Testimonials

Barrie Central Collegiate

04 December 2003
Ace Clarke
3 Lisa Jan Court
Hamilton, ON.
L9B 2N5

Dear Ace:

I would like to thank you for speaking with the students from Barrie Central today. I have heard nothing but good things from both the teachers and the students: one student said, “That was the best speaker I’ve heard here at Central. He talked to us and you wanted to listen.”

What impressed me the most was the way the students stayed afterwards to talk with you on a personal level. At one point I looked into the auditorium and saw you surrounded by twenty or thirty students: you were in your element and I didn’t want to break that spell. It was a great thing to see.

As I mentioned in my closing remarks, you are a great storyteller. But like every great storyteller, you always have a message that is the most important part of the story. Watching you interact with our students, I have no doubt that those important messages were heard and will be thought about in the future.

You accomplished your goal today: you spoke with the students and they listened. I have no doubt that the message you gave stayed with them.

Sincerely

Craig Hawkins
Principal

I would like to say that as a motivational speaker that has spoken to more that 500,000 students in more than 125 school a year over the last 5 years, if you were going to have one speaker this year I would strongly recommend Ace Clarke.

J. Serge Leclerc
Motivational Speaker
1 (416)244-9518

JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL 01ST NO 535

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a letter of recommendation for Ace Clarke. Ace spoke with our 9th grade students in April. As an administrator, whenever you bring in a new speaker you are always “taking a chance” as to their appropriateness and ability to deliver a quality message to the students in a high quality manner. Ace Clarke delivered on both fronts.

Ace presented to our ninth graders for 1 1/2 hrs and kept them engrossed the entire time. This is nothing short of a miracle when dealing with this age group. Ace tailored his presentation to our needs and time requirements. His highly effective style of true to life storytelling combined with sincerity, compassion and riveting delivery ensured that his message (drugs and alcohol, gangs, dropping out, good decision making, looking to the future) reached each and every student. In fact both students and staff all commented on how much they enjoyed and appreciated his presentation.

I polled all the staff in attendance as well as many of the students and they all said they would recommend him highly and would like to have him back to our school again! I wholeheartedly concur.

Ace Clarke is a no frills, highly effective motivational speaker who is definitely worth bringing to any event where teenagers need to hear a quality message about poor decisions and their consequences as well as good decisions and their consequences.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (507) 285 - 8679.

Sincerely,

James P. Bowe,
Assistant Principal

To Whom It May Concern:

On May 28, 2003, the students and staff of Stanley Park Senior Public School had the opportunity to listen to an important message delivered by Ace Clarke. He spoke passionately to our grade 7 and 8 students who were captivated for the entire hour. Ace delivered his message on the importance of making good decisions in life.

The students related very well with Ace. They found him to be an energetic, credible, and honest speaker. He shared some of his real life experiences that included both pathos and humour. His stories of how he made poor decisions touched even the most hard to reach students which compelled some of them to take a closer look at themselves, their friends, and their future.

Ace was able to quickly develop an atmosphere of respect and trust from the students in such a shore period of time. As a result, many students wanted to talk to him to share personal issues following his presentation. He was patient and caring enough to spend time with each of them, providing words of encouragement and understanding while reaffirming his message.

I would highly recommend Ace Clark to speak to any school with early adolescent students, especially on this important topic. Our students learned from Ace that the decisions we make today shape our lives for tomorrow. A few teachers have share with me that some students have taken his words to heart and have made some major personal changes in making appropriate choices.

If you require any additional information about Ace Clark’s presentation, please contact me at Stanley Park Senior Public School (519) 578-3750.

Yours truly,
Helmut Thinnes
Principal

Torn Gillies
Orangeville District. Secondary School Student Council President said:

Ace Clarke is truly one of the most motivational speakers I have ever heard. He uses a nothing to hide approach as he shares the humorous and horrifying stories of his life. At the end of Ace’s presentation people are left with a lump in their throat, forcing themselves to seriously question their own involvement with drugs and alcohol. Listening to Ace Clarke is a worthwhile experience that nobody should miss.

RE: MR. ACE CLARKE

Ace Clarke spoke to a student assembly at the Lambton Kent Composite School, Dresden.

Without a doubt he was able to reach our students in a manner that held them spell bound for fifty minutes.

Mr. Clarke’s message was succinct and dramatic. He related the story of his life with maximum impact, in trying to convince our young people that there are better ways to achieve fulfillment and happiness.

Sincerely,

W. E. Wilson, Principal.

To Whom It May Concern:

On Tuesday, April 19, 1994 Ace Clark spoke to 60 Grade 5, 6, and 7 students at Wildwood Elementary School. The students were between 11 to 14 years of age.. The topic that Ace spoke to was about making positive lifestyle choices.

