Don’t miss the opportunity to meet Collin College alumna Mackenzie and her father, John Baldwin, as they discuss their book Almost Gone: Twenty-Five Days and One Chance to Save Our Daughter. Free and open to the public, The Dignity Initiative will host the presentation at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Plano Campus Living Legends conference center. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the presentation.
According to Sherry Rhodes, Collin College communications professor and co-chair of the Dignity committee, the Baldwins’ will share the true story of Mackenzie’s secret online romance and the manipulation and control that led her to secure a secret passport to leave the U.S. to marry a man in Kosovo. With the aid of her parents and the FBI, Mackenzie was alerted to the dangers of online dating.
Mackenzie notes that throughout her travels she discovered that she gets the most enjoyment from speaking to students about the book.
“Collin College played a huge role in helping me get my life back on track and as a Collin alumna, I feel a special connection with the students there.”
John describes his daughter as an independent, self-confident person.
“I would never have believed she would have fallen for something like this,” he said. “But, now, I realize that it truly can happen to anyone.”
In the aftermath of her traumatic experience, Mackenzie says she was faced with the decision to run from what she describes as an embarrassing situation or own it. She chose the latter.
“I was so wrapped up in him and believed he was the only one for me, and then, all at once, it shattered,” she said. “Many times, people don’t realize that they are being manipulated. In fact, that is how manipulation works. By telling my story, I hope that people will look at their situations with more clarity and be able to make a change if needed, before it’s too late.”
The Dignity Initiative is a Collin College-based organization which works to raise awareness and inspire action on issues of violence against and oppression of women. For more information about The Dignity Initiative and upcoming events, visit www.collin.edu/community/dignity/.