Jon Dorenbos has earned many titles. He is a survivor of a traumatic childhood, magician and season finalist on America’s Got Talent, and a long-snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles. Everything that he has experienced has made him who he is today. Jon has survived a very traumatic and unsettling childhood. In 1992, when Jon was at the age of 12, his father murdered his mother. His father was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Jon and his sister, Kristina, moved in with a temporary foster family to complete their school years. Following the school year, Jon and Kristina moved in with their Aunt, Susan. At this time, Susan had no children of her own, and devoted her time to Jon and Kristina, becoming the “best mom anyone could ask for” (Jon Dorenbos). Just before his 13th birthday, Jon started to get into magic. Magic became “an escape during a time of mourning and transition in his life” (Jon Dorenbos). He enjoyed the sleights and skills involved to use it well. He spent every day practicing and rehearsing in front of a mirror. Susan, Jon’s Aunt, had a friend, Ken Sands, who was a magician. Susan made the introduction, and Ken became a mentor, a friend, and a father figure for Jon for years to come. Ken taught Jon the fundamentals of trick, as well as how to find himself as a performer. Magic helped Jon cope with his childhood, and Jon still does magic today. (Jon Dorenbos) Jon Dorenbos has many titles awarded to him, and his life is anything but ordinary. Due to his traumatic childhood and life story, Jon is now a public motivational speaker. On Friday, March 31, he went to Rhythm City Casino in Bettendorf to perform magic and do a motivational speech. This just comes to show that amazing things do happen.