Parent Support Speakers

 

Alexandre Havard is the founder of the Virtuous Leadership Institute. Born in Paris, Mr. Havard graduated from the René Descartes University, one of France’s leading law schools, and has practiced law in several European countries. He offers seminars in virtuous leadership worldwide to business leaders and students alike. Mr. Havard has written multiple books on the subject, and some, like Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence and Created for Greatness: The Power of Magnanimity have been translated into 20 languages. He currently lives in Moscow. 

Laura O'Neill '96 will distill the wisdom and provide practical insights from the book Hold on to Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. and Gabor Mate, MD. Laura O’Neill is a Licensed Professional Counselor working for the Alpha Omega Clinic in Virginia. She received her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Divine Mercy University. DMU educates counselors to understand the human person as fundamentally good and called to flourish through relationships. After working as a registered nurse for many years, Laura began to explore the impact stress has on an individual’s physical health and the quality of his or her relationships. Laura has a particular interest in anxiety disorders and the use of technology. She previously worked at Oakcrest School as the Director of Student Wellness. Before studying at DMU, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University in 2000. Laura is also a veteran of the United States Army and is a military spouse. 

Dr. Ana Samuel will provide insights into some key parenting principles to uplift family life. She will explore how to form our children in their identity and how we can help our children have a true sense of self-worth and identity. 

Ana Samuel is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Notre Dame, where she completed doctoral work on the political theory and sexual ethics of Montesquieu. She is the Academic Director of the pro-marriage organization, CanaVox. She was the first executive director of the Witherspoon Institute at its foundation in 2003. She edited No Differences? How Children in Same-Sex Households Fare and directed the development of the New Family Structures Studies website. In 2013, she helped to launch CanaVox, where she continues to oversee the academic content of the organization and ongoing education of the State Leaders. Every summer, she enjoys teaching the dialogues of Plato and Aristotle’s moral philosophy to high school students for the Witherspoon Institute’s summer seminars. She and her husband are the grateful parents of six. 

Laura (Rowell '96) O’Neill is a Licensed Professional Counselor working for the Alpha Omega Clinic in Virginia. She received her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Divine Mercy University. DMU educates counselors to understand the human person as fundamentally good and called to flourish through relationships. After working as a registered nurse for many years, Laura began to explore the impact stress has on an individual’s physical health and the quality of his or her relationships. Laura has a particular interest in anxiety disorders and the use of technology. She previously worked at Oakcrest School as the Director of Student Wellness. Before studying at DMU, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University in 2000. Laura is also a veteran of the United States Army and is a military spouse.