Estes Summer 2024 Weekly Journals

Monday                                                                                             April 1, 2024

Today we had a guest speaker named Chaplain Bruce T. who went over Chapters 5 and 6 of Living in the Village by Ryan C. Mack. Chapter 5 was all about estate planning and the importance of having a will, which was all new information for many of us. We also did not know that seven out of 10 people die without a will. Next, we went over Chapter 6’s topic: credit. We learned what FICO stands for (Fair Isaac Corporation) and what is considered a poor, below average, average, good, and great FICO score. After going over all of that information, we took a test on Chapter 4, which Bruce T. reviewed with us last week—but before that, he gave our emcee, Ryan B., a Wheel of Doom. It was really hilarious and one of the best ones so far.

The test on Chapter 4 was super easy for us because we studied hard for it. After the test, we watched a film about how to fill out PEP’s Family Form. We will need to fill out this form and give it to our Family Liaison so that she can provide class updates to our loved ones. The video was very helpful, and we are all excited to meet our Family Liaison soon so that she can start reaching out to our families.

After the video, we went over a PowerPoint presentation about marketing strategy. Kyle W. explained to us what we would need to include in our business’s marketing strategy. He said that we would need to write our own “Market, Competition and Differentiation” script for our own business plans. Afterwards we went to lunch.

When we returned from lunch, we did our Toastmasters speeches. Once we were dismissed and went back to the dorm, we held pitch panels. Today was a great day, and we are excited for what’s to come. Thanks PEP for everything!

Gregory D. (aka “Mr. Miogi”)

Tuesday                                                                                            April 2, 2024

Today was a good and productive day for us. It was test day; it was also a day for Toastmasters, where we could see the growth in our classmates and their public speaking abilities. There were a few things that were said today that really resonated with us. It was our PEP brother Sunday L. who said in his Toastmasters speech that love was the most important thing. It reminded us of something that we read that morning about how love is one of the most important things you can give to your children because it helps them grow and know they are very important to you. We all have been doing our best in the class, and it really shows—a lot of love is being spread throughout this program; it is awesome.

We took the test today, and we all think that we studied hard enough that we all passed. It was about mission statements which describe company goals and market strategies – both of which are super important for a company. Once we all finished the test, we came back to the PEP classroom and practiced our business pitches. We were glad to get the chance to practice, since we have an event coming up later this week. We all want to do great on our test; we also feel pretty confident that we will do very well at Friday’s Big Idea Pitch event.

We want to thank everyone involved in PEP, and especially Gerald D. and Adam W. for all that they do for us!

 Johnnie D. (aka “Buckwheat”)

Wednesday                                                                                      April 3, 2024

Today we had a volunteer come in and teach us some really good information on this book the whole class is reading called Living in the Village. Bruce T. taught us about getting your house in order by obtaining and maintaining up-to-date estate planning documents. He talked about “estate tax” vs. “gift tax,” as well as the four key components of an estate plan: a Last Will and Testament, a Durable Springing Financial Power of Attorney, a Living Will and a Health Care Proxy.

We also had another guest come in after him named Michelle G., and she was awesome. She talked about how to “build the business” and establish an operation. She talked about a number of distinct actions that must be taken in order for a new business to begin operation (location, financing considerations, legitimacy, production management, quality, a critical path chart and time management). She did great and gave a lot of valuable information and pointers that will really help us. She was fun to listen to and taught it in a fun way too. She broke everything down and made it to where it was easy to learn. We are so thankful for everything.

This program is absolutely amazing. It really does transform lives and helps get us prepared for when we go home. PEP motivates us and brings us together as a brotherhood. We want to be great men and achieve greatness; this PEP lifestyle is the way to go. The information we’ve received and the character building we’re engaged in are both super important to our lives moving forward.   

Jose G. (aka “Taylor Swift”)

Thursday                                                                                         April 4, 2024

Hello there! We had another really good day today in PEP, as always. We started off with a pray-in, which was really heartfelt. Then we had the Word of the Day: transformation. Our PEP brother Jacob G. shared that he had to transform to become the man he is today, and that it took a lot of work to transform both his mind and body. It was a great word of the day to say the least.

