Mentors act as a compass, expanding our view of how to navigate life and business. The best mentors inspire us to dare greatly, support us during difficult times, and benefit us in becoming better people.
Throughout his journey, Glenn has been brought to his knees by various challenges and carried away by numerous joys. Along the way, he learned unique lessons of wisdom. He knows first-hand that whatever you fill your mind with, and whomever you choose to surround yourself with, will play a large part in defining the person you become.
Glenn's relationships with his mentors, and the opportunities of giving back by being a mentor himself, count among his most meaningful life experiences.
AN INVESTMENT IN AMERICA'S FUTURE
Since 1984, Horatio Alger Association Members and Friends have funded need-based college scholarships for youth to pursue their dreams through higher education. By the Association’s 75th Anniversary in 2022, the Association anticipates presenting a total of $235 million in scholarships to more than 35,000 deserving students. Throughout the year, Members also mentor these Scholars while demonstrating the importance of service to others.
In 2011, Glenn Stearns became the youngest Member ever honored with induction into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. The Award is given to individuals in recognition of overcoming challenging beginnings in life and then climbing to the top of their fields with outstanding endeavors in giving back to others. Members are a select group recognized for representing the ideals the American Dream, among them: Norman Vincent Peale, Billy Graham, Ronald Reagan, Oprah Winfrey, Buzz Aldrin, Colin Powell, Maya Angelou, T. Boone Pickens, Condoleezza Rice, and Hank Aaron.
In 2013, Glenn became the youngest member ever elected to the Association's prestigious Board of Directors.
In the spring of 2013, Glenn and his wife Mindy asked select Horatio Alger Scholars to submit essays on the theme of Surviving and Thriving for an opportunity to attend the Stearns' first Scholar Mentoring Leadership retreat on Richard Branson's exclusive Necker Island. The Retreat’s theme was to amplify the value of adversity while finding and our individual purpose in life.
Six scholars were selected for the gathering, which also included leaders of industry and their spouses. The Retreat’s guest speakers included mountaineer and "Touching the Void" author Joe Simpson, Everest disaster survivor Dr. Beck Weathers, and former Vietnam POW Captain Charlie Plumb. Everyone attending shared their own survivor stories, including Richard Branson, owner of the UK’s Virgin Group of companies, and Glenn. During the Retreat, all bonded over the resilience of the human spirit, and were inspired to seek a fuller life with meaning and purpose.
From underdog to Undercover Billionaire, Glenn Stearns is a rags-to-riches story that shows what can be accomplished with grit and determination
