Week in Review
Monday, May 7, 2018
Today was a good day! Today is the day that the Lord has made; we will be glad and rejoice in it! Today we had our Toastmaster’s class and we had some exceptional speeches. One of those speeches was on having a killer instinct, and no, it wasn’t on killing people. The speech was about attacking any obstacle that comes across our paths, to stay strong and never give up. The speech couldn’t have come at a better time. Right now, a lot of us are facing one of our biggest fears: giving our business pitches in front of some executives. This speech was very motivational for some of us, and right now that’s what we need.
It’s a blessing how we can come together and lift each other up after all we have gone through in this prison life. We can look past our previous transgressions and embrace the struggle together. We can keep pushing forward and never look back. Being in this Prison Entrepreneurship Program is absolutely voluntary, and I can honestly say that everyone who is sticking with it truly wants to change, because no matter how hard things get, we continue to strive. It’s a blessing to be surrounded with this group of individuals who only have one thing in mind, and that’s to succeed. We will show people that we can get out and be productive members of society. Our minds are set on getting out there and doing well for our families and ourselves. The one thing we don’t want to do is add to the recidivism rate and give those who oppose and despise us a chance to gloat. There is not one person in this life who doesn’t make mistakes – no one is perfect. The only person who was ever perfect was Jesus, and if we look to him and seek him, we will be perfected in him. God bless us all here at PEP, and God bless all those who are embracing the struggle and continuing to strive and reach for the stars.
Adam Fuentes. (a.k.a. “Minion”)
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Today we got surprised with an unexpected pop quiz. One thing we know is that it taught us a great lesson: we have to be ready at all times because life is full of surprises. It shows us that it’s important to be an effective listener because if we would have paid close attention, the pop quiz would have been easier than we expected.
After our pop quiz, we watched two different art history lectures on The Painters of Modern History. We seem to find art history very interesting and really look forward to watching these lectures which give us great insight on another part of history. Then after art history, we were also given the privilege to learn about U.S. History and how America was founded.
We could not end the day without being able to hear some of the amazing business pitches given by our Legacy ’18 brothers. We all have been studying and practicing our business pitches every day here in class. We are able to feel the energy and the nervousness in the air. After we prayed out, a few of us went to our computer lab class, which is a very important part because it teaches many of us to become literate with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Once computer lab class was over, we returned to our pod to practice and present our business pitches to the servant-leaders who are helping us to succeed.
Pedro G. (a.k.a. “Chupacabra”)
Wednesday May 9, 2018
Today in class we got a break from entrepreneurship class, or so we thought. We had to stand up in front of our whole class and give our pitches. Several of my PEP brothers did well while others needed more practice. Some like myself got pretty nervous the second we grabbed the microphone. Today we heard some good business ideas, and we also got to see how creative some of our brothers are. We handed out four awards to some of our brothers for getting their test scores up. That was a great feeling to see how happy they were with themselves. Also the effort my brothers are putting into their pitches was great to see. All their hard work is paying off.
After that, we got to the fun part of the day. Several of us had to get ready for our lip sync battles with the executives on our Venture Capital Panel event day. We got to watch Michael sing about how he doesn’t want a scrub. Jimmy sung us a song as well. Then we got to watch Jeremy sing a song by Queen and get the other Jimmy to dance with him. Today was a great day. It was fun to see everyone dancing and singing along. The vibe we experienced today was amazing. Everyone sang along to Ricky Martin and the Spice Girls song, which was hilarious. But today, the most memorable thing we all agreed on was watching a video about an eagle. The struggles the eagle went through at the age of 40 was truly inspiring and showed how if someone wants to persevere through a season of change, nothing will stop him.
Jose G. (a.k.a. “Tooth Fairy”)
Thursday May 10, 2018
While we took our seats in the PEP classroom, we started out the day with a prayer and the word of the day. We really enjoy and look forward to hearing the wisdom that we can receive out of hearing a few words. Our emcee then instructed us that we must get all the practice that we can get before our Venture Capital Panel (VCP) event. We fully understand that practice is necessary because practice makes perfect. We were able to feel some of the anxiety and nervousness of some of our brothers, but what is amazing was hearing the passion and drive these men got across in only two-and-a-half minutes.
Afterwards we listened to the lecture in art history. We all took out paper and a pen to take down notes. It’s very important that we stay prepared because at any time a pop quiz can be given. PEP has taught us that preparation is important. So throughout the lecture, we learned that the name of the lecture was “Paris Under Siege,” which consisted of nine paintings painted in the 1870s. Once we were done, some of our classmates were called out for computer lab to work on their assignments. Now that this day has come to an end, it’s time to practice our elevator pitches to the graduates.
Kevin G. (a.k.a. “Biscuits and Gravy”)
Expressions
Growing up, my dad used to have a quote he would constantly tell me. This quote has helped me, and I hear it in my head every time I take on an obstacle; one that has pushed me to limits at times and let me see I am capable of more than I thought I was able to. His quote was: “If you are going to do something, make sure you are the best at it, and being the best means doing your best.” What I take from this is that whatever I choose to do, I must give all my effort and do my best. Some people are capable of doing more than others; however, that doesn’t mean they are better. I believe this quote has helped me to achieve personal accomplishments and goals, rather than competing with someone else. You will never know what your capabilities are if you don’t put forth your best effort.
Robert G. (a.k.a. “Hammer Head”)