Sept. 13, 2018- Free and open to the public, Collin College will host “Almost Gone: Twenty-five Days and One Chance to Save our Daughter” from 6-8 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Plano Campus Living Legends Conference Center, 2800 East Spring Creek Parkway. Hosted by The Dignity Initiative, the event will conclude with a book signing. Representatives from various community organizations will be available before and after the presentation.
According to Sherry Rhodes, Collin College communications professor and co-chair of the Dignity committee, John Baldwin and his daughter, Mackenzie, 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.
“I was so wrapped up in him and believed he was the only one for me, and then, all at once, it shattered,” Mackenzie 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/.
Collin College serves more than 55,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates. The only public college in the county, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and work force development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which serves 3,200 additional students each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Tech and the University of North Texas.