Join TLU for as we welcome Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez on Tuesday, September 27, at 7 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium. This free event is open to the public and sponsored by the TLU Jessie S. and Jack Harold Upton Brown Cultural Enrichment Endowment Fund. Hernandez will discuss her journey to winning gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the importance of addressing mental health, especially regarding positive body image.
More About Laurie Hernandez
After bringing home the gold and silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Laurie Hernandez went on to win the coveted mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars, and to publish two books: I Got This: To Gold and Beyond, in 2017, and a picture book for children, She’s Got This, in 2018. Both were New York Times bestsellers. In recognition of Hernandez’s work as a Literacy Champion promoting readership as a path to leadership, Mattel created a Laurie Hernandez “Shero” Barbie to honor her.
A second-generation American whose grandparents are from Puerto Rico, Hernandez is the first U.S.-born Latina to make the U.S. Olympic team since 1984. When not in the gym, Laurie enjoys spending time with her family. Acting is one of her biggest passions: she has done cameos, voiceovers, co-hosted American Ninja Warrior Junior, and plans to pursue an acting/screenwriting degree. She travels the country speaking to the next generation about following their dreams. She is also a fierce advocate for the importance of mental health and has partnered with multiple campaigns and initiatives to encourage awareness.