“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I
shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the aching, or cool
one pain, or help one fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not
live in vain.” – Emily Dickinson To Amy Hillman, speaking to America’s youth isn’t a profession, it’s a passion. She’s been paying her gift of life forward by not only reaching one life, but by reaching hundreds of lives, and making a real difference in the future of young people everywhere. Amy grew up in what most people would consider a “normal” family. The youngest of three children, she was blessed with parents that were strong in faith, and aside from the usual ribbing from her older brother and sister, she knew only love and support from her family. On the surface, it seemed that she had the world in the palm of her hand. Amy, however, was struggling. She was struggling with problems that are amongst the most common issues facing young people today; problems that most adults don’t see as being “a big deal.” You see, Amy’s family moved a lot – 12 times throughout her school years…and she wasn’t what you’d call “skinny.” The stresses of always being “the new kid” and not being lucky enough to be the girl that all the boys were fighting over made it very difficult for her to make new friends. Long story short…Amy tried to kill herself one night when her parents were out of town, and if it weren’t for one true friend who really cared, she might not be here today to share her story. Amy has always been an extremely talented singer, a great student, and a warm heart to everyone who’s known her. She’s a lot like most other kids. That’s the point. It’s not always the kids from broken homes, or the kids who are abusing drugs and alcohol, who think about suicide. Many times it’s the homecoming queen, or the captain of the football team, or the valedictorian. The signs aren’t always clear to the average parent, teacher, or coach. But they’re as clear as a bell to someone who’s been there. As if Amy’s experience wasn’t enough, she went on to college at Iowa State University, and while she was there, she lost five friends to suicide, one to AIDS, and saw many others lose sight of their dreams as a result of bad choices in their lives. She knew she had to do something, so she started to talk. Thanks to the opportunities that her pastor had given her to speak in church as a teenager, and to her love for public speaking and singing, Amy discovered that she had a gift for reaching people with her “one small voice.” She began speaking in churches, high schools, middle schools, and anywhere else she thought she could reach young people. Immediately she realized that what teenagers really need is to know that they’re not the only ones feeling the way they do, and that there is hope. Amy incorporates music, comedy, and her own personal stories into her programs, and inevitably, as she’s packing up to leave, one, two, four, five, or even more kids will timidly approach her and start to talk. These are the kids she came to talk to, and hundreds of them have been helped, or even saved, by knowing that they’re not alone, and that there is help and hope for them. That’s why Amy Hillman speaks, and that’s why more young people need to hear her. “I wanted to be able to save at least one teenager from committing suicide, the way I was saved,” says Amy. “The pressures of sex, drugs, alcohol, violence, and peers on our young people are very real, and with each generation, those stresses become more intense and serious. I want every kid to have the opportunity to find out what I found out…that life does get better, and that they do matter.” Amy Hillman currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and travels throughout the country sharing her stories and helping young people realize that one small voice can make a difference.
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