College Prep Talk

 Today we spoke to a group of 12^th graders from Dominique Johnson’s enrichment class at Mercer University’s Upward Bound Program.  After dividing the students into groups, they were asked to come up with a name before answering a series of questions. The names for some were predictable while others were completely random. We then asked the students to pull out three sheets of paper and put their team’s name on top of each sheet.

Question 1-How many colleges and universities can you name?

Clark Atlanta University, MIT, Yale, FAMU, were just a few of the many that were named. One team named over 40 schools in two minutes. They were all working together actively and had more than one person writing names at a time.

Question 2-How many professions can you name?

 Zoologist, OB/GYN, F.B.I. agent, nurse, lawyer and computer programmer were some of the names listed for that question from all the groups.

Question 3-How many countries can you name?

Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Egypt, England, Chile, and Japan were some of the names for that category. It was clear that these students were quite aware of colleges, professions and countries around them.

They were very receptive of the group activity and interested in learning more about college life. Tonja spoke to the students about her alma mater Fisk University. And students asked some really great questions about what they should expect in their college experiences.

I very much enjoyed speaking with the students, answering their questions and hearing their thoughts, opinions and goals for lives after high school.

Wonderful Kids!

Valerie Simmons

Program Assistant

...well that went well.

...well that went well. Not!

I just left a meeting and I can say that it did not go well at all. But I realized that calling the meeting itself was simply premature. I realized that before I start organizing for board members and partnerships, I must concentrate on completing development process first... and not simultaneously as previously thought. But hey, this is a learning process, so that is what I am here to do. Needless to say, the meeting gave me more focus and ambition to work hard towards my goals.

Everything is a lesson learned.

Out!

Cultural Connection

Today, I attended the Cultural Connection Jazz Concert at the Douglass Theatre. Before the show began, I sat eavesdropping on a news anchor's interview with a young high school student from Houston County. She asked what brought him so far  (all the way to Macon) for this concert. He responded, that he was a percussionist in a youth symphony in Middle Georgia and very much interested in the Kalimba instrument that would be featured in today's concert. He knew all about the African instrument and was excited to hear it live. This being a performance to kick off black history month, the anchor went on to ask him why he felt it was important celebrate black history? And his response was unexpected. Paraphrasing, he shared that celebrating black history is simply a way to learn about a culture different from his own. Understanding the history and culture of all people is important to him as an American. I thought that was great to hear from a young student, especially given that he was white. It gave me a sense that there is much promise for the future generation after all.

Anyhow, the concert was amazing. If you missed it, you missed a treat. Cultural Connection!

Valerie Simmons, Kevin Spears (Kalimba Artist), and Me!

Family Fun!

We are celebrating my aunt Tonja's birthday with a little Superbowl fun!! Heeeeeey!

#theworldisours

The Flyer is ready to send out to the world!

I hope everyone can come out and support!

Join the festivities!
#theworldisours

There's an App for that!

So, thanks to Cierra Jenkins, my social media expert, I now have an app for that!  My blog... The World is Ours can now be found in your virtual play store or app store. This is great for the launch of the blog.... set for Wednesday, February 6, 2013. Join the party online or at Ingleside Pizza [Mercer Village]. Everyone is invited!

I am so excited because of the level of support that I have been receiving from everyone. It really makes my heart swell with love. :) People are just amazing. Cierra was so smart to come up with the idea and follow through with developing the app. She said she was just excited to be a part of something bigger than herself.   This program is about just that. Inspiring youth to be a part of something bigger than them. To join forces and place themselves in a world where they can be leaders, change makers, and inspirations all their own.

It looks like things are really coming together and I am ready to share with it the world.

Blog Launch... 6 days away! Get excited!!! Then get the app!

Rising Star

Today, we had a consultation with Michael D. Jordan of Rising Star Consultants. Though we thought we were ready to incorporate right then and there, he encouraged us to take a little bit more time. We needed to do another brainstorm for the name because the one we chose was a little too... common. We must also take some time to re-strategize who we want for the board of directors. Basically... we need to simply take care in what we are doing and ...be patient. Some great advice from a man who knows! The session was very helpful and we look forward to working with MJ and the company in the future.

No matter where you are... you can go higher!