When the bombs exploded at the Boston marathon on April 15, 2013, Bauman was standing at ground zero where he waited for his girlfriend to finish the race. Today a double amputee, Bauman shares his heart-warming story of survival despite overwhelming odds, and his drive to move forward.
Minutes before the catastrophe, Bauman made eye contact with a man who mysteriously dropped a backpack to the ground and walked away. Coming out of life-saving surgery, and still groggy, Bauman insisted on telling what he saw and knew. Unable to find his voice, Bauman penned a short note of 8 words for police – “bag, saw the guy, looked right at me,” - which launched the country’s manhunt to find the two suspects. Described as inspiring, resilient, perseverant and optimistic, Bauman told the Reader’s Digest during an interview in May 2014 his favorite word is faith. “I think you have to have faith that everything’s always going to work out, and faith that the people around you will be there when you need them.” From his co-authored memoir, Stronger, Jeff says, “But I know something else, too: bad people are rare. Good people are everywhere.”
In addition to a keynote speaker, JCC’s Leadership Day program features sessions on team building and goal setting. The program was launched in 2008 to enhance and develop leadership skills of students.
Last year, the program was recognized by the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities with the 2013 Northeast Region Program of the Year designation.
Area high schools interested in learning more about JCC’s Leadership Day Program should contact the JCC Admissions Office at 315-786-2277.
