As a speaker on diversity, Yes Duffy, the graffiti artist turned activist from MTV's Road Rules, has quite an interesting background to draw from. Born half-Thai, half-Irish, Yes' life is a combination of three polar social settings, an upper class community in New England, a politically and culturally diverse community in California, and a traditional Thai community. Since the divorce of his parents, a typical holiday season would find Yes praying with his Buddhist mother, singing Hebrew verses with his Jewish stepfather, and attending midnight mass. The need to understand and adapt to different cultures is something that became a habit which Yes hopes to be able to bring to his audience.

	"Being on MTV's Road Rules and Challenge 2000 has given me an opportunity to reach out to a large audience and try to help them through the difficulties associated with coming in contact with new cultures," says Yes. "I hope I can motivate kids and their parents to think about some important social issues that they usually don't think will affect them. Coming into college is traumatic, because everything you've learned up until then about people and cultures is challenged. I just hope some of my experiences can make the process more enjoyable and fulfilling." Yes has quite a bit to say about other topics that have affected his life, such as HIV/AIDS awareness, gun control, Asian awareness and the tobacco industry. You may have already seen Yes in the new "the truth" campaign against the tobacco industry. Yes Duffy is one of those people who enriches those around him and reaches out to help even more.