Week 19

Week in Review

Monday May 15, 2017

Today we spent the morning in the computer lab finalizing our resumes, budgets and post-release plans. It is very important for the Kings of Spring ‘17 to have our vision plans down on paper. All of this will help us in the long run, if we find ourselves falling off-track and need some guidance to get back on the path we need to be on.

In the afternoon we finished up our Coats of Arms and “Change” poems that we are creating so that we can give these to our families on graduation day. We are all looking forward to seeing our loved ones and watching the expressions on their faces when they see the men we have become. In the end, all the hard work and dedication will be on display for them to see.

We are winding down to the last three weeks of our second phase in PEP. We are anxious to see our loved ones. We thank God first for putting us in a situation like this to be able to turn our lives around, but we thank Him also for using programs like PEP that help us transform from our past.

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

Tuesday May 16, 2017

Today we practiced our pitches, anticipating that Bert would be here tomorrow and may call upon us to give ours in front of the whole class. We have been ready to say our pitches since our last event, where we received good advice from the executives and have confidence that we will prevail.

We are counting down the days as we approach our big day on June 2^nd, the day that we have worked so hard to get to: graduation day. It’s rewarding to think back on all the hard work we put in to get to this point. There have been so many nights staying up late studying for Bert’s tests or other assignments, and we have a sense of accomplishment, which is an incredible feeling that will only become more incredible very soon.

Until then, we will keep practicing our pitches until they become second nature to us all. The executives are really going to get a good show at the Business Plan Competition (BPC). Whoever wins will deserve it because it will be the direct result of the time they committed to this task. We cannot wait to find out who will win it all. Until then, it’s back to work.

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

Wednesday May 17, 2017

It got off to a slow start this morning; they had some type of unit drill and had us locked in our houses for about an hour. We had a couple of pray-outs for two brothers in the class before us, Marcus R. and Joshua S. Our brothers are on their way home, so we provided some good words of encouragement for them. We wish our brothers the best.

Then later in the day Bert arrived, and he had some of us rehearse our pitches in front of the class in preparation for the BPC that is coming up next month. Bert, who has taught us the business class through the second phase, gave us some encouragement and assurance with positive feedback on our business plans.

We would like to thank Bert for his time and commitment to each of us. We hope to make you and PEP proud of us come pitch day. Continue to practice your business pitches, brothers, focus on telling your stories and continue to have fun. We are close to a new beginning in our walk, so let’s keep pressing forward.

William E. (a.k.a. “Elmo”)

Thursday May 18, 2017

With less than two weeks until the Business Plan Competition and graduation, the Kings of Spring ’17 are striving daily to prepare the perfect pitch. We each have had the opportunity to pitch our businesses to executive volunteers several times and have received wonderful feedback that has been more than helpful in preparing our final pitches. With all of the adjustments put into place, we are now ready to battle it out with each other.

This has most definitely been a tough nine months for all of us. What matters most is that all of our hard work has paid off, especially when it comes to being servant leaders to the new class of Fall ‘17. During one of the first classes that we attended together, we were told “we will get what we put into it.” That phrase has spoken life into all of us. This class has grown tremendously, and we have accomplished what we set out to do.

We have taken the first few steps toward our quest for authentic manhood, as well as gaining some valuable knowledge along the way. Even though graduation is less than two weeks away, it doesn’t stop there. Our life journey is just beginning together.

Darrell M. (a.k.a. Peter Pan)

Friday May 19, 2017

Today was an awesome day. We had the opportunity to fellowship and catch up with a couple of PEP Alumni who came back to challenge us to a few games of softball. The games were great, and so was the popcorn and Power Aide that our brothers provided for us, but the highlights of the day were the testimonies that some of the brothers spoke about.

We listened to the stories of hardship and struggles, enduring and persevering. Fighting the good fight, getting knocked down, but having the ability to get back up with the help and support of our fellow brothers. We are reminded every day that re-entering society will not be easy for the vast majority of us, but we have an enormous band of brothers who we can lean on when faced with adversity.

The day was not about winning or losing. It was ultimately just a reminder of how great, but challenging, life will be if we choose to continue to live life “between the wings.” It’s up to us to choose whether or not we will take advantage of these valuable resources. My only advice is to choose wisely.

Jeremi R. (a.k.a. Lisa Left Eye)

Expressions

“Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

~Unknown

When it comes to transforming our lives, we have to continue walking on that narrow path few choose to walk on. Our actions reflect our personality. Let’s ask ourselves this question: what type of leader do I want to be? Could I be comfortable just making it to the finish line, or is this the beginning of what’s yet to come? Let’s examine ourselves on a daily basis and see what we could do to improve our walk. Transformation is just like learning – we never stop learning, we just get better at it.

Joe A. (a.k.a. Tabasco)