Event: New Jersey storytellers share how tough conversations changed their lives

Rebecca King
NorthJersey

A sheriff, a supermodel, an activist, a precocious student and a doctor walk into a movie theater. They begin to tell stories about tough conversations that changed their lives.

No joke — this will be the scene on April 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ridgefield Park AMC during “Conversations that Changed Everything: A night of storytelling,” presented by Holy Name Medical Center and USA TODAY’s Storytellers Brand Studio series.

Lovers of captivating storytelling and inspirational tales will listen in as these influential New Jersey residents retell the momentous conversations that made them see things differently.

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Christian Fuscarino

Christian Fuscarino.

A Belmar native, Christian Fuscarino has been an activist and community organizer for over a decade. He has fought for LGBTQ rights through his work with GLSEN, the Pride Connections Center of New Jersey, through which he won a student Emmy award for a PSA about gay inner-city youth, and The Pride Network, which he founded in 2008. Fuscarino has also worked to mobilize Jews to speak out against inequality with Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, and to break the cycle of poverty for low-income children and families with the Educational Alliance. Because of his activism, in 2016 Fuscarino was named the second-most-influential advocate in New Jersey politics by PolitickerNJ, and was among The Observer’s Power List 100.

Emme

Supermodel Emme signs copies of (201) during the eighth Women for Women event at The Terrace in Paramus.

Former supermodel Emme (born Melissa Owens Miller) now works as a fashion designer and advocate for body positivity and self-esteem. She has created multiple clothing lines, including EMME, Me by EMME and True Beauty by EMME. She is also the first model advocate to speak before a congressional subcommittee, during which she spoke about increasing awareness about body image disorders. Emme is also a mom, TV personality, cancer survivor and public speaker.

Kaity Assaf

Kaity Assaf.

Kaity Assaf has been an activist since she was in Clifton High School, where she worked during her senior year to get Eid Al-Adha, an Islamic holiday, designated a public school holiday. In 2018 she moderated the Orange Township City Council Westward Debate, and in 2019 she was a co-lead organizer of the Women’s March on New Jersey. She is currently a junior at Rutgers University-Newark majoring in political science. During her time in college she interned for Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. and was the executive editor of the Rutgers Observer Newspaper. She hopes to become an international human rights lawyer and political correspondent after graduating.

Anthony Cureton

Sheriff Anthony Cureton.

Sheriff Anthony Cureton has served in Bergen County’s police force, the largest law enforcement agency in the state, for more than 28 years. Cureton is charged with leading 600 officers in protecting the nearly 1 million people living in Bergen. A lifelong Englewood resident, Cureton has served as the director of inmate social services and education, was a member of Gov. Phil Murphy’s transition team, was on boards for organizations such as the Calvary Care Afterschool Program, CarePlus NJ and the Bergen County African American Advisory Board, and is the president of Bergen County’s branch of the NAACP.

Charles Vialotti

Dr. Charles Vialotti at Holy Name Medical Center.

Dr. Charles Vialotti is the medical director at Villa Marie Claire Residential Hospice in Saddle River, part of Holy Name Medical Center. Vialotti attended Columbia College and got his medical degree at New York Medical College. In his work, he helps patients and families make the right decisions regarding hospice care and treats people with advanced illnesses to relieve their symptoms.

Tickets are $10. Ridgewood AMC is at 75 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park; 551-999-6481, tickets.usatoday.com/e/holy-name-conversations.