With the combination of his very physical presence and relaxed but confident spoken manner, Ace shares with the students the lifestyle choices that he made as a young man. Using personal anecdotes and experiences he relates to the students a lifestyle that by most standards was not very positive (life as a motorcycle gang member in Ontario). In relating his personal experiences to the children he does not glamorize or sensationalize them. Rather, in a frank and honest manner, he portrays to the students a life in which his choices were not positive ones. He concludes his talk with the children by explaining that they are all unique individuals faced with choices that they will have to make. He emphasizes that regardless of the quality of their home life, social status or who their friends are that they are solely responsible for their own positive lifestyle choices. Ace does not sermonize in his presentation but rather encourages the students to make a connection between the lifestyle alternatives that he made with the choices that will face them. Very well done.

Combining humour with honesty and reality, Ace Clarke is a very dynamic speaker who I would highly recommend to speak with students in the upper Elementary to Secondary levels. If you require clarification of my recommendation or further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours truly,

Ted Danyluk
Principal
Wildwood Elementary

D. P. TODD SECOUNDARY SCHOOL

RE: Ace Clarke

To Whom It May Concern:

As the school year draws to a close, it is appropriate to comment on the fine work that Ace Clarke did for our student assembly.

Mr. Clarke’s message to our assembled grades 8, 9, and 10 students (numbering approximately 450 students) was credible, entertaining and sincerely delivered. Through his examples drawn from personal experiences and the weaving of relevant stories into his presentation, Ace captured the interest of our students and succeeded in reaching the students on an individual and personal level. The students and staff enjoyed the experience, received a strong message and were able to focus their thoughts in relation to Ace’s message.

Ace is to be commended for taking the time to speak to a group of Special Learning Resource students and their teachers after the assembly to learn about one of the students who lost an arm in an industrial accident.

Thank you Ace for coming and sharing your message. Our school benefited from this experience.

Sincerely,

Mr. G. Hartley
Vice-Principal

LAKEWOOD JUNIOR SECOUNDARY SCHOOL

On behalf of the students and staff of Lakewood Junior Secondary, I would like to thank you for your presentation “Achieving fulfillment and happiness without drugs/alcohol” at our school assembly of April21.

As you recall our gym was filled with over 400 students and you were able to keep everyone in the assembly riveted to your message about choices.

Again, I would like to thank you for donating your time and energy to such a worthwhile cause. Sincerely,

Mr. J. DeWoif
Vice Principal

JD/ms

Mr. Ace Clarke
3 Lisajane Grt.
Hamilton, Ontario
L9B 2N5

Dear Ace:

Your brochure describes you as “A motivational speaker who is able to communicate effectively to the students and young people of our society about the realities of the issues they face today”. Rarely do we have a guest speaker into the school who lives up to his or her billing. Your talk was exceptional. Your topic and your honest responses to their questions impressed the students. Many of our students commented to me after your talk that they felt you had been the best speaker they had listened to since coming to Anne Stevenson Junior High.

The important point for me was the students who were giving me the comments. It was not just the “good” kids saying what a great job you had done but the same comments came from our “at risk” students. Keep giving the message. It is needed and obviously being heard.

Thanks for your efforts on the part of our youth. Let us know when and if you are going to be in our area again.

Peter L. Smith
Vice Principal

A. Lorne Cassidy Elementary School

On behalf of the students and staff, I would like to thank you for your wonderful presentation last week.

I was most pleased with how clearly your message was delivered throughout a very interesting presentation. You held our students’ attention and with your honest and open sharing of stories helped our students to understand the significance of the decisions that they will have to make in the years to come. I applaud you for having made such a significant contribution to the youth of our school/province/country/world by sharing what you have learned in life. In particular, your story of Danny sends a powerful message.

In the words of one of the students who needed to hear your message, “That was awesome!” I believe that he got the message.

Heather Scott Thomas
Counsellor

GLENDALE HIGH SCHOOL
37 Glendale Drive,
Tillsonburg, Ontario N4G 1J6

Our staff was very impressed and made many positive comments to me. Your delivery, humour, and sincerity kept us in a spell for the entire presentation. The ending was incredible when one of our staff members stood up and told the students that he was at the high school the day Ace rode away on his bike.

I am sure you touched many lives that May morning. Thank you so much for coming to our school and into our lives. All the best to you in your future.

Sincerely,

Irene Vandermeersch
OSAID Staff Advisor
Glendale High School

It is without hesitation that I write a letter of support for the presentation you gave our student body of over 1100 students.
Our students were fortunate indeed to have heard your first hand story of mistakes that you had made and how you were able to turn your life around. Your presentation of “Making The Right Choices” was an extremely meaningful and moving experience for both the students and staff of Rick Hansen Secondary School. Discussions with students following the assemblies indicated to me that your message had connected with them.

Your message is appropriate to a high school audience. Articulate and well spoken, you did not moralize and “preach”. I would wholeheartedly recommend your presentation to other schools.

Yours truly,

Robert E. Sloboda
Student Government Teacher

JOHN McINNIS SECONDARY SCHOOL
SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.57(PRINCE GEORGE)

On behalf of the staff and students of John Mclnnis I would like to thank you for your meaningful presentation on April 22nd. I know that your words of advice and motivation will stay with us all and be a source of future guidance.

Over the period of the school year we have a number of people do presentations on a variety of topics. Each and every one of these helps in some way to prepare our students for their Coming lives. I thank you for the part that you have played in their future.