After that, we went over some of the new scripts dealing with market strategy and our upcoming competition, along with what specifically makes our company different. We got our new teams together and figured out which of us is going to be the operations, financial, and marketing guys. That was really cool to find out who we are going to be working with for the next couple of months. We are all excited to get started on our journey with our teammates to win this end-of-class Business Plan Competition (BPC). After that, we got together in groups to discuss some of the things we’ll need for our company, and we made sure to get some input from each team member too.

Then they called us out for lunch, so we went and ate. We returned to our pod (dorm) and waited to return to the classroom. However, we didn’t realize that this afternoon was a Clubhouse session for the guys who just graduated from the last class, so we stayed back in the pod and got caught up on our assignments. Overall it was a great day, and we cannot wait to have another one!

Humberto G. (aka “Pillsbury Doughboy”)

Friday                                                                                                April 5, 2024

Today was a very fun day and a great end to our week. We held our Big Idea Pitch event, and it was a full day of love, fun and growth. We started out in the PEP classroom turning in homework and praying in. Because we knew we did not have class, it was a little rowdy at first, but our emcees managed to get everyone seated and calmed down while they went over the agenda.

Next, we all got up and danced around the room to different genres of music. David C. (aka “PEP Jelly Roll”) blessed us with his rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey.” After that, the executives started arriving, and we got settled back down to start practicing our pitches to the first few executives to arrive. As this was going on, we started getting pictures taken. We all went and ate chow, came back and regrouped to transition over to the gymnasium.

Once we arrived at the gym, we were welcomed warmly, PEP style, into the pitching area. Shortly thereafter, we split into our quadrants and started pitching to 10 executives at a time. Once we pitched to the first group, we moved to the next quadrant and pitched to the next group of 10 executive volunteers. We gave it our all, fought the jitters and handled the task at hand. After all of that, we had one-on-one’s with as many executives as we could. It was a wonderful experience getting to visit with and receive feedback from strangers who showed so much care for and interest in us.

Finally, to wrap everything up, we heard testimony from four fellow participants and were introduced to three executives who were new to PEP. Then we prayed out, said our goodbyes to the executives and headed back to our pods. We all had a great day and are extremely grateful to be here. Thank you PEP!

Eric G. (aka “The Englishman”)

Expressions

“People’s lives are forever controlled by two emotions: fear and greed.”

~ Robert T. Kiyosaki

I constantly work to control my thoughts and emotions. I’ve seen this play out over and over in my life: when my emotions go up, intelligence goes down. I’ve learned the truth and wisdom shared in this quote by the author of Rich Man, Poor Man. So much of life is out of our control. I’ve learned to focus on what I do have control over: myself. For things to change, first I must change. I have decided to be free and live life; I no longer allow my emotions to control me. I love my family; I will smile and be filled with joy because I know that this is important to me. If I don’t change, how would I be happy and successful and give my loved ones a foundation to build upon?

Every man wants to create a legacy and be remembered as a man who lived for his values, virtues, principles and family. The more I read books, the more I learn to be a better man so I can help my family by being a better person. Helping people helps me to be better. Loving others such as my family members will help me grow and learn to control my emotions.

A man’s capacity to think increases with his ability to control his emotions. If your emotions are under control, you will be more productive. With guidance and help from people who know how to handle what you’ve been through, you will never be alone.

Conrado G. (aka “Count Dracula”)

Monday                                                                                             March 25, 2024

Hello today was a good day in class, starting with a pray-in. We had a volunteer executive come in today named Bruce T., who spoke about insurance straight out of the Living in the Village book, Chapter 4. Bruce T. is a very cool person because he taught us that insurance plans – including life insurance – are only good for a certain amount of time. He opened our eyes and showed us that most of the insurance plans can be scams, so we have to be careful which ones to pick. He also discussed car insurance types and the risk in investing money into cars that are going to drop in value in the next couple of years. Bruce T. also talked about health plans and the different payment options. We watched a couple of videos that discussed the topics that Bruce T. was talking about before he prayed us out. Bruce T. is a chaplain, so it was an amazing prayer. Then we all went to eat lunch.

When we came back, we had a fun activity: each participant got a picture of himself, and we each had to cut out the face and make a personal “Coat of Arms” that will go up on the wall in the PEP classroom. We pretty much got all the arts and craft supplies and chose what we wanted out of magazines to paste onto our poster as well. It really felt like we left prison for a good hour or two to be honest. We all had fun and are all coming out of our shells. Love and Fun are two of our awesome 10 Driving Values; you should really apply these to your life. Thanks to PEP, we get to enjoy all the great things this program offers!   

