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Chamique Holdsclaw, a powerful mental health advocate, Olympic Gold Medalist, and WNBA Hall of Famer, will serve as keynote speaker for Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo’s 2026 “Doing the Dream” events in February.

This annual event, now in its 22nd edition, is designed to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to keep alive his commitment to justice, service, and unity within students and our community.

“This year’s Doing the Dream, set for Feb. 5 and 6, is focused on the role mental health plays in living a successful life with athletics serving as the example,” said Dr. Ethan Heicher, chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. “Our keynote speaker, hailed as the ‘female Michael Jordan,’ has lived the heights and depths of athletic success and mental illness, and will be here to offer hope and help to others negotiating these challenges.”

The traditional community banquet is set for Thursday, Feb. 5, in Hingst Hall on the Ivy Tech Kokomo Campus. On Friday, Feb. 6, Holdsclaw will share her experiences and her wisdom in a convocation with Ivy Tech faculty and staff and area high school and college students.

Tickets for the Feb. 5 banquet go on sale Jan. 9 and will be available at this link: ivytech.edu/DoingtheDream.

The event annually brings leaders from throughout the community together with a distinguished speaker to address issues of local, state, and national importance. Individual tickets are $60 each and will be available until Jan. 29 unless sold out earlier. All proceeds support the Ivy Tech Kokomo “Doing the Dream” Scholarship as well as mental health services for students at Ivy Tech, with a goal of raising $10,000 this year.

“As we celebrate the legacy of Dr. King and our ongoing commitment to using scholarships to break down barriers to higher education, we also recognize the importance of mental health services in supporting student success,” said Dr. Theresa Murphy, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and co-chair of the 2026 Doing the Dream Committee. “This year’s proceeds will go toward both initiatives to empower students in overcoming obstacles and achieving their academic goals.”

Donations also can be made by visiting ivytech.edu/givenow.

Angie Martin, executive director of Human Resources for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area and co-chair of the 2026 Doing the Dream Committee, said the College is honored to welcome Chamique Holdsclaw to the Kokomo community.

“While the community banquet is a meaningful part of this event, her message will resonate not only with our community, but with our students and local high school athletes,” Martin said. “I know how meaningful it is for young people to hear from someone who reminds them they are not alone and that success includes caring for both mental health and personal well-being.”

Holdsclaw became prominent as a basketball superstar in the 1990s and has amassed a lengthy list of honors at the state and national levels. After leading her high school team to four straight New York state championships, she led the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers to a record-setting three straight NCAA national championships. She was part of the American team that brought home Olympic gold in 2000; her WNBA career included playing 11 years and earning WNBA Hall of Fame status.

On the court, Holdsclaw was seen as filled with focus and drive. Underneath, she was pushing down mental health issues that eventually led to a total mental and physical breakdown. Depression, manic episodes, a suicide attempt. Following a life-altering incident that brought her mental health challenges to the forefront, she received a long-overdue diagnosis of bipolar disorder and severe anxiety. This moment became a catalyst for healing, self-understanding, and purpose.

Holdsclaw undertook a long journey learning how to manage her illness, sharing the realities in her autobiography Breaking Through: Beating the Odds Shot after Shot. She came back just as fierce as before, but this time her focus is on mental health and wellness. Now hailed as an inspirational speaker, Holdsclaw is coming to Kokomo to share her story with the goal of helping others as they deal with mental health issues impacting them or their loved ones.

Once again, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) is speaker sponsor for the event.

Ivy Tech Kokomo’s “Doing the Dream: A Cultural Celebration” has been an annual event for the community and local students designed to embrace and celebrate cultural diversity as expressed by Dr. King. “Over the last 21 years, we estimate more than 30,000 people – school children, high school and college students, teachers and faculty members, religious and civic leaders, and community members – have participated in ‘Doing the Dream’ activities,” Heicher said.