Speaker: Victor Gascon
A native of Mexico, he came to the United States in 1979 to attend college. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Printing Technology and Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, completing the requirements of such in just three years with the intent of going back home as quickly as possible. During his last semester he decided to abandon his childhood dream of taking over his family printing and publishing business to make his own way through life. He calls that occasion “my unmillionaire day.” He lived in Upstate New York until November 1989 when he moved to Columbia and he has been here ever since. He is currently a Cyber-Security Analyst with SCANA Corporation, a company he has been with since 1998.
Victor’s mission in life has always been to help others. From being a Boy Scout to a volunteer Paramedic/Firefighter for 15 years, Victor has always striven to be of service to others.
He is an Ordained Minister in the Church of Spiritual Humanism and an Ordained Buddhist Layperson with the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives.
During the last 41 years, Victor has been a public speaker in one capacity or another. It all started in 1977 when he taught his first Paramedic class. In 2004, he became the Founding President of SCANA’s Toastmasters club. He has served in a number of leadership positions in Toastmasters, culminating with his achievement of the “Distinguished Toastmaster” award, the highest accolade available to a Toastmaster, in 2012. He continues to serve that and several other organizations in Columbia, and has been named “Toastmaster of the Year” in South Carolina twice, one of only two Toastmasters ever to receive such award more than once.
But, for Victor, his greatest and proudest accomplishment is reflected in his children. As a widower since July 2007, he has spent the last 11+ years growing along with his kids: Noah, who is 18, and MacKenzie, who is 17. He is incredibly proud of the amazing individuals they have become. They are his greatest source of inspiration and joy, they are a blessing beyond words, they are love beyond limits …
they are Victor’s passion.
The purpose of my talk is to highlight the importance of two factors in our search for happiness. It can be best be described as “Do what you love, Love what you do”. But success and happiness are not always linked; many successful people are not happy. How do you achieve happiness even when you … Continue reading Living a Life of Passion