The Go Blue 4 Kids Breakfast brings community members together to talk about the uncomfortable, but real, subject of child abuse.
The McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center invites guest speakers to empower and educate our audience about child abuse during April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Speakers share personal stories about overcoming the trauma of child abuse and their transition from victim to survivor.
Past Keynote Speakers
Christina Meredith (2021)
Survivor, foster care activist, mental health advocate, and national speaker
Dawn Schiller (2019)
Survivor, speaker, educator, consultant, and author
Jenna Quinn (2018)
Survivor and author of Pure in Heart: A Memoir of Overcoming Abuse and Passing Jenna’s Law
Kevin Mulcahy (2017)
Survivor and Assistant U.S. District Attorney
Matthew Sandusky (2016)
Survivor, Founder and Executive Director of Peaceful Hearts Foundation
Marilyn Van Derbur (2014)
Survivor and author of Miss America by Day: Lessons Learned from Ultimate Betrayals and Unconditional Love
Keynote Speaker Christina Meredith
Empowering others with her inspiring life story, Christina Meredith survived sexual, mental and emotional abuse, trauma, aging out of foster care, poverty and homelessness to forge a life committed to helping others. Through strong faith, hard work, and creativity she went on to become Ms California, found her own nonprofit foundation, and pursue the path to becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. As told in her book, CinderGirl: My Journey Out of the Ashes to a Life of Hope, during appearances on the Today Show and before speaking audiences nationwide, Christina’s story celebrates the transformative power of education, and the potential within all of us triumph over adversity. "My entire story is about hope, faith, hard work, achieving the dream and the purpose that you have been given in this life, and not allowing things to deter you, because circumstances change," she says. "With hard work and a little faith, you can make them change."
PAST KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dawn Schiller (2019)
Expert survivor-leader in the anti-trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault movements
Jenna Quinn (2018)
Survivor and author of Pure in Heart: A Memoir of Overcoming Abuse and Passing Jenna’s Law
Kevin Mulcahy (2017)
Survivor and Assistant U.S. District Attorney
Matthew Sandusky (2016)
Survivor, Founder and Executive Director of Peaceful Hearts Foundation
Marilyn Van Derbur (2014)
Survivor and author of Miss America by Day: Lessons Learned from Ultimate Betrayals and Unconditional Love