Alex C. (aka “Po from Kung Fu Panda”)

Tuesday                                                                                            March 26, 2024

The day began with a nervousness in the air. Tuesdays are test days out of our Entrepreneurship textbook, which has proven to be challenging. We began last week with a rocky start of our first tests over Chapters 1 and 2. All of us have been studying very hard for Chapters 3 and 4. Many of the PEP brothers have done a great job of displaying Servant-Leader Mentality (one of our 10 Driving Values) by not only leading but serving others by acting as tutors as well as students. It is safe to say that we are beginning to find a rhythm.

They called us out in groups to begin testing while the rest of us stayed behind for Toastmasters. Toastmasters is where we deliver speeches in front of our peers to help with professionalism as well as the art of public speaking. The room was divided in two to help Toastmasters run smoothly and efficiently so all 75 of us could get our turn. Some of the speeches were humorous and light-hearted while others were serious and full of emotion. After a while, the first round of test takers returned, and the nervousness began to lessen.

We wrapped up Toastmasters and began practicing delivering our business pitches, a minute to minute-and-a-half speech about our new business ideas. Many ideas were creative and innovative, while others showed passion, a sense of humor, and displayed the character of a budding entrepreneur. We are a proud brotherhood and help the next man whenever in need.

You can truly feel the love and support coming from many men of different ages and backgrounds. We represent the true definition of unity. We ended the day with a dance battle between two of the brothers which had us all rolling in laughter.

 Brandon C. (aka “Ted from Bill and Ted”)

Wednesday                                                                                      March 27, 2024

Today was a good day of class, as any other day. We prayed in and we began to do our business pitches, also known as elevator pitches. We have all gotten better with our elevator pitches since our first time delivering them. A lot of us aren’t as nervous as we once were, and we can all tell. We have become much more comfortable getting in front of people and presenting our pitches. We all have some pretty good pitches and have finished memorizing them; now we are beginning to put some flavor and personality into them.

Adam W. gave us some amazing constructive criticism after each participant pitched. We can all tell that he wants all of us to succeed when we get the opportunity to pitch in front of the executive volunteers, so he is pushing us to achieve our very best. Overall, it was a great day in class! We had a lot of laughs and enjoyed one another’s company. Although we were laughing, class was strictly about the business of bettering ourselves and our lives – we just had a good time doing it. We even had a visitor stop by today and bless us with his presence. His name was Brandon G. (aka “Swagger Wagon”), and he gave us a few insights on business and our business ideas. He also gave us some inspirational quotes that will make us want to keep going. Brandon G. was a very good motivational speaker and a pretty cool guy in general. He also showed us some motivational videos that will inspire us to keep going when things get tough.

Joshua C. (aka “Happy Feet”)

Thursday                                                                                         March 28, 2024

Today was a very educational day because we learned material from two different chapters out of the Entrepreneurship textbook. We also practiced going over our business pitches for a short time this morning before the lesson started. The first half of the day, volunteer Cindy V. came in to teach us material out of Chapter 5. She went over the importance of having a mission statement when seeking to start a successful business and the basic layouts. She also went over the steps when developing a list of your business’s assets and capabilities along with building a competitive advantage and a strategic plan analysis. She is an amazing person and a great teacher, and we deeply appreciated her taking the time out of her day to show us kindness and care, as well as teach us all that she covered.

The second half of the day, volunteer Carl B. came into the classroom to teach us a lesson about Chapter 11. This chapter was centered around all the aspects involving the marketing of a business. Developing a marketing plan and identifying who the target customers are is a big part of how successful a business will become. He showed us the different kinds of advertisement and promotion categories available when marketing to consumers. Carl B and Cindy V. are both amazing people, and we all agree that they have great knowledge and teaching methods. We also can’t wait to see them more often in the future.

It was a very eventful and knowledge-filled day in class. To all of our supporters, we want to say thank you for believing in us and all of your constant support.

Jonathan C. (aka “Frozone from Incredibles”)

Friday                                                                                               March 29, 2024

Although we did not have class today, we did have hold pitch panels on our pod. The pitch panels we had today focused specifically on pronunciation and adding personality to our pitches. It was awesome to watch my peers as they overcame their nervousness and actually extracted themselves from the shells that they are usually encased in. As men, we tend to be very nonchalant about performing certain acts, and by practicing, we are able to feel more secure about who we are and what we can offer to the world. The concept is not to be overtaken by the fear of adversity (in our case, stage fright). But we mustered the courage and fought through our fear. “Fear” stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. At the conclusion of our pitch panels, we were congratulated on our precision and promptness by our pod coach, Augustus F. He also touched on how amazing it is to have a variety of business ideas in one pod.

