Friday, July 24, 2009

Promising Young Youth

I spent this morning with two of my staff members and 171 high school students... in one room... for 90 minutes. They were loud, they were silly, sometimes they weren't paying attention so we had to blow a whistle and throw them candy... but boy were they inspiring.

Each year the Career Services Center in conjunction with Marquette University's Public Affairs Office hosts students from the Earn and Learn Summer Youth Internship Program.

I always say that the best part of my job is having the privilege of hearing students share their personal goals and dreams. These student participants were no exception.

The workshop we facilitated walked them through a series of activities helping them contemplate their interests, skills, and values and how those fit into careers.

Asking someone to think about and share a dream career (one you dream of doing without worrying about skill level or income) is often tough. These students weren't shy at all... here are some the goals and dreams they shared. I hope they inspire hope as well as laughter for you as they did for me.

  • Move to Africa, learn how to build drums, move back to the US and open a drumming shop for making and learning to play African drums
  • Marry LeBron James
  • Become a professional musician and teach at the college level
  • Become a scientist who works on stopping the spread of AIDS
  • Join the police academy and become a detective in New York City
  • Own a $7 million home and charge people to come see the inside
  • Become a medical doctor and open a free clinic in the neighborhood where I grew up
  • Open a residence for teen mothers that includes a clean, safe place for them to learn how to best care for themselves and their babies

We have so much promise in our youth. We have so much promise in ourselves as well. Never stop pursuing your dreams!

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