Scott Hagwood can memorize the sequence of nine decks of playing cards and 800 numbers in sequence in less than an hour. He is a four-time winner of the National Memory Championship and listed in the “Guinness Book of World Records” for his record-breaking feats of memory. As the speaker at Campbell University’s Friends of the School of Education dinner on March 22, Hagwood discussed how to improve one’s memory and the power of memory to change one’s life.”There are so many ways that memory empowers your life, from physical to spiritual,” Hagwood said. “Building your memory adds volume and density to the brain. It shows you how you think, increases the brain’s efficiency and, by creating new neural pathways, helps fight mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s.”According to Hagwood, when a person remembers something from one day to the next, the brain is slightly altered. Memory is a biochemical reaction that creates proteins causing the brain to physically change, but memory can also spiritually enrich one’s life.”I believe that is why the Lord asked us to dwell on all that is good and to keep his commandments in our hearts,” Hagwood said. “When we remember his words, our minds become transformed to be more like the mind of Christ.”Known as the Grand Master of Memory, Hagwood graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. While in school, he struggled with poor study habits and feelings of inadequacy due to insufficient memory capabilities. When he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, treatments caused Hagwood to lose his tenuous hold on memory altogether, and he decided to combat the effects by studying how memory works and transforming himself into a memory expert.Hagwood is the author of “Memory Power: You can Develop a Great Memory—America’s Grandmaster Shows you How.” His talents as a memory expert have also been featured in numerous magazine articles and television programs, including “Good Morning America, “The Today Show” and “People Magazine.””Strengthening your memory will hopefully be a springboard to other things,” said Hagwood. “Once you understand how to process and remember information, you can accomplish anything.”The purpose of the Friends of the School of Education is to provide advice, support advancement and assistance to the school. General membership to the organization, which includes the cost of dinner at the annual meeting, is $35. Students may join for $5.00. Lifetime membership is $1,000. For more information, contact the dean of the School of Education, Dr. Karen Nery, at (910) 893-1632.Photo Copy: National memory champion Scott Hagwood.
Friends of School of Education welcome national memory champ