We eventually concluded our panels and went our separate ways to study for the upcoming tests. The particular test that has all of our attention is out of the entrepreneur textbook. We will be tested on Chapter 11 about marketing. Marketing is essential for any company that plans to generate enough income to operate and produce a profit.

We would like to give thanks to the individuals who pray for our success and continue to encourage us with support. We also want to leave our readers with this: success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your potential and sowing seeds that benefit others.  

Coby C. (aka “Bubba Gump”)

Expressions

“On the other side of terror,

on the other side of your maximum fear,

are all of the best things in life.”

~ Will Smith

When most people get scared, they “shut down” and think no one understands. The fact is that everyone gets scared because everyone is afraid of something. The only difference between someone who is “scared” and someone who is “brave” is the ability to make a choice. Choosing to do something or say something in the face of fear doesn’t make that fear go away or stop existing. It is simply looking that fear in the face and saying “so what?” Will Smith said this about his first-time skydiving. He was so scared, but after he jumped out of the plane he got to experience what it was like to fly. That is something that humans cannot do, nor do many of us ever get to experience.

Love is scary, but it can be beautiful once you open up and find “the one.”  Having kids is scary, but from my experience, being a father is the most amazing thing that life has to offer. Making, molding, shaping and growing that life can be one of the most fulfilling “jobs” in life. So the next time you are facing something scary – a job change, having a child, opening a business, going on a date, or even apologizing to someone you don’t think deserves it – remember that if you aren’t growing, you’re dying. Growing hurts sometimes, but even when you get scared of the pain or become afraid of what is to come, pause. Take a breath. Try to remove the fear, or at least look past the fear and see the good things that are to come from looking that fear in the face and saying “so what?”

 David C. (aka “Jelly Roll”)

Monday                                                                                             March 18, 2024                                   

Today we began the first half of class with Bruce T., chaplain on the Estes Unit, who went over Chapter 3 in Living in the Village. He discussed in detail how to create and maintain a household budget – a very informative and useful topic covering spending, building wealth and saving. After his lecture, we took a test over Chapters 1 and 2 of the aforementioned book before we took a lunch break.

During the second half of class, we had another guest speaker: Tim H., Chief Administrative Officer of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. Tim H. showed us a video of a Pitch Panel event that occurred outside prison involving the IronRod Steel company. That event is something we can look forward to when we are free and have a business that may need investment capital. He also introduced us to EntreCapital, which is an amazing opportunity for felons seeking a loan for their business. EntreCapital is a financial institution that provides loans only to individuals with felony convictions, which is quite contrary to other banks and investment companies! To obtain a loan, we will need to have collateral and some sort of “skin in the game.” EntreCapital is an amazing opportunity for those of us who need this type of assistance. After his presentation, Tim H. opened the floor for questions from those participants who wanted further information.

Then we received handouts with instructions on how to get started on creating our business plans, which will be stored on our H: drives and provided to us upon our release. From pray-in to pray-out, it was a fun, interactive and informative day for us to immerse ourselves in and another very successful day in PEP!

Grayson B. (aka “Darrell”)

Tuesday                                                                                            March 19, 2024

Today was a very busy day for us in PEP. Our class tested on Chapters 1 and 2 of the Entrepreneurship textbook by Charles Bamford and Gary Breton. It is the first Entrepreneurship test our class has taken, and you could feel the nervous excitement in the air. While some of us were testing in the computer lab, those remaining in the PEP room held Toastmasters in great and formal fashion. Participants were recorded on camera while they gave speeches into the microphone based on the Toastmasters Project One: “Icebreaker.” The main objective was to begin speaking in front of an audience and discover which public speaking skills they already had and which skills needed attention. Participants gave information about their background, interests and ambitions for a duration of four to six minutes. Following individual speeches, participants were given encouraging feedback to better our speaking abilities. While many of us were nervous, the end result was awesomeness.

