Bell Summer 2025 Weekly Journals
Welcome to PEP’s weekly journals! We are so glad you are here. There journals are written by men in this current class who are letting you “see” class through their eyes. Please enjoy and stop back weekly to see the next week’s journal. Do not forget to look at our weekly pictures! Lastly enjoy our Bell class newsletter produced monthly. Thank you!
Week 3
Monday February 17, 2025
No Class
Tuesday February 18, 2025
Today we learned about not giving up and no matter what, to always keep going. Being here at PEP has really broken us out of our shell and it has also allowed us to be more open with one another. Toastmasters has helped us to speak in a professional manner and it shows us how to stop using slang. PEP is not just another “watered-down” program in TDCJ, but it is proactive and vastly different from any other program we have ever been in. The guards here actually treat us with respect and like a human. We genuinely believe God has a big plan for us coming out of this program. Some of us never graduated high school so we really look forward to graduating from this program. We have not been in class for a month, yet we are already learning so much! We will come out changed men if we take advantage of this opportunity. We thank Jesus Christ for this opportunity, and we are so thankful to be here. Out of 10,000 applicants we were some of the ones selected to take part in this program and that alone is a blessing. Character development is key to this wonderful program, and we have so much to learn. PEP is truly a blessing!
“Aaron B.” (aka “none”)
Wednesday February 19, 2025
We are honored to be participants here at PEP. The development of the men that this program has graduated has been amazing. Being a part of PEP teaches structure and discipline that we can use in our everyday lives. We learned that love is a foundation for a great and successful business and life. We as men understand that a trustworthy business is something that is important and we understand that no matter how hard of a struggle that life may bring, we must be persistent and devoted to a positive vision. We should never say never and always have the attitude to do better. We, as entrepreneurs, understand that things in life may change along the journey to success. In this entrepreneur program we have been taught financial concepts and character development. We have learned how to prioritize and utilize our time wisely because time is very precious and something you will never get back. We are learning you must execute our dreams now and not wait until later. In PEP we have been taught instead of waiting on change, to be the change, and make the change.
“Javarian B”. (aka “Kevin Hart”)
Thursday February 20, 2025
Today we started off class with a pray-in. Then, we were joined by two entrepreneurs who talked about starting a business, the planning process and what it takes to be a successful leader. We learned about building a network and staying involved with the PEP community. Continuing to learn and to grow is important and the more you know the more you grow; and the more you learn the more you earn. It was a terrific opportunity to be able to talk to Mrs. Diana and Mr. Dougal and hear all the valuable wisdom they had to share with us. After they left, we went over chapters 3 and 4 of our “Living in The Village” workbooks and discussed our assignments. We learned about building our financial future, strengthening our communities, and that included several surprising statistics about saving and investing our money into assets. Also, about partnerships, LLCs, and some of the benefits and drawbacks to each. After “Living in the Village,” we watched some short inspirational films about overcoming adversity and being motivated to become better men and to take the steps towards achieving our goals every day. That is exactly what we are doing here in PEP.
Raymond B. (aka “Megan Thee Stallion”)
Friday February 21, 2025
Today was a wonderful day! It is great to show up to class and get a great burst of energy. The DJ had the music going and we were all just excited to be present and ready to engage in learning. One of our classroom rituals is to pray-in before we start up the class. After pray in, the MC’S came up and got the class ready and motivated for the day. Today we got to work on our fun names. Fun names are part of getting out of our comfort zone by trying to brush off the prison mentality. Most of the guys in our class are a bunch of funny characters with strong sense of humor and produce some of the funniest fun names for our fellow PEP brothers. One of the most important parts of having a fun name is that any time a person is called on, either to answer a question or ask a question, we have to say our name and fun name and own it. We have an event coming up next Friday and it is our first event where we will have to get up in front of some executive volunteers that are coming to hear our elevator pitches for our initial business ideas. It is amazing how we can learn this new skill (public speaking/pitching), practice at it and execute it with greatness. We, future entrepreneurs, guest speakers, leaders. With the guidance of PEP, we are destined to succeed. In our second half of class, we had our Toastmasters’ class, which is a class on learning how to talk in public and properly without using crutch words. It is a great class where we get to help each other get better at these skills. We cannot wait until Monday!
“Black D.” (aka “Damian Wayans”)
Expressions
Instruct the wise and they will be wiser, teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
-unknown-
The more you teach someone about life and the experiences through life, the more that a person can pass on to the next person. In other words, you can give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, or you can teach a man to fish, and he can eat for a lifetime. It is important to me to think about passing on the wisdom I have gained through life experience to the next generation, so they do not have to make the same mistakes I have made. If we can give nothing else that pertains to materials or wealth, we can at least pay it forward by giving out the wisdom that we once gained in life.
