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AVAILABLE TO BOOK EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THE SAFE AND SOUND SPEAKERS BUREAU
In 2016, Molly B. Hudgens made national headlines for her courageous intervention in preventing a mass shooting at Sycamore Middle School, where she successfully talked a student with a loaded handgun out of committing the act. Her bravery, faith, and deep understanding of the student’s needs during the 90-minute encounter, earned her the Congressional Medal of Honor Citizens Award for a single act of heroism. With two decades of experience in education and extensive studies on school shootings and those who commit these acts, Hudgens offers schools and organizations practical, evidence-based strategies for navigating crisis situations. Her powerful story and expert insights resonate deeply with audiences, empowering them to foster strong support systems, resilience, and safe environments for both staff and students. In addition to inspiring audiences through her presentations, Hudgens continues to serve as a school counselor at Sycamore Middle School.
WHY
Book
Molly
FOR YOUR EVENT?
“Molly Hudgens' presentation was truly one of the most impactful experiences our staff has had. Her storytelling ability and her powerful, first-hand insights into school safety kept everyone engaged from start to finish. Her compelling message resonated deeply with our team, shedding light on the vital role of building positive relationships with students. As one staff member put it, 'This was possibly the most impactful professional learning activity I have had in 27 years.' Molly’s story of resilience and her dedication to working with our unique student population not only inspired but empowered us to continue reaching out to our students. We are grateful for her insight, her authenticity, and her timely and relevant message on a topic that affects us all.”
—Taylor Stowe, Director of Professional Learning, Mountain Education Charter High School
WHO
Books
Molly
?
Molly’s lived experience inspires every audience she speaks to, driving them to prepare for a moment where they might be called to “step into the gap” and intervene with a student in crisis. She is popular with a ride range of organizations, including:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Knoxville
Edmonton Police Service, Alberta, Canada
National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO)
California Association for School Counselors
Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Secuity Agency
Indiana Department of Education
Iowa Dare Association
Michigan State Police
Kentucky Center for School Safety
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Center for School and Campus Safety
Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network
Virginia School Counselor Association
Coastal Plains Regional Educational Service Agency
Region 9 Education Service Center
Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES
Buena Park Mayor’s Office
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Get Inspired
TO BRING
Molly
TO YOUR NEXT EVENT!
SPEAKER
Topics Include
Mental & Behavioral Health
Culture, Climate & Community
Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Support
Identifying & Supporting At-Risk Students
Intervention Strategies
MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support)
Averted School Violence Case Studies
School Shooters: Profiles & Prevention
Trauma-Informed Practices
Childhood Trauma & Adverse Experiences
Recovery & Resilience After Tragedy
Lessons Learned from Tragedy
Special Education Considerations
Signature
PRESENTATIONS
Click on the titles to learn more about each signature presentation and fill out the form below to book for your next event.
Saving Sycamore: The School Shooting That Never Happened
45-minute to 1-hour keynote and Q&A/Meet & Greet
Molly shares the story of how she prevented a school shooting on September 28, 2016. Hudgens’ retelling of the event walks the audience through the specifics of the incident that took place in her office and highlights previous training that affected her decision-making process during the event. Hudgens speaks boldly of her faith throughout and challenges those in attendance to remember that every human interaction matters and that one life can make a difference.
Perspectives In Prevention: From Sandy Hook to Sycamore
1-2 Hour Keynote
Presented in braided format with Sany Hook parent. Founder and executive director, Michele Gay, this moving presentation contrasts two pathways to violence. Exploring numerous opportunities, practical strategies, and best practices for intervention, Michele and Molly the power of each of us collectively to change the trajectory of an individual on the pathway to violence.
The Dissection & Intervention of an “Almost” School Shooter: How Recognizing Red Flags Can Prevent Tragedy
90-minute to 3-hour Keynote and Q&A/Meet & Greet
In this workshop, Hudgens, a 21-year veteran of education, guides the audience through the entire ninety minutes of the day she stopped a school shooting using pictures and her first-person account. Designed to teach professionals how to recognize and respond to young people in crisis, Hudgens’ dissection of “The School Shooting that Never Happened” parallels an in-depth psychological study of school shooters with the behaviors and actions of the young man at her school for the year leading up to and the day of his incident. Hudgens’ explanation will demonstrate how 18 years of research into the psychological mindset of violent teenage offenders on campus prepared her to “Recognize the Red Flags” she used to save her life and that of others at her school that day…including the young man involved.