To cap off a day full of energy, we were joined by Adam W., PEP’s In-Prison Manager to give us positive feedback on our elevator pitches and a few great laughs. The pitches were meant to be 45-90 seconds. These are the business ideas that in the near future we will be pitching to actual volunteer executives, so the effort we put into these pitches was really on display in each individual pitch that was delivered. It was a great atmosphere, and we all agree that in the coming weeks and months, it will be awesome to witness the growth and development that comes from all the practice.

PEP is all it was said to be and more! We are proud to be a part of it, and we know our families will be too.

Marcus Br. (aka “Morpheus”)

Wednesday                                                                                      March 20, 2024

We started improving our elevator pitches on the pod today, since we had just completed our “heart check” assignment. If you don’t know what a heart check is, it is when we have to copy pretty much the whole study guide three times. Due to us working so hard on completing our heart checks, we haven’t really been studying our business pitches, making for a rusty start to class. An “elevator pitch” is when you pitch your big business idea in a minute to minute-and-a-half, or the time it takes an elevator to reach the top floor of a building. We talk about our business, what makes our business different from other businesses and who our target customer is.

Later in the day, the Servant-Leaders came up with an idea to help us remember our pitches without reading them off the paper: the “Pitch Panel,” which means we have to stand in front of everybody and tell them our business pitch. It actually helped, so when we do go in front of the executive volunteers, we will be confident and able to express the passion we have for our big ideas for new businesses we would like to start. Everyone in the dorm in the current class stepped up and gave their pitch for all the Servant-Leaders, and we all remembered our pitches with no problems. This was a new experience for most of us, and we were all very proud of our brothers for their courage and hard work. We are confident that with the help of the Servant-Leaders and executive volunteers, we will be ready for the “Big Idea” Pitch competition which is right around the corner. This is the event that will determine which business ideas are selected and have a chance at winning the final competition in June.

Edwin B. (aka “Yogi Bear”)

Thursday                                                                                         March 21, 2024

Today we had one of our PEP volunteers, Carl B., speak to our class. He was very informative about Chapters 3 and 4 in our Entrepreneurship textbook, properly preparing us for our upcoming test next week. Carl B. gave us some insight on sales generation, gap analysis and ways to identify gaps – and that was all in Chapter 3. In covering Chapter 4, we discussed how to examine the industry, create a profile of targeted customers for a new business and create competitive advantages. Carl B. explained to us the importance of putting together a competitive map, as well as the importance of industry trends, company evaluations of resources and capabilities. We discussed normal (or ordinary) competitive factors. Carl B. also shared stories of his own success and how he did well with the Ivory Soap company.

We are all blessed to have these executive volunteers giving back to each and every one of us by taking time out of their busy lives to teach us a better way. If we hang on to all this knowledge these volunteers are teaching us, we will not only prosper financially but also as better men, leaders, valuable members of our future community creating not only changed men, but changed family’s. We where very happy to have Carl B. We were glad to hear that he would be teaching us in our next class where his knowledge is greatly appreciative in preparations of our next test.

David B. (aka “Olaf from Frozen”)

Friday                                                                                               March 22, 2024

Today we started with a pitch panel that was challenging for many of us. The pitch panel is when each individual in a group is designated to pitch their business idea in front of the entire class. In doing so, we learned the importance of communication and two of PEP’s 10 Driving Values: Innovation, where we expect dramatic change; and Execution, where we place an emphasis on the ability to get things done. As a result of this pitch panel, many of us were able to overcome our fear of public speaking, seeing the challenge as an opportunity to cultivate our communication and leadership skills.

Our pitch panel was followed by a BetterMan presentation about what it takes to create a better man in addition to the power of words relating to how we speak, decision making and the significance in how we can recreate our “Story.” Even though we all made mistakes, our mistakes are part of our story to redemption in creating our legacy. We also developed a discussion during the BetterMan presentation series on how to identify ourselves with positive words of affirmation, taking into account that the words we speak can be influential and/or detrimental.

Recognizing key elements and key character traits that play a major part in shaping our manhood, we need to examine our past, which is a crucial step to a “better man” mentality. Without examination, the good from our past can go unappreciated and the bad can unconsciously rule over us.    

Marcus B. (aka “E.T.”)

Expressions

“It does not matter who you are (or) where you come from.

