Pickard to speak to AHS students

Motivational speaker Shannon Pickard will be entertaining and educating students at Albany High School today at a 10:00 a.m. assembly.

Pickard, who is from Kilgore, started his own entertainment company while in high school and later launched it into a career in comedy, acting, and music. He has been the co-host, producer, and writer of Teen Talk, a regular on For Better or For Worse, and did multiple movies in Hollywood before returning to Texas to become a pastor, motivational speaker, author, and cofounder of the band “Tin Umbrella!”

Pickard said that he felt called to use his speaking and comedic skills to influence youth in a positive way, bringing them a powerful, life-changing message about believing in themselves, gaining hope in seemingly hopeless situations, and the importance of making smart choices.

Pickard and his wife are the ministers at Revive Church in Longview, Texas, and his visit to Albany and other high schools in the Big Country have been sponsored by The Open Door Pregnancy and Family Resource Center. 

The Open Door is based in Cisco and also has offices in Breckenridge. They offer services to people in neighboring towns and have added a mobile unit to assist them in meeting needs in those areas.

The Open Door mobile unit is an RV that is equipped to provide free and confidential pregnancy tests, limited diagnostic ultrasounds, limited material assistance, small classes, and mentoring.

The unit is scheduled to be in Albany at the First Baptist Church parking lot from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.

For more information, call 254-334-0765.