She was raised in a large family struggling with an alcoholic father and a mother dependent on welfare. Yet Kay Coles James' mother raised her to be a woman of integrity and character, pointing her sixth child in a direction that would allow her to transcend her difficult environment. Kay's journey from public housing to the corridors of political power in the executive branch of the U.S. government is a story that will galvanize your students. Now serving as a senior cabinet officer for the Governor of Virginia, Kay previously was appointed Associate Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and later Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Teachers tell us:
"I felt her talk about saying no to premarital sex was super for some students who might never be talked to about this subject." - Gifted Education Teacher, Ohio
"This film was very relevant to my students. Many of them live in the projects and are growing up in the same circumstances as the speaker." - Teacher, Louisiana

Student reactions:
"I enjoyed talking about her life. Many of our students live in poverty and come from divorced parents."