Participants will leave prepared to make changes to their crisis plans in order to include not only recognition of potential offenders and threat assessment tools, but also how to incorporate interventions through mental health counseling, student connectedness, and staff preparedness.
Saving Sycamore: How Faith & Prayer Averted a Mass Shooting
45-minute to 1-hour Keynote and Q&A/Meet & Greet
On September 28, 2016, Molly Hudgens, a school counselor at Sycamore Middle School in Pleasant View, Tennessee, averted a mass shooting when a fourteen-year-old eighth grader armed with a fully-loaded, semi-automatic handgun and additional ammunition came to her with a plan to harm people on campus. It would take ninety minutes, and praying with the young man on her knees beside him before he would relinquish the weapon. In her testimony presentation, Hudgens shares how her faith was paramount in preventing a massacre at her school and explains in detail how God prepared her for a spiritual battle that would take place on holy ground in a public school.
Saving Sycamore: How to Avert a Mass Shooting on Your Campus
90-minute Keynote and Q&A/Meet & Greet
On September 28, 2016, Molly Hudgens, a school counselor at Sycamore Middle School in Pleasant View, Tennessee, averted a mass shooting when a fourteen-year-old eighth grader armed with a fully-loaded, semi-automatic handgun and additional ammunition came to her with a plan to harm people on campus. He told her that she was the only person who could talk it him out of it. After ninety minutes and praying with the young man, he relinquished the weapon with no shots fired and no lives lost. In this presentation Hudgens shares the impact of relationships and school culture on preventing school violence while offering steps to strengthen the safety of students on your own school campuses.
The Best Plan You Hope to Never Use: Building a Crisis Plan
Recognizing Red Flags: An Educator’s Role in Preventing Teen Violence
6-hour Session
This session is designed to teach professionals how to recognize and respond to young people in crisis, Hudgens’ dissection of “The School Shooting that Never Happened” parallels an in-depth psychological study of school shooters with the behaviors and actions of the young man at her school for the year leading up to and the day of his incident. Hudgens’ explanation will demonstrate how 18 years of research into the psychological mindset of violent teenage offenders on campus prepared her to “Recognize the Red Flags” she used to save her life and that of others at her school that day…including the young man involved.
Participants will leave prepared to make changes to their crisis plans in order to include not only recognition of potential offenders and threat assessment tools, but also how to incorporate interventions through mental health counseling, student connectedness, and staff preparedness.
Our time with Molly yesterday was phenomenal. I had several people tell me that yesterday was the BEST training we have hosted at CPRESA. Nothing but positives from CPRESA.
—Tammy Sellers, Coastal Plains Regional Educational Service Agency
Speaker
BIOGRAPHY
On September 28, 2016, Molly Hudgens, a school counselor in Pleasant View, Tennessee, averted a school shooting when a fourteen-year-old eighth grader, armed with a semi-automatic handgun and an additional magazine of ammunition, came to her in the counseling department at Sycamore Middle School with a plan to harm people on their campus. He told her, “I think you’re the only person who can talk me out of this.” After ninety minutes of talking and ultimately praying with the young man on her knees beside him, Hudgens was able to convince the student to relinquish the weapon to her with no shots fired and no lives lost. As a result of her intervention, Hudgens became a 2017 recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Citizens Honor for a single act of heroism.
After a personal experience in college, her interest in violence prevention and safety sparked a desire to educate others who work with intervening in the lives of potentially violent teenagers. Her in-depth study on school shootings and the teenagers who commit these acts, “Recognizing Red Flags,” written prior to the averted school shooting incident at her school, has been utilized nationally to train professionals in the fields of education, law enforcement, juvenile probation, and juvenile court. The training focuses on understanding the three types of school shooters and how to use threat assessment tools as an intervention to prevent violent acts in a school and community setting.
Hudgens, the 2004-2005 and 2016-2017 Sycamore Middle School and Cheatham County Middle School Teacher of the Year, is also the 2017 recipient of the Tennessee School Counseling Association’s Phoebe White Award for Excellence in School Counseling and the 2019 Mental Health of the Midsouth's I.C. Hope Award for bringing mental health awareness to schools.
Hudgens has been the recipient of three state recognitions for heroic actions on September 28, 2016—a Proclamation from the Tennessee House of Representatives in October of 2016, House Resolution No. 66 from the Tennessee House of Representatives in March of 2017, and Senate Resolution No. 40 from the Tennessee State Senate in April of 2017. Mrs. Hudgens has also been a nominee for the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission as well as the American Hero Channel’s Red Bandanna Hero Award in 2017.