Yours truly,

John C. Andrews, Principal.

EDEH WOOD SENIOR PUBLIC SCHOOL

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

It is our pleasure to provide this letter of reference for Ace Clarke.

Ace visited Edenwood Senior Public School on Wednesday, January 24th 1996. At that time he addressed two different assemblies of our students on the topic of “Bullying”. Our school has been working on this topic as part of our Advisor/Advisee program during the past month.

Through a series of personal experiences Ace was able to develop a rapport with the students and provided motivational information for them. Many of the students commented after his presentation that they thoroughly enjoyed what he had to say and that they had also learned from it.

His presentations have been an excellent catalyst for follow-up in the classrooms.

Later in the day, Ace met with a group of parents and was able to provide a similar type of presentation. Again the parents responded very positively to him, and there were many questions to him. We found that he was effective as a motivational speaker, informative, and that he was able to develop a rapport with the students and adults alike and we would encourage other schools to take advantage of his speaking expertise.

Sincerely,

D.C. Rumley PrincipalP Burrows
Guidance Counsellor

Rick Hansen Secondary School

It is without hesitation that I write a letter of support for the presentation you gave our student body of over 1100 students.

Our students were fortunate indeed to have heard your first hand story of mistakes that you had made and how you were able to turn your life around. Your presentation of “Making The Right Choices” was an extremely meaningful and moving experience for both the students and staff of Rick Hansen Secondary School. Discussions with students following the assemblies indicated to me that your message had connected with them.

Your message is appropriate to a high school audience. Articulate and well spoken, you did not moralize and “preach”. I would wholeheartedly recommend your presentation to other schools.

Yours truly,

Robert E. Sloboda
Student Government Teacher
CARLETON BOARD OF EDUCATION

GOULBOURNE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dear Ace,

Thank you for a very timely, inspirational assembly last Tuesday. Any students and/or staff Whom I contacted expressed their satisfaction with both the message and the speaker.

It is always Worrisome When a speaker is booked whom no one has ever heard before, so it was great to have such a positive experience. Students seem to have remembered those last three words . . .“never give up”! I hear them frequently in the hallways.

Best wishes as you keep on delivering the message.

Sincerely,

JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL Principal; BARRY SALE
1250 Western Avenue, Williams Lake, B.C

Dear Ace:

Your brochure describes you as “A motivational speaker who is able to communicate effectively to the students and young people of our society about the realities of the issues they face today”. Rarely do we have a guest speaker into the school who lives up to his or her billing. Your talk was exceptional. Your topic and your honest responses to their questions impressed the students. Many of our students commented to me after your talk that they felt you had been the best speaker they had listened to since coming to Anne Stevenson Junior High.

The important point for me was the students who were giving me the comments. It was not just the “good” kids saying what a great job you had done but the same comments came from our “at risk” students. Keep giving the message. It is needed and obviously being heard.

Thanks for your efforts on the part of our youth. Let us know when and if you are going to be in our area again.

Peter L. Smith
Vice Principal

Ace Clarke did two presentations at Stamford Collegiate on December 12, 1995. lie spoke first to 300 grade nines and tens in a small theatre and later to 450 senior students in our gymnasium.

In both situations Ace’s stories and messages kept the audience interested and entertained. His message about making responsible choices was driven home clearly. His examples of people being all that they can be illustrated for our students the opportunities they are capable of forging for themselves.

His presentation held the attention of both groups and he was willing to field questions openly and honestly at the end of the session.

If you have any questions I would be glad to respond.

Yours truly,
M. Cockburn, Principal

Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School

Dear Sir:

On November 3rd, 1995, we at Pereyma Secondary School had the privilege of hearing Ace Clarke speak to both the staff and students. He delivered two presentations, one with the younger students and a second presentation with the older students.

Ace spoke from the heart and from his own life experience. His message is timely and profound. He does not belittle nor condemns - he persuades and invites his listeners to go beyond a life of drugs and violence, to a life o values, meaning and happiness. Having experienced a deep conversion himself through faith, he is very much at home speaking of his own faith values.

For both is presentations Ace received standing ovations, which really answers the question -did he speak to their hearts?

We highly recommend Ace as a motivational speaker, not just for young people, but all people of all ages struggling to seek meaning and purpose within our present culture.

T. Fitzsimmons,
Principal

MADAWASKA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Dear Ace

On behalf of the students at Madawaska valley District High School I would like to thank you very much for your recent presentation. It was very inspirational.

The pieces of your life, that you shared with us, touched many hearts. You opened our eyes, sharing your experiences with school and explaining to us how much in your youth you had longed to be outside of the perimeters of protection that society had set for you.

You gave us many examples from not only your life but also many other lives. One such example was on the danger of drugs. You brought the truth to life by sharing with us the incredible story of your best friend who after a long period of drug abuse consequently lost his life. However, the most important lesson you taught us was to never give up on ourselves.

Once again I would like to say a very special thank you for your visit to our school. You are more than welcome to come back at any time.

Sincerely

cheryl Kauffeldt
Chair M.V. Care Committee