How many time have we heard that platitude? It always struck me as too much to ask from a single person.
Can one person change the world? I would argue no. That undersells the importance of the collective. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., for instance, “changed the world,” but he’d probably be the first to tell you there were thousands of others fighting and sacrificing for the cause that allowed his legacy to stretch so far.
Rather than deflating, I think it’s a bit of a relief to know we have to have faith in our fellow people if we’re going to get stuff done.
That being said, people can make a difference in other people’s lives, in their own communities and with the specific gifts they’re given. That’s just as good as changing the world. Today we’ll look at several incredible who have changed the worlds of those around them.
NOURISHING HER ROOTS
Taylor Rooks is sharing blessings with people in need in her hometown. (Cooper Neill via AP 2025)
“It’s where I learned who I was.”
That’s how NBA and NFL sportscaster Taylor Rooks describes her hometown of Suwanee in Gwinnett County, where she grew up before becoming an extremely successful broadcaster.
Through the Taylor Rooks Foundation, she’s eliminated $2.1 million in medical debt for 1,805 residents in Gwinnett County
“I want everyone to understand that medical debt doesn’t come from irresponsibility,” she said. “It comes from people trying to survive, take care of themselves or take care of the people they love.”
Rooks is now based on the West Coast, and covered sports all over the country during her rise. She’s never forgotten where she began.
“It was important to me that one of the foundation’s earliest major initiatives poured directly back into the community that poured so much into me first.”
Our work spans the world, but it starts in Atlanta
When war wages, disease spreads, and fear thrives, The Carter Center responds with peace and hope. For more than 40 years, we’ve carried out the vision of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter — tackling tough problems in more than 90 countries across the world.
We defend human rights, deliver medicines to remote communities, help nations recover after civil war.
And it all starts in Atlanta. We’re proud to call you home.
Freddie Hendricks knows art can improve lives. (Vinny Varsalona via AP)
Did you know there’s a Tony Award for theater educators? What a brilliant idea.
The Excellence in Theatre Education Award, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University, honors teachers who inspire and empower students, changing their lives through their craft.
This year’s honoree is from right here in Ellenwood.
Freddie Hendricks is a middle school theater teacher at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood and founder of the Youth Ensemble in Atlanta.
He’s taught several students who went on to find successful careers on the stage and screen.
Tony-nominated sound designer Justin Ellington said Hendricks was “the first person to show me the importance of storytelling in theater.”
One of Hendricks’ teaching methods involved students choosing difficult topics they care about — poverty, gun violence, teen pregnancy, apartheid or AIDS — and building performances around their ideas from their perspective.
“That just empowered these kids so much,” Ellington says. “Not only empowered them from an internal place of owning who you are, but empowering them as storytellers and showing the importance of storytellers.”
🥽 Brewton, AL: Three welding teachers from around Alabama received grants to improve training for a new generation of welders. Among them was Marty Long from Escambia Career Readiness Center, who teaches about 50 students a year. He won a $30,000 grant to replace decades-old machines. More from The Brewton Standard
🇺🇸 Greeneville, TN: Seventy-seven immigrants from around the world became citizens in an emotional naturalization ceremony. People from Colombia, Moldova, Ireland, the Philippines and beyond shared their stories. The judge for the proceedings also recognized the countless contributions immigrants make to the U.S. More from the Greeneville Sun
💪🏾 Richmond, VA: Two years after he was paralyzed from the waist down after being hit by a truck, Jaiden Picot used a special robotic suit to walk across the stage at his college graduation. His postgraduate goal? Using his real estate creds to help disabled people find affordable housing. More from WSAZ
⛴️ Nashville, TN: Nashville Riverboats is reviving the capital city’s riverside history. The company just christenedthe Capitol, a new paddlewheel riverboat that will offer tours and dinner cruises on the Tennessee River. Captain Joy Manthey, a former nun (!!!), blessed the vessel with a good strike of Tennessee bourbon. More from the Nashville Scene—
⚖️ Bay St. Louis, MS: At 18, Mississippi native James Chilimigras became the youngest law school graduate in Louisiana history. He earned his law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. Oh, and in 2023, he became the world’s youngest Certified Public Accountant. More from the Clarion Ledger
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TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. SweetTea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
“Y’all” does the work of two words — “you all” — without wasting time or breath. That matters in a region where the humidity already makes talking feel like you’re chewing warm soup. When it’s 95 degrees and the air feels like it has a gravy setting, nobody has the energy for extra syllables. “Y’all” gets in, gets out, and lets you get back to fanning yourself with a church bulletin.
-Clayton Hayes for the State Gazette
Incredible stuff from Tennessee writer Clayton Hayes in his State Gazette article titled “The Most Efficient Word in the English Language.” Hayes has written the column Clayton’s Corner for more than 32 years. New role model unlocked.
