Week 14

Week in Review

Monday April 2, 2018

Although it was a Monday, we all awoke with great enthusiasm and energy to get the week started. Today we the Soldiers of Spring ’18 began our day with Toastmasters. Some of us attended the morning class and the rest attended the afternoon class. Those who spoke gave the class well-defined nuggets of knowledge on life but also certain moments that changed their lives for the better. I always look forward to speaking and hearing what my brothers speak about. Toastmasters is a great way to express yourself. I have heard some amazing speeches from my brothers – most of them have inspired me, and some of them touched my heart.

This week we are able to begin doing Toastmasters speeches in our dorms. So we are all very excited to be able to progress as time rolls along. We have an event later this week, and we are all looking forward to speaking with the executives again. Most of us will be seeking professional guidance for our business plans. Anytime we receive feedback from the volunteers, we take it seriously. We also have a test coming up, so a couple of my brothers and I gathered around for a study group. It always helps when you have a group of motivated friends who are willing to help you in any way possible. The brotherhood here that we share is very powerful and inspiring. We are glad to have been given this opportunity to embrace our true selves.

Robert H. (a.k.a. “Jack O’Lantern”)

Tuesday April 3, 2018

Today was phenomenal! PEP’s new Fall ’18 class officially started the first phase in their evolution to becoming men of integrity. Keith F. did an outstanding job of introducing the course’s curriculum for Robert Lewis’s Authentic Manhood.

We were treated to a special guest speaker, Monte P. He took to the podium and imparted words of wisdom. Monte proclaimed that the road to authentic manhood is a journey, not a destination. He also said that even at 90 years of age, he is still putting away childish things.

His words inspired hope throughout the class and ushered in direction and purpose. We all can agree that becoming an authentic man is a daunting task, and it is not for the faint of heart. We were encouraged and focused as we set forth on this journey using the tools of brotherhood and tenacity to achieve our collective goal.

Alex J. (a.k.a. “Steve Urkel”)

Wednesday April 4, 2018

Today my brothers woke up excited to attend Bert S.’s class today. We are always eager to learn more business structures from such a successful businessman as Bert S. When we arrived in class, many of us turned in article clippings regarding the previous week’s studies. We always look forward to seeing what articles others have discovered. Believe it or not, when we submit the articles, there are always some that amaze me.

The PEP staff also spoke to us regarding our families registering for graduation. It really made us all excited about graduation. Some of my brothers who have not seen their families in a couple of years. So when they heard the news about their families signing up to attend the graduation ceremony, they were very excited. We are truly blessed to be able to have people such as the PEP staff members who are willing to contact our families and give them all the details so that our families and friends can see us graduate.

Another thing that we are eager for is our event this Saturday. It is going to be a very informative event and we all hope to receive positive, helpful feedback from the executives regarding our business plans. Any time we have an event, it always leaves us in good spirits just knowing that all this hard work and dedication we are putting into this program will be for a greater cause; we cannot wait to see our family members smile at the authentic men we have become.

Jose R. (a.k.a. “Speedy Gonzalez”)

Thursday April 5, 2018

Today the Soldiers of Spring ’18 contributed time to the new Fall ’18 Class. What a great way to help my brothers by giving them insights on the program. We sat with them during Men’s Life and held small discussion groups with them afterwards. We really enjoyed helping them. It was only a short time ago when our class was in their shoes and wondering what PEP had to offer us.

We also got together and prepared ourselves for our upcoming event this Saturday. We are all very excited to be able to gain more insight and feedback about our business plans. Also, we got information back from our business advisors – what a great help these individuals are to us! – and now we can put that information to use. Most of us are done with our computer lesson assignments, but not all of us, so those who have finished stuck around to assist our brothers who needed help completing their remaining assignments.

Class is flying by so quickly. The hard work and dedication we have put into this program will pay dividends one day. But first, we need to prepare for the Business Plan Competition. Finally, this week, we had the privilege to give back to our newest brothers, the Fall ’18 Class. They started Men’s Life this week and our class, the Soldiers of Spring ’18, worked as facilitators assisting them in their journey into authentic manhood.

Jason C. (a.k.a. “Peach Cobbler”)

Friday April 6, 2018

Today was an easy day for the Soldiers of Spring ’18. This gave us a day to prepare for our Business Plan Workshop event, which is scheduled for tomorrow. We are all really enthused about the event, and it seems to be the topic of discussion around the dorms. We questioned our Servant-Leaders about what to ask the executives. They said the event is a great way to gain useful information that can be used in our business plans.

Special thanks to all the Servant-Leaders for lending a helping hand to us. They know what it feels like going through this program, which is why we also give a helping hand to our brothers of Fall ’18. Any help throughout this program is readily accepted. Whether we agree with the advice or not, we know it is for our betterment.

Thank you to PEP for giving us this chance to prove ourselves to our family and friends. Most of us have faced doubts, but with PEP there is hope for our future. On behalf of all my brothers, we greatly appreciate everything PEP is doing for us.

Cason M. (a.k.a. “Sloth”)

Expressions

“Everything comes at an expense; it is what you do with the experience that instills value.”

~Unknown

There are certain prices in life you must pay before becoming the man you intend to be. Life is not an easy journey, so if someone says that life is easy, well then my brothers, they have not truly experienced life’s tough journey. We can all agree that at one point in time we all felt like giving up. True? But we did not … why? Because we saw something greater than what we were going through at the moment. There is always something greater in the end brothers. Never give up! Never doubt yourselves! Keep pushing and always look forward. Also, keep your head up and never go backwards. Life is a struggle at times, but it’s what you learn out of your struggles that will make you the man you intend to be.

Ronny V. (a.k.a. “Ron Cakes”)