“Chriss W..” (The Bug from MIB”)
Week 2
Monday February 10, 2025
Today, we started off by praying in (as we do every day) by giving thanks to our Creator. Then, after prayer we listened to a couple of our brothers from the outside speak about market research and ways to find data and the material it takes to start your own business. We also talked about being competitive in the marketplace with the products or services we will be offering in our own business plans and if it would be local, state, or even global. We also talked about production, product service and the types of services that we will be offering, like what makes us more unique than our competitors and an explanation of why. Then, we got a brief glimpse of what some visitors who came in from the free world had to say about some of the challenges that lay ahead of us and how to build a solid foundation and network. Also, we heard some tips on how to go about accomplishing goals from short-term to long-term. We are being given a fantastic opportunity to learn, not just about business here, but also about ourselves, our character and how to work with others. We are grateful for this chance to be in PEP with our new brothers (classmates). Thank you!
Jim A. (aka “None”)
Tuesday February 11, 2025
Today was an awesome day in class! We are filled with relief and excitement because we finally executed our heart check assignments, which were intended to keep us focused, motivated, and unite us on our journey to becoming entrepreneurs. It is exciting to be taking the next step forward. We also do a daily journal, in which we write a few words about a subject. For example, Thursday’s journal was: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” -Viktor Frankl- After that, we were given a test from a book that was assigned to us to read called, “Who Moved My Cheese,” which we had fun reading and talking about. The book spoke of four characters and their actions they took as a change came into their lives. It was then a great feeling of relief upon hearing that we passed. After that we started giving one another PEP “fun names.” These “fun names” are given to us to help break down penitentiary facades and damaging mentalities and in the process, we had fun and drew closer. In the second half an alumni brother Johnathan R. gave us great hope and excitement as he shared with us his journey through PEP and entry into the free world and the actions he took towards his goals. He shared some jewels for success especially concerning income, like the responsibilities of budgeting, emergency funds, savings and how we can be our worst own enemy. We must find our motivation and stay focused by putting one foot in front of the other. We must learn to crawl before we walk, to be patient and persevere. Also, to take constructive criticism in love and how important community is and fellowship in that iron sharpens iron.
“Mike A. Jr.”. (aka “None”)
Wednesday February 12, 2025
Today went like this: “turn him up” the class yelled. When we turn a person up, they must dance down the aisle to the front of the class before speaking, which is fun because it puts us in a friendly mood and gets us out of our comfort zone. Today we had our first review test on chapters 1 & 2 of, “Living in The Village”, which we will be taking a test on tomorrow. It is very challenging, but we love the challenge. We also started “Betterman,” which is about a man who is a motivational speaker and speaks honestly about losing control of your life and how to regain the power to change and remain positive and it is very encouraging. It’s interesting because it deals with our spirit and our Heavenly Father and how to find balance in life. Everyday we have a quote and a word of the day written on the board. Today’s word of the day in bold black writing read “consistent”. That was a good choice because we must be consistent on our release with doing positive things in the community. The quote of the day read, “You know my name, not my story, you’ve heard what I’ve done not seen what I’ve been through.” This quote touched many of us in a positive way because we all know the feeling of being judged. We ended the day by singing happy birthday to one of our fellow brothers, which is fun because the whole class stands up and sings happy birthday together. We cannot wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us.
“Luis Arredando”. (aka “None”)
Thursday February 13, 2025
Today was a super blessed day. We are all grateful to be part of this program with each other. It is like we are a great big family full of love and kindness towards each other. We prayed in first thing in the morning together by locking arms while one of us leads us in prayer. After that we talked about doing our “elevator” business pitches, which is a 45 second to a minute-long pitch about our businesses. We want to be creative and captivate the audience. We also had a guest come to visit and speak with us about the re-entry process. He was fun, positive, and informative about the entire process of continuing to learn and stay involved with PEP after our release. It was very encouraging to all of us to see and hear from someone who has been through the program and is doing great on the outside and successful. In the second half of class we took a test out of our “Living in The Village” textbooks teachbout things like; money management, doing your taxes, fixing your credit and so much more. It was a great day,learned a lot not only about business, but about each other and being a part of something positive.
“Christopher A.” (aka “None”)
Friday February 14, 2025
After we prayed in this morning we had Toast Masters. We are still working on our ice breaker speech, that is when we share a little about ourselves to get a better understanding of our classmates. This is just our second meeting, and we already feel as though we are improving greatly and getting to know each other. There are a lot of formalities to remember, but it is fun and we feel like we are doing a wonderful job at the same time, especially since this is all very new to us. After we concluded “Toastmasters” we ended the first half, and we went to lunch. When we met back up after lunch, Martin,rtin, one of our in-prison management team members, shared a video of his shoe store in Houston. We found it very inspirational. Then, we all took part in an activity in class and were asked to move all our chairs in a circle going around the room. Then, several individuals were chosen to go to the center of the room where they were put on the spot to do the “chicken dance.” Then, several more people were picked to join in. Then, before you know it the whole class was doing the “chicken dance”! Then, we lined up in lines of twenty and we did the electric slide, and a few people were chosen to do a dance off. Until finally we were left with a champion, and we all had a lot of fun. Then, we prayed out and we were finished for the day.
“Michael B. (aka “Fun name”)
Expressions
“There is nothing stronger than a broken man who has re-built himself.”
