Week 13

Week in Review

Monday April 3, 2017

It was a busy day for the “Kings of Spring ’17.” We started the day off in the computer lab finalizing our reports for our business pitches. We also received our rough drafts of our business plans for Saturday’s event, which we are all looking forward to.

After lunch we transitioned to our Toastmasters class, where we were given an amazing opportunity to improve our public speaking skills. Before this class started in January, many of us had never spoken in public before, so this is a tool we all need in order to become the great speakers we were destined to become. We are looking forward to using these Toastmasters skills in our professional careers.

There are 90 of us left in this Spring ’17 class, and we are pushing forward to our June 2nd graduation date, working harder than ever. Graduation is just a small step toward the next chapter in our lives. This journey is not just for us, but more importantly for our families and loved ones who have supported us the whole way. We thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts while we give all the honor glory to God almighty!

Joshua M. (a.k.a. Mater)

Tuesday April 4, 2017

Everybody has a story – their own unique, good, noble, one-of-a-kind story. Each one of our stories are filled with defining moments. These moments are what have molded us into the men we are today, whether or not that man is the man we want to be.

As we pour into our brothers on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next few months, we need to remember to instill in them that each and every one of their stories is unique, and yet that they are not alone. We all have a past and unfinished business that we left at home, and we all have demons that we’ve used to fill voids.

I want to encourage our brothers to take a moment to remember that we’re all on different paths and have all put up walls. It’s time to break down these walls, unpack our pasts and help one another. You cannot become the man you were always intended to be without help, and there is no such thing as a self-made man. So we challenge you: reach out and change someone’s life today.

Christopher V. (a.k.a. Ernest)

Wednesday April 5, 2017

There was no doubt that this was the day that we would take the names test and pass it. After all the hard work, all the interviews and all the reports, we were ready! A real excitement filled the room after the fifty minutes was up.

Not only did we take our names test, but we immediately took our test for Bert S.’s class and our Living in the Village test all in one day. It’s getting close to the end of our journey. Graduation is just around the bend, but the pressure is still on us. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we’ve got to keep pushing until we get there.

Although all of us are pretty weary, we are glad that one class is coming to an end, while another begins. It’s time for the class of Fall ’17 to step up to the plate. Not to mention that since they’ve started class, it gives us a little down time to better prepare ourselves for our upcoming Business Plan Competition.

Hubert R. (a.k.a. Elvis)

Thursday April 6, 2017

For the “Kings of Spring ’17,” today brought a much-needed opportunity for some rest and relaxation. With most of the week’s classes behind us, we got a chance to stop and take a breath. Indeed, many of us are searching for that second wind.

Some of us spent the day volunteering to help with the new class, who are in their second week of Phase One, the character portion of class. Others had a computer lab to attend, where they did lessons in Microsoft Office and were able to do some research for their business plans. Still others used the day to enjoy some television and catch a few extra hours of sleep.

Looking forward, we have an event this weekend. The Business Plan Workshop will give us one final opportunity to get some feedback for business plans. We will then take that advice and use it to refine our pitches, which are right around the corner. The future is looking pretty bright for the “Kings of Springs ’17”!

Michael H. (a.k.a. Johnny Bravo)

Friday April 7, 2017

So today our class had the day off. We spent the majority of the day getting ourselves prepared for our Business Plan Workshop event tomorrow. We are so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to, once again, share our ideas and dreams with the executives who have been successful in following their dreams. It will be even better this time, because now we have more information about what we want to do, and the things we need to accomplish to start up our businesses.

As the “Kings of Spring ’17,” we have to live up to that name, and we have been doing that by being servant-leaders. The next class has already started their Phase One of the program, and it’s only right that we go and give our support. Just being there beside them, as the previous class did for us, is amazing in itself. It’s a great feeling to be able to share our experiences and also help these men open up and accept the change that PEP is trying to implement into their lives.

Our graduation date is approaching faster and faster. We could not be more ecstatic at the opportunity to walk across the stage with our families and our PEP family watching. We as a class have gone through so much, both mentally and emotionally, but we are almost there. This all would not have been possible without the love and support that we have constantly received from our family and fellow PEP brothers, both past and present. From all of us in Spring ’17, thank you everybody!

Xavier A. (a.k.a. Chocolate Drizzle)

Expressions

 “Learning is experience and everything else is just information.”

~Keith Frazier

It is a great misconception that knowledge is power, but true power is in the application of knowledge. If you think about it, what is the purpose of reading a book on how to fly a plane if you never plan on flying? In the same manner, what is the reason behind learning how to be a great leader if you’re not putting any of it into action?

We have gone the majority of our lives being passive followers. It’s time for us to take the knowledge we’ve learned through our journey in PEP and apply it in our everyday lives; otherwise, it’s just useless information. If not now, then when? And if not you, then who? So today, choose to be a leader and carry the torch of being a servant-leader for the next brother.

Michael G. (a.k.a. Baby Simba)