About The Author
Written by James Cobb
Dear Sir or Madame:
My name is Jamie Cobb, and I am thirty-six years old. It has become a passion of mine to share, through public speaking, the experiences of my poor choices as a confused, emotionally and learning disabled youth, as well as the turnaround so critical to my survival. I have written a book chronicling my experiences, which reinforces my message that although things can be devastating in one’s life, overcoming adversity, and achieving success is only a matter of making positive life choices.
As an ex-offender, I am uniquely qualified to discuss the temptations facing students today; as a 9th grade drop-out who went on to achieve a GED while in prison, I feel qualified to explain just what kind of future there is for kids who don’t stay in school; and perhaps most critically, as an ex-dealer of illegal drugs, who served time first in state and then federal prison, I believe I possess the true experience necessary to relate the message of just how wrong and self-defeating it is to succumb to the temptation of quick thrills or “easy money.”
I have stood before assemblies of junior high and high school aged students during the last two years in Lafayette, Carencro, Breaux Bridge, and Saint Martinville—all in Louisiana, as well as locations in Alabama. It is my true desire to spread my message further by offering to speak for your school. I present my story, along with a PowerPoint slide show, and offer an opportunity for verbal exchange with the kids at the end of my talk. My speaking fee is reasonable, and I do request the opportunity to sell my book, No One Knows the Son, at the engagement.
I currently reside in Lafayette, Louisiana with my wife and two children.
Specifics of my most recent engagements follow, as well as personal references from school board, law enforcement, juvenile corrections, and other personnel.
Respectfully,
James H. Cobb