-Unknown-
No matter how hard life hits you it is about how you get back up and keep pushing forward and never giving up. Keep focus on what is important to you and where you want to be in life. How do you want to live your life without purpose, without passion, or do you want to leave a legacy? Do not just live a life of mediocrity but live a life full of greatness and full of joy with no regrets. Renew your thinking daily and build a strong identity in yourself and in Christ to be who you want to be, someone you can be proud, and your family will be proud of. Do the most because life is short, and you would not want to look back on your life and think that you wasted any of it.
“Noe R.” (aka “Pound Cake”)
Week 1
Monday February 3, 2025
Today was our first day of class and we started by praying in. Then, we learned about the importance of perseverance and finishing what we start. PEP is helping us all to realize our potential and be better men for our families and communities. We also got our “heart check” today, which is a very meticulous writing assignment that takes days of continuous determination. This is just the first of many challenges that will be set before us here. We also took some time to watch inspirational videos. Then we spoke about the positive aspects of the program, for example, character development and problem solving. We are excited about all the opportunities that are going to be open to us and all the tools and useful experience we will gain. At the end of class, we had our pictures taken for our “coat of arms”, which is something like our own personal vision board that we will be hanging on the wall to remind us of our hopes and dreams and what is important to us in life; the things we are striving for. We are all very thankful for this opportunity!
“Luis A. (aka “none”)
Tuesday February 4, 2025
In finding our way into this amazing program, we have been faced with a daunting task that should be the most welcoming, melting away the rough and serious exterior surfaces and lightening up the idea that we are no longer imprisoned by the prison mentality. Instead, we are becoming more focused on a purposeful future. We started this journey today by “breaking the ice” and dropping the “tough guy” to dive into our “fun guy” by giving each other fun names, which are nicknames we give each other to break away from our rough exterior. We will no longer refer to ourselves in an intimidating way, but as the man we are and the man we are to become. We learned today that this is one of many small tasks we must complete to mature into the men we are meant to be. Also understanding the great need to simplify our goals and be able to present them to be seen by others. We will be doing this by breaking down our ideas into four simplified boxes that’s entire purpose is to show the structure that holds our business ideas and “elevator pitches” together. Elevator pitches consist of a 45 second to 60 second business pitch. Labeled as opportunity, solution, customer, and differentiator; the “Four Box” is an assignment we received that will assist us in our business idea pitches. We are excited to be able to perform in excellence once the “Bid Idea Pitch Event” comes around!
“Jackson A. (aka “none”)
Wednesday February 5, 2025
Character assessment day
Thursday February 6, 2025
Today’s class was awesome! Music, dancing, and meeting our new brothers that are going through the program. It was cool! We started off the morning at 8 a.m. by praying in, which is when we all link arms and bow our heads while one classmate leads us in a prayer. Then, we started in our L.I.T.V. (Living in the Village), workbooks about money management and finances, this lesson was about fixing your credit. Also, we received our acceptance letters from the PEP transitional house. It feels great to be a part of something and have people who care about you and want to see you be successful in life. Our class is learning not only about adding value to ourselves, but about adding value to those around us like our families and our community. There is also something we call the “Ten Driving Values” that we are learning about: Love, Integrity, Fresh-Start Outlook, Excellence, Innovation, Accountability, Execution, Servant-Leader Mentality, Fun and Wise Stewardship. We do our best to live by these values and practice them in our daily lives. Finally, we took our pictures with Donald J. and Martin H., the in-prison management, for our “coat of arms” and then we ended the day with a pray-out. It was a wonderful day. Thank you PEP!
Richard A. (aka “none”)
Friday February 7, 2025
We started off this morning by praying in, so we will be thankful to God for blessing us by giving us the opportunity to be here in this program. We started “Toastmasters”, which helps us with public speaking. This first lesson was called the “Ice Breaker” and it set the tone for us to be able to openly express ideas in front of a large group of people. The Ice breaker really helped us by introducing ourselves and getting to know each other better. We all delivered our “Icebreakers,” which is an introductory presentation about any appropriate subject and could include our personal stories. It has been said that going to prison, public speaking, and dancing are the three most common fears and in PEP, therefore we have been given the opportunity to eliminate those fears. We learned about the prior experiences of the speakers. We learned how our fellow participants grew up and where. Today we began our journey of becoming brothers as we learn more about each other. We are now united by the common goal of becoming better men, fathers, sons. There are aspects of “Toastmasters” that seem strange at first, but if we can effectively deliver a speech to each other than we can become more comfortable addressing a larger group of people. PEP will help us to get out of our comfort zone and learn to work under pressure. Today was very educational and influential and we are all thankful for this opportunity.
Adrian A. (aka “none”)
Expressions
“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.”
-Albert Einstein
Before a person can influence anyone, whether positive or negative, one must first become it. We can say a million words and they can be as flowery and illustrious as possible, but if one does not live what he speaks then those words are like vapors that the wind takes away. That is the reason that you see kids that want to grow up to be just like daddy in which words are of no relevance only the actions that the father decides to project. Wordless communication via the example we set forth becomes the staple in people’s choice to either follow or take another route.
Ramon V. (aka “Lord Farquad”)