SCRANTON — South Abington Township native M.J. Dougherty, a SAG-AFTRA actor, author and motivational speaker, will deliver the commencement address at Lackawanna College on Saturday, May 20.
A graduate of Abington Heights High School and Penn State University, Dougherty is the author of the best-selling, award-winning book, “Life Lessons from a Total Failure.” A student of the world, Dougherty has lived and traveled the globe. He believes in the power of “learning through doing” and encourags people to live rather than simply exist.
Dougherty is currently touring the country on the “Red Umbrella Tour,” holding signings at Barnes and Noble Bookstores. As part of the tour, he is also speaking at colleges, universities and rehab, LGBT, and counseling centers about the value of embracing failure, letting go of pain and regret and striving for fulfillment in life. His powerful message resonates with readers, live audiences and TV audiences alike and has also caught the attention of Hollywood.
His life story, the subject of his book, is now in development for a sitcom, starring Dougherty himself. This sitcom will be produced by Anonymous Content, the production company that pffered the Golden Globe Award-winning “Mr. Robot” (USA) and the Emmy Award-winning “True Detective” (HBO), as well as the Academy Award-winning films “The Revenant” and “Spotlight.”
When Dougherty is not traveling the world sharing his failures and motivating people to achieve their dreams, he can frequently be found on the set of a TV show, singing wherever anyone will listen, or enjoying life in sunny Southern California.
Following his speech to the Class of 2017, Dougherty will present “Stories from NEPA, Hollywood, and the Red Umbrella Tour” from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 21 in the Peoples Security Bank Theater at Lackawanna College, 501 Vine St. Tickets are $10 and copies of his book will be available for purchase.
