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Andre Bradford, a.k.a. S.C. Says, is an Austin based slam poet who has been performing slam poetry since 2013. He's toured and featured at poetry venues, universities and conferences across the country, and his work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Write About Now, The Edge radio, The Culture Trip, and Blavity. He is a two time Austin Poetry Slam Champion, the 2022 Texas Grand Slam Champion, and is the author of the poetry collection Golden Brown Skin. He also once popped a bag of popcorn without burning a single kernel, which is arguably one of his greatest achievements. 

His poetry covers a gamut of topics ranging from being mixed race, to social justice, to mental health awareness, to never settling in relationships. Slam poetry is an art form he loves due to its raw vulnerability and its ability to cultivate transparency and dialogues into many different walks of life.

Speaker Series

Collaboration. Conversation. Community. The "Grounded in Maine, Connected to the World Speakers Series" brings the best of Maine - and the world - to Kents Hill School.

Engaging, live conversations with authors, artists, professors, performers, scientists, and business leaders enable important learning moments beyond the classroom and create an atmosphere where exploring new ideas, considering alternative perspectives, and facing the future with optimism and hope isn't the exception - it's the expectation. 

Event Information

These events are generally open to the entire Kents Hill School community of students, families, employees, alumni, and friends. 
 

Nominations

To nominate a person, project, or resource for the "Grounded in Maine, Connected to the World Speaker Series" please contact hello@kentshill.org with a brief description. 

Speaker Series Committee

Martha Fortier
Margie Bailey
Dylan Gifford 
Beta Eaton

Past Speakers

Andre Bradford

September 2024

Andre Bradford, an Austin, Texas based slam poet, performed poems and gave advice about purposeful empathy, social justice, and mental health recognition.

Ben Miller

October 2023

Ben Miller, Kents Hill's Environmental Science Teacher, kicked off the 2023-24 "Grounded in Maine, Connected to the World Speaker Series" with a recap of his most recent epic adventure - on and off of the trail.

Sharon Dorsey & Amber Wendler

April 2024

Sharon Dorsey and Amber Wendler educated and shared stories about ecological research and activism.

Amy Bass

April 2023

Amy Bass, author of "One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game that Brought a Divided Town Together" delighted the community with stories of her career and cultural exploration.

Erin Towns

February 2024

Erin Towns, digital drone and polar research photographer and graduate research assistant at the University of Maine, captivated the audience with stories of navigating risks and defying the odds.

Phuc Tran

December 2022

Phuc Tran, author and artist, joined the Kents Hill community to discuss his latest memoir, writing process, and importance of living in the moment.