Keynote Speaker at The GRAD Mentoring Program Event

On September 29, 2010, I was the invited keynote speaker for the school year kick-off program for the GRAD (Graduation Results in Achieving Dreams) Mentoring Program in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The mentoring program focuses on developing at risk underrepresented youth (middle school and high school students) by matching these students with a mentor who can help develop them and keep our students focused on excelling in the classroom.

I had the opportunity to speak with the mentors and mentees in the program as well as facilitating a goal setting activity. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to our youth about the importance of earning an education, setting and achieving goals, and the value of having a mentor. The entire experience during this program was moving to see the passion and hope in each of of these students. It is always rewarding to have the chance to speak to our youth and impact their lives positively.

Here are some testimonials from my speech:

"The workshop was great! It was inspirational for the youth to hear about your experiences and how you got to where you are now. Your words were very encouraging!" Ana Rivera, Program Coordinator, GRAD Mentoring Program

"Thank you for your presentation and workshop this evening. My mentee and I found it very practical and motivating." Mentor Participant, GRAD Mentoring Program