Whitewater High School welcomed renowned motivational speaker Travis Howze Sept. 20 for a stop on his 2025 “Post Traumatic Purpose” tour. That’s how we fail each other.”Howze has spent the last 15 years as a public speaker, beginning as a stand-up comedian before transitioning into speaking about mental health. Whitewater Fire Chief Kelly Freeman expressed his gratitude for Howze, along with City Manager John Weidl and the late Greg Kent, a Whitewater High School graduate who helped fund paramedic school for aspiring students. “Lots of times we don’t even know what a mental health crisis looks like in our own people,” Howze said. Howze told several humiliating stories that tie to symptoms of trauma, adding that lives can change in an instant no matter where you are.