Week 18
Week in Review
Monday August 7, 2017
Today is Monday the 7th and we were able to get to the PEP room to practice our pitches once more. My Phase Two brothers and I have put in so much work to get to this point, we can’t even recall it all. We are grateful to have this chance to better ourselves and to encourage one another to be better people. Each day I wake up I am thankful to have this opportunity. At first, I was unsure of this program, as were many others, however through the last seven-and-a-half months I have seen firsthand the true love and compassion that is connected to this movement.
The whole situation with Angel Herrera was an eye-watering, heart-breaking situation. However, any continuing doubts I had about this program and the motives of those involved died that day. The outpour of love that I saw was moving, and as they say, “I’m all in.” So many times in life we sell ourselves short. I just thank God I woke up to see what is attainable through this program. All I can say to those who come after me is, “Please don’t give up! There is so much good to be gained from this program. It is a lot of work, but it is more than worth it.” To all of my Phase Two brothers, congratulations! We did it guys! Phase One, keep it up – you’ll make it if you want it.
Charles D. (a.k.a. Lucky Charms)
Tuesday August 8, 2017
Today we woke up to get ready for a beautiful day with PEP as we sat around drinking coffee, preparing to hear, “Phase Two, turn out.” It is a wonderful feeling to hear that. When we got to class we took a test (which I passed). Next was our favorite time of watching a video on art/U.S. History. We just love it so much, learning about studies we didn’t have in school. It is an awesome thing to learn something new. Our peer educator crew knows just how to teach a class full of grown men, which is just amazing. The art/U.S. history was on the Civil War. We didn’t even know there was such a thing as a Civil War. We were like wow – did a thing like that really happen? We think that was a good war. Our test was about things that we’ve been studying about, which will not only help in our business but also in life.
When the learning was done, it was fun time! We did story play (impromptu speaking), where a gentleman stands up and tells his story for a minute, then stops. That is when someone else will get up and add to the story. We made it PG-13 and funny. We laughed so hard I thought my eyes were going to pop out, but it helps us speak in front of a crowd and for us to think quickly. PEP has shown me so much; I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. They’ve shown us how to think for the first time in our lives.
LaFayette E. (a.k.a. Norbit)
Wednesday August 9, 2017
For the past couple of weeks we have been practicing our pitches for the Pitch Day event that comes up this Friday, the 11th of August. As I look around my pod, I see several of my brothers up and about reciting their pitches; some to themselves, others to PEP graduates, and even some of the newer Phase One guys who are about to embark on their own journey with PEP over the next several months. This brings a smile to my face, because my brothers and I have endured a lot just to reach this point. We started out “rough around the edges,” but as this time has gone by, we have lifted one another up to higher standards and are about to close yet another chapter of this journey with our upcoming graduation. Now is when everything that has been taught to us from day one is finally utilized as we move on to become true servant-leaders on a mission.
Still, even though we see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is still the subject of not only our Pitch Day, but also the Business Plan Competition (BPC) that comes up the day before Graduation. You see, as we practice our pitches in front of our peers, we expect them to give us some constructive criticism. This prepares us for a fraction of what is to come when we get in front of a panel of executives. Not only do we work on our eye contact and limited pacing, but also on our vocal control, as well as any improper usage of words. The way things look form this point, it seems that we will be ready for anything that comes. Just think for a minute: we have overcome all obstacles so far because we have had each other’s back. So this next step should be like a walk down the path to the PEP room for us. It seems pretty easy right? Well, let’s do it then!
Carl F. (a.k.a. Jamaica)
Thursday August 10, 2017
This morning we held a pitch panel on the dorm to help our brothers brush up on their pitches and delivery. The pitch panels have definitely assisted us as we get ready for our upcoming Pitch Day event. After the pitch panel exercise, a few of us headed to the PEP room to help facilitate the next class. Facilitating the Phase One class is always a blast of fun, and we get a lot out of shepherding them. Afterwards we took a short break to have lunch before heading back to the PEP classroom for our normally scheduled class time. During our class we once again divided the room and recited our pitches to one another. This pitch thing can seem a little overboard at times for sure, but it is most definitely worth the effort we put in. In fact, most of our classmates do an exquisite job of delivering their pitches. We are hoping to deliver the most “spot on” pitches that the executive volunteers have ever heard.
After we finished our pitches in class, we adjourned to return to our separate housing areas to see what the future holds. We ate our dinner, and then once again hosted pitch panels for those brothers among us who felt they needed to work on their timing and possibly their delivery. Now it is time for us to sleep and prepare for our big day tomorrow: PEP’s Pitch Day event.
Joseph F. (a.k.a. B-Rad (from Malibu’s Most Wanted))
Expressions
When I was 13 years old I first heard the quote: “La Vida recio, tiene su precio,” which means, “The fast life has its price.”
At the young age of 13, I thought it sounded cool. Plus it fit my life perfectly; everything we did as teenagers was fast, with no limits and no rules. In all reality, the quote is saying something different than I first thought: living with no limits and no rules comes at a cost. I viewed my lifestyle as having many benefits. It really didn’t dawn on me until I was 21 years old, sitting in a federal prison in Mississippi, as I had time to reflect on my past. I lost my fiancée and my kids due to me living a double life (again, the fast life). This is when the quote took on a whole new meaning for me.
Sometimes our actions cost us much more then we intended to pay. However, through my experiences I learned that there is always room for growth and change. For me, that change began when I was accepted into the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. I was already leaning toward change – I just didn’t know which way to go. PEP has given me that guidance, as well as the confidence to be successful. My thought process has completely changed. In the past, I had acted off of impulse and gave no thought to my words, decisions or actions. Now I analyze each situation so that I don’t make the same senseless mistakes. My favorite PEP driving value is Servant-Leader Mentality: “We will lead by example with humility at the sacrifice of personal glory.” In the past I was a follower with no guidance or sense of direction. Today I can say that I am a leader, a mentor as well as a guiding light to my children and my community. One of my biggest objectives upon being released is to spend my time volunteering and giving my testimony to help at-risk youth.
Demetri G. (a.k.a. Marilyn Monroe)