PRESS RELEASES
Meet a Scientologist
PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA •
Scientology helped Gina Kugler imbue her life with a sense of calm and take it in the right direction.
The way Scientologist Gina Kugler of Palm Harbor, Florida, juggles career, family and volunteer work, she makes it all look effortless.
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA •
Lisa Cummins was homeschooling her son and three daughters in Dunedin, Florida, and the topic was American History, so she packed them up and took them up and down the East Coast, to see the historical landmarks they were learning about, including the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Empire State Building—and the Twin Towers just months before they came down.
Scientology inspired Barry Coziahr to reach out to others to create a better world.
Scientologist Barry Coziahr believes we can combat the violence that blights our cities, one person at a time, with The Way to Happiness, an entirely nonreligious, common-sense moral code written by L. Ron Hubbard.
His belief is based on personal observation.
CALIFORNIA, USA •
Scientology auditing—spiritual counseling—inspired Scientologist Karla Bartholomew to venture into the art world as a professional.
One of Scientologist Karla Bartholomew’s earliest memories is of a painting of the Grand Canyon by American artist, Thomas Moran. The painting, which hung in her grandmother’s home, has continued to inspire her work as an artist to this day.
I painted and drew for years, but it was only recently that I started displaying my work and considered painting as a career,” she says.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
Scientologist Graham Payne, a New Zealand-born business consultant living in Florida, found in Scientology the answers he was looking for.
Scientologist Graham Payne is a firm believer in the power of intention.
Just one example was a decision he made some 17 years ago.
“I was living in Chicago at the time,” says Payne. “Although my life was going fine, I sensed something was missing. I thought to myself, ‘I just want to be in love again.’”
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA •
Scientology helps Lea Wilson accomplish her goals in life.
Growing up, Lea Wilson knew what she wanted. And that’s exactly what she got. But life wasn’t always as straightforward or satisfying as it is today.
“What was really important to me was getting married and raising a family, but my attempts to find the right guy weren’t working,” says Wilson.
She had just ended a terrible relationship when her brother called her one day and asked how it was going.
“I burst into tears. It was horrible,” she says.
TAIWAN •
For Mei-Hui Huang of Ji’an Township, Taiwan, Dianetics and Scientology opened new vistas and improved the quality of her life. Her video is one of more than 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website at www.Scientology.org.
COLORADO •
Through Scientology, what was once a liability to Colleen May has proved to be one of her greatest assets.
Colleen May has never been satisfied with a pat answer. She remembers trying the patience of teachers and other grown-ups who demanded she take their word for things. She always insisted on knowing more.
So it came as a surprise to her, when introduced to Scientology by her fiancé Shawn in 2003, to discover that no one objected to her “attitude.”
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
Scientologist Meghan Panek proves the point that good things come in small packages.
Meghan Panek is a 4-foot-9-inch ball of energy whose favorite activity is—work.
HARLEM, NEW YORK •
Having found the answers she was looking for, Scientologist Phyllis Hargrow now helps others sort out their own lives.
Before finding Scientology, Phyllis Hargrow knew exactly what the problem was—it was the other guy. How things have changed.
FLORIDA •
Scientologist, singer and songwriter Dustin McGahee uses music to teach human rights.
Dustin McGahee, 21, combines a love of music with a passion for human rights. A singer and songwriter, McGahee uses his music to educate youth on the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the little-known document adopted by the United Nations in 1948.
“At 18, I began to realize there was more to life than just me, my friends, my family—I was living in a ‘bubble’,” says McGahee.
TAMPA BAY , FLORIDA •
For the past 10 years, Scientologist Judy Fagerman has been coordinating the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Tampa Bay, Florida. This is her story.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
Scientologist Monroe Kleiderman has been using Scientology to help others for more than three decades.
Traditional values and a strong sense of duty set the direction of Monroe Kleiderman’s life.
“I grew up in New York watching John Wayne take on the bad guys on TV,” he says. “It was important to me to help my country. From a young age, people were my priority. I wanted to take responsibility for others.”
UNITED STATES •
Before Scientology, Paris Morfopoulos would not have given odds on his reaching 30. Now 58, he counts himself one of the luckiest men alive.
Growing up in a rough-and-tumble mining town in Northern Canada, Paris Morfopoulos learned to rely on himself, his wits—and alcohol.
He gained the ability to talk his way out of a tough spot, defending himself only when he had to.
UNITED STATES •
Scientologist Patrick Valtin combined determination with a firm understanding of the works of L. Ron Hubbard to make a success of his own life and help others.
A name synonymous with business solutions, Scientologist Patrick Valtin has built a highly successful career by providing clients with the tools to make their work…work.
SOUTH AFRICA •
In a video featured on the Scientology Video channel, Peter Hayward credits L. Ron Hubbard administrative technology with the success of his safari operation.
Scientologist Peter Hayward, founder of Hayward’s Grand Safari Events & Expeditions, is passionate about preserving the natural resources and culture of his native Africa. His five-star luxury safaris inspire global government and business leaders and celebrities to champion sustainability.
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA •
Frances Clark was 50 in 1973 when she first encountered Scientology. Nearly 40 years later, at 88, she is still going strong.
Growing up in South Carolina during the Great Depression, Frances Clark had already graduated from high school and begun training as a nurse when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. With war declared, her once-sleepy Southern town was suddenly teeming with soldiers. They came from all over the country and all walks of life, and they were ready for action.
NEW YORK, NY •
Scientology Volunteer Minister, LPN and EMT Ayal Lindeman earned the 2011 Freedom Medal through his exemplary service to mankind.
At the 27th anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists in October 2011, Ayal Lindeman was awarded the IAS Freedom Medal for his humanitarian work as a Scientology Volunteer Minister.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA •
At 16, Scientologist Lynda Allender had to make an important choice. The past 36 years have proved she chose well.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA •
November is Prematurity Awareness Month. Scientologist Cindy Gainsforth knew nothing about the issue until she had to live with the consequences herself, following the premature birth of her son Orion in 2009.
Scientologist Cindy Gainsforth learned about the problems of premature birth the hard way.
“It was Saturday, September 5, 2009, at 6:05 p.m.,” she recalls. “When my water broke, I was 35 1/2 weeks along. My hospital bags were not even packed—nothing was prepared.”