevin Briggs
Bellefonte High School (PA)
814-355-4833 etx. 8506
kbriggs@basd.net