Opening Session Speaker

Homer Hickam has led a remarkable life. Not only is he a #1 New York Times best-selling author, he's a scuba instructor who has led expeditions to sunken wrecks, a former NASA engineer with international praise for his design of spacecraft, a decorated Vietnam veteran, and a renowned inspirational speaker.

His books have sold millions of copies and are being studied in over 400 schools and colleges. Hickam is a prolific writer who continues to author intriguing page-turners that are eagerly anticipated by his legions of fans. His series of memoirs beginning with Rocket Boys (also known as October Sky) and continued with The Coalwood Way and Sky of Stone are extremely popular and have been translated into many languages. The latest book in this series, titled We Are Not Afraid, is a bit of a departure from his previous work. It is a book written to help people overcome the effects of long-term fear, a condition that destroys thousands of lives every year and holds millions back from their true potential.

Hickam is also the subject of the wonderful movie, October Sky, based on his book Rocket Boys. It tells the story of the days when he was growing up in Coalwood, West Virginia, a place of hardworking coal miners. Hickam, rather than following in his father's footsteps into the deep mine, decided to do something else: He began to build rockets. Before he was done, he and his fellow Rocket Boys would bring honor and glory to their home town, their teachers, and their parents.

Mr. Hickam will be releasing his latest thrilling new Josh Thurlow novel, The Far Reaches in the Summer of 2007.