The ability to triumph begins with you – always.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

I resonate with this quote because I am a firm believer that we are not 100% products of our environment. It does not matter where we come from – it doesn’t keep us from reaching our full potential, but our mindset and the limitations we put on ourselves can definitely limit us from achieving our full potential. I grew up thinking that I had to be a certain way or talk a certain way because that’s what I observed in those around me. It was not until my early 20s that I became enlightened and had a paradigm shift: if I wanted to be a better person or a better father, it all started with me. And also when it came to how I viewed others, I realized that they had no control over my decisions or how I responded to circumstances that were uncomfortable.

Despite being in prison, I know that I have the power to become the person my dad would be proud of. It lies solely with me to change the course of my life and make better decisions so that my son does not follow in my footsteps that lead to incarceration. It is in my power to teach my son that any triumph in life begins with him. I will be victorious in everything that I do and reserve the glory for God, who has opened my eyes to the false ideologies of our society.        

Javier C. (aka “Aladdin”)

Monday                                                                                             March 11, 2024                                   

Today may have changed our perspective on most people’s least favorite day of the week when we got to hang out with and learn from Mr. Rogers himself, Chaplain Bruce T.! Bruce T. was our volunteer speaker and financial guru on the Estes Unit, teaching Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University as well as being a regular guest speaker and PEP volunteer. Some of us had the privilege of taking his Financial Peace University class last month, so it was particularly exciting to see him show up in class today.

Bruce T.’s passion is to teach us the importance of understanding our personal finances. His curriculum for PEP revolves around the book Living in the Village by Ryan Mack. We will be reading the book, as well as working through a workbook that corresponds with each of Bruce T.’s lessons. He also briefly touched on his favorite of PEP’s 10 Driving Values, while also telling us the importance of work ethic and living within one’s means. We look forward to many more life-changing lessons from Bruce T.!

To wrap up our Monday, PEP brothers Daniel W. (aka “Steve Wilcox”) and Robie L. (aka “Forrest Gump”) gave us a lot to think about in terms of being receptive to criticism in order to effect positive change in our lives and characters. They were kind enough to point out quite a few examples of negative behavior, as well as contrasting examples of positive ways we could change those behaviors, enabling us to take the steps necessary to begin our journeys toward becoming better men, both individually and as a brotherhood.

Chris A. (aka “Scarecrow”)

Tuesday                                                                                            March 12, 2024

Today we had the day off, which was welcome only because this week we need to complete our “3-3-3” assignment, and we have only have two class days left! When we get an off day in PEP, that doesn’t mean it is time to relax – we need to stay busy doing our 3-3-3s. Some of us are close to finishing while others are struggling with the mountain of work and lamenting sore hands, but all of us are doing our best to stay positive and not give up. Our Servant Leaders (PEP graduates assigned to help our class) are doing their best to motivate us by letting us know they have been in our shoes. As they say, “If they can do it, so can we!” We all have different methods of completing the extensive 3-3-3 writing assignment, but it just comes down to personal preference; regardless of the method, we are doing a lot of writing! Two days in, and already this program is pushing us to our limits.

While doing the 3-3-3s, we still have other assignments to complete and class sessions to attend, so if you are not mentally prepared, all of this can be quite a challenge. While the temptation to quit is there, we have to uplift our new brothers and remind them of all we went through to get here and how important it is to take full advantage of this opportunity and not give up! It wouldn’t mean just giving up on the program, but giving up on ourselves, our loved ones and our peers who have believed in us – so we must finish what we have started. We must make it to the end and graduate so our loved ones who have seen us at our worst will have the opportunity to see us in a brand-new light as changed men!

We will cross the finish line and we will succeed – we’ve got this!

Adolph A. (aka “Chris Cheesy”)

Wednesday                                                                                      March 13, 2024

Today we did not expect to have class due to TDCJ’s audit happening at Estes, but our In-Prison Manager Adam W. found a way to come and get us around 9 a.m., so everyone had to get ready in a hurry! After we did our daily pray-in, we saw two videos that inspired us with a very spiritual message, followed by a short discussion about the videos.

Then we had a PEP staff member named Mi L. (aka “The Silent Assassin”) come in and explain aspects of the computer testing system: mainly how to log in and how we can get our scores. We also had some questions, and she was very helpful in answering them all. We want to thank her for her time, effort, patience and for doing a great job instructing us on how to do our best when test time comes. Eventually we did our pray-out and returned to the dorms.

