Program News 2006
Saying YES to Success
For the second year in a row, our corporate partners at Credit Suisse organized the YES (Youth Economic Success) conference for participants in our residential and foster boarding home programs. The YES conference is a day of workshops and speakers on the subjects of finance, budgeting, reaching personal goals and achieving economic success. “We want you to leave armed with the knowledge to map out your goals,” said Nicole Parent, the Credit Suisse conference organizer, in her opening remarks.
Keynote speaker Michael Port, a business advisor and personal coach who is the author of Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest and Most Reliable System For Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle, got the day off to a rousing start with an inspiring speech about goals for the future and how to make them a reality. Advising the audience to see work ideally as an opportunity to do what you love and to stand in the service of others, he asked them to consider questions like “What do we continuously do to bring our passion to the world?” and “What does your revolution look like?” The youth in attendance asked questions about dealing with rejection and choosing between various interests as well as sharing some of their dreams for the future and their plans of action.
Credit Suisse volunteers ran morning and afternoon sessions of the workshops Wealth Creation and The Real Deal About Credit. These workshops included information on budgeting, banking, how to build and repair credit and protection from identity theft as well as ‘Who Am I?’ profiles of successful big dreamers such as Oprah Winfrey, Los Angles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Virgin Records founder Sir Richard Branson. Rounding out the workshop schedule was Transforming Yourself for Greatness, facilitated by Cassandra Mack, the president of Strategies for Empowered Living Inc., and author of six books.
In between the workshop sessions, a Leadership Panel comprised of four successful Good Shepherd residential program alumni answered questions about balancing responsibilities, budgeting, overcoming personal challenges and making the adjustments involved in both moving into and out of structured living. The panelists recommended list-making and automatic payroll deductions; support from peers and professionals; and stressed that there are pros and cons to every way of living. “There are rules everywhere, even when you’re on your own,” said one panel member while advising a young woman in the audience who spoke of difficulty dealing with the rules of her residence, “Learn to deal with what you can. You never know what opportunities will come up, and the staff will always listen to you.”
After the panel and workshops, attendees were offered the opportunity to speak to the Credit Suisse volunteers about their individual budgeting, career and economic goals. The day closed out with raffle drawings for savings bonds and a performance by the Bronx Beacon MS 45 Community Center Steppers.
November 17, 2006
