The Joys and Value of European Travel
(Lecture)

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. He is the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Rick lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Stories from a Career in Comedy

Jack Gallagher started his professional comedy career in Boston during the early 1980's. As part of that explosive comedy scene, Jack helped establish such clubs as The Comedy Connection, Stitches, and the legendary Ding-Ho Comedy. After moving to Los Angeles, Jack became a regular at The Improv and landed roles in film and television. He made numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno as well as NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His work on network television includes his own ABC sitcom Bringing Up Jack as well as a recurring role on the HBO Original Series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Jack is a three-time Emmy award winner for his work as host of the PBS shows Money Moves, Off-Limits, and Kids, Cash and Common Sense.

Pursuing Dreams

Kristi Yamaguchi is an Olympic Gold Medalist, New York Times best selling children's author, philanthropist and mother. Following her high profile athletic career, Kristi continued to make numerous appearances on national television serving as a correspondent during the Olympic games. In 2008, she became champion of the sixth season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars". In 1996, she founded Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream, which is committed to impacting early literacy through fostering family engagement and building a love of reading. Through the Always Reading program, children can build confidence, nurture the discovery of their unique voice, and are inspired to dream bigger.

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Forging Cultural and Culinary Bonds

Pati Jinich is the James Beard Award-winning Mexican chef, New York Times bestselling author, and Emmy-nominated television host who has dedicated her career to building a shared understanding between her two neighboring home countries: Mexico, where she was born, and the United States, where she lives currently and is raising her family. She’s the executive producer and host of the Emmy-nominated PBS series Pati’s Mexican Table, which has brought Mexican flavors, colors and textures into American homes and kitchens for more than 10 years, as Pati takes viewers through the diverse geographic regions of the country. Pati is also the executive producer and host of La Frontera, her PBS Primetime docuseries, which uses food as a vehicle to showcase the vibrant people and culture along the largely misunderstood and misrepresented US-Mexico border. Her newest PBS primetime series, Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana, takes viewers on a journey inspired by the Pan-American Highway to celebrate the many cultures of the Americas and how they enrich each other. Pati’s works has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Univision, Los Angeles Times, Good Morning America, and many others. She was recently selected for The Washington Post’s “Post Next 50” profiling people expected to have a notable impact in 2025. Pati was also named one of the National Immigration Forum’s “Keepers of the American Dream,” which honors individuals who embody the spirit of immigrant achievement and contribute to the well-being of immigrants in the US.