We are in our final day of work for the 3-3-3 assignment, so we have no time to waste! As soon as we got back we went right to work on it, and by the end of the day we all felt a sense of triumph because WE DID IT! Because we got so focused and bonded as a team in completing PEP’s “heart check,” we now feel strong and united as a team, ready to take on the next chapter in our journey. Proverbs 13:4 says, “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” This proverb explains exactly how the scripture helped us get through the 3-3-3s and on to an exciting new chapter in our PEP lives.

Andres C. (aka “Tazmanian Devil”)

Thursday                                                                                         March 14, 2024         

Today was very intense due to it being the last day of our 3-3-3 assignments, having Ramadan early in the morning, as well as having class. We are all excited because God has truly put us into great positions to become better people by improving our character and developing our leadership skills. We also got in front of class today and took turns speaking, which will help us to break out of our shells. Chaplain Bruce T. (aka “Mr. Rogers”) has also done a great job helping us to improve critical thinking skills to reinforce our new way of life and help ensure we never fall back into old ways of thinking.

We have also been talking a lot about the 10 Driving Values, because if a man truly comprehends these values and applies them to his life, there is no limit on the greatness that man can achieve in his life. The golden thread that runs through the 10 Driving Values is LOVE! If a man learns to love himself, he will in turn learn to love others, appreciate the small things in life and treasure every hour we have with our loved ones and families. We are very grateful that a man like Bruce T. is eager to come in and share his time and wisdom with us – two very precious resources. One nugget of financial wisdom he has given us is the concept of an emergency fund, which is having six months of living expenses in a savings account which will allow us to have security in hard times and not resort to predatory lending or high interest credit cards.

We are very grateful for all PEP is pouring into us and look forward to all that the program has to offer us!

Jamal A. (aka “Geico Lizard”)

Friday                                                                                               March 15, 2024

If it was not already evident that things would be moving along very fast in this program, then by the time class was over today, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind! After all, we were just one day removed from a trying week, during which many of us spent every waking hour toiling over our 3-3-3s. For those of you who don’t know, a “3-3-3” is a writing assignment that is an exercise in mental toughness, not to mention forearm endurance. By the time one is finished with it, it is liable to have you conjuring up thoughts like, “I wonder if they’d just let me opt out for an actual 26.2-mile marathon where I can use all of my muscles, because that would be much easier.” Despite the challenge, our class rose to the occasion and got ‘er done.

Still, there was no time to revel in our sense of accomplishment because today, there was a fresh set of challenges to face: first on the agenda was Toastmasters, an international professional organization that helps people get over their fear of public speaking. Our topic for the day was the “Icebreaker” speech, which was a speech about ourselves so that our classmates could get to know us better, but it was also a way for us to break the ice into the intimidating world of speaking in front of an audience.

After that, we heard a lecture based on our entrepreneurship textbook by executive volunteer Scott S., who owns his own financial planning business. Finally, at the end of the day, we held an impromptu pitch panel where some of us were given the opportunity to practice our “elevator pitch” for the upcoming Big Idea Pitch event in April.

Today was a long, eventful day that took all of us out of our comfort zones. The most beautiful part of it all is having our PEP brothers there to encourage us along the way!

Chase C. (aka “Smeagle”)

Expressions

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.”

~ T.S. Eliot

This quote means a great deal to me deep within myself. I like to think this moment is PEP – a fresh beginning – and it is truly an exciting feeling. It is no longer just “I” but “we,” referencing the new community we have joined. “Every moment is a fresh beginning” sounds like being reborn, issued a blank slate with God in my heart and a clean, sober mind. Taking steps on a different path, I walk on now, growing into this new beginning and fresh opportunity to change in order to create a better man, father, brother, uncle, cousin … a better generation.

I constantly used to ask myself, “Have I gone too far? Have I reached the point of no return?” These are the things a person in our circumstances thinks about. Moments are everlasting, and our minds grasp moments and carry our memories with us. Life’s every moment is a gift. Today’s class covered the subject of manhood and becoming better men, and I believe this quote perfectly expresses that every man in the classroom has the opportunity for a fresh start in PEP.

The inspiration I get from this quote is tremendous. To take the necessary leap toward a fresh start, today I volunteered to speak in front of the class. In that moment, with my heart jumping out of my chest, I realized how truly reborn I felt. In the dorm, we did “group 360s,” and one of the key words used was “consistency” because being consistent in each and every moment helps show us the potential fresh beginnings can provide.

Marcus A. (aka “Sebastian from The Little Mermaid”)