Diveheart - Divers with Disabilities Find Peace in the Water
Our speakers for our October 23rd meeting, Jim Elliott and Tinamarie Hernandez, were featured in the cover story of Rotary Magazine's August 2025 issue. The organization they run, Diveheart, helps children, veterans and others with disabilities through adaptive scuba opportunities and scuba therapy.
One of their students mentioned in the Rotary magazine article, Amber Rangel, who was paralyzed in a waterski accident, lives in the Rockford area and sne is hoping to attend the meeting as well. She currently substitute teaches in RPS205 and may not be able to miss work that day.
Jim Elliott left a successful career in the media business to launch Diveheart a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization that helps build confidence and independence in children, veterans and others with disabilities through zero gravity and Scuba Therapy. Diveheart seeks to instill the can-do spirit in its participants. Diveheart doesn’t discriminate when it comes to working with people with disabilities and serves cognitively and physically impaired individuals worldwide.
Since 2001 Elliott, who is a volunteer with no salary, has initiated Scuba Therapy research with university medical centers around the country, including the first study on Autism and Scuba Therapy and the world’s most innovative Adaptive Scuba Training program for instructors, dive buddies and Adaptive Divers. He also lectures and trains dive professionals in the “Business of Adaptive Scuba”.
Tinamarie Hernandez is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, helping them recognize their unique value and embrace their potential. After a 26-year career in technology consulting at Accenture, she transitioned full-time into nonprofit leadership as Executive Director of Diveheart. In this role, she has devoted her passion and expertise to creating opportunities for individuals of all abilities to experience freedom, confidence, and healing through adaptive scuba diving.
With a deep commitment to building inclusive communities, Tinamarie has helped expand the Diveheart reach across the globe. She has shared her message of hope and healing at over 50 leading institutions and conferences, including the Mayo Clinic, and was most recently honored as an Everyday Disability Hero at the 2024 Springboard Consulting Disability Matters North American Conference & Awards.
Her work is rooted in a simple belief: everyone has the ability to redefine their story when given the right tools and encouragement. Tinamarie’s message uplifts, inspires, and reminds us that hope can often surface in the most unexpected places—sometimes, even underwater.
This will be an interesting and informative program and one you will want to bring a friend or prospective member to join us in person at Memorial Hall or via Zoom.
President Paul will introduce our presenters and act as Rotary Host.
Andy Newgren is Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and an Associate Professor at Rockford University, where he teaches information literacy and concentrates on information-seeking behavior, critical-information literacy, and theological librarianship. He has presented and published on the intersection of theology and critical librarianship, with his most recent book chapter titled “Revelatory Reading: Understanding, Critiquing, and Unveiling Religious News Stories.” A converted east coaster, Andy received his M.L.I.S. at Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey and his M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary where he was the Director of Academic Technology before returning to the Midwest. Andy also teaches in the education, religion, and first-year seminar programs.
As the program title implies, Andy will talk about Artificial Intelligence and its effect on our daily lives. This will be an informative program about something that has invaded most aspects of our lives. This will be an excellent opportunity to bring a guest ore prospective member to join us in person at Memorial Hall or via zoom.
Elise Cadigan will introduce our presenter and act as Rotary host.
Kathy Kwiat-Hess, Rockford Rotary liaison for Rockford Reads, reads “Where Are You From?” to students on Oct. 8 at Constance Lane Elementary School in Rockford.
Students listen to Kathy Kwiat-Hess, Rockford Rotary liaison.
Rockford Reads
Literacy partnership kicks off 24th year!
Students, teachers and volunteers gathered in the library of Constance Lane Elementary School to participate in the kickoff of the 24th year of Rockford Reads, a volunteer reading program initiated by the Rockford Rotary Club "Rockford Reads" program launched in 2001, when the Rockford Rotary Club partnered with the Rockford Public Library and Rockford Public Schools to create a volunteer reading program that matched adults with second and third grade students.
“We really emphasize that with the students we work with,” Kathy Kwiat-Hess, Rockford Rotary liaison for Rockford Reads, said. “We encourage them to go home and maybe read to their parents, read with their parents, read with their siblings.”
According to Kwiat-Hess, the volunteer group works with teachers, librarians, and students to select books that pique students’ interests or resonate with them. Some of the books include “Where Are You From?” by Yamile Saied Méndez, a picture book that explores different children’s ancestry and culture.
“Reading is huge. It’s a part of our daily lives as adults,” Kwiat-Hess said. “We all know that it’s how we succeed, one of the most important components to success in life.”
For more info about the program and volunteering, please visit rockfordrotary.org.
We will continue to serve lunches for $12 each week. We currently are having food from the Beef-A-Roo, but we will alternate each month between Beef-A-Roo and the Sandwich Shop. Monica will be more than happy to take your money for lunch.
