Week 5

Week in Review

Monday July 30, 2018

Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters, honored and distinguished guests! Today was another awesome day at our Toastmasters International class for Fearless Fall ‘18. Today was Project Two, entitled “Organize Your Speech.” In our Project One, “Icebreakers,” some of us struggled with nervousness and fumbled through our speeches; however, today was different. Everyone displayed more confidence and preparedness, not just with the speeches but with the knowledge of how to organize and run our meetings as a group.

We’re all learning how to fulfill the responsibilities of each position of the Toastmaster panel. We are becoming more effective at giving honest and constructive evaluations to help our fellow brothers grow and develop their speaking skills. By the time we face the executive panel on August 11^th to present our “elevator pitches,” we will all be able to stand with confidence and take pride in delivering an excellent pitch.

Roland T. (a.k.a. “Sweet Peter Griffin”)

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Today we got started early. We received two assignments: Identifying Opportunities, and Finding Solutions for turning those into a potential business. These assignments are helping us work toward our Business Plan Competition. Our brothers assigned to Tuesday’s computer lab took full advantage by furthering their Microsoft Office skills as well as typing up their Mission Statements.

The atmosphere in the dorm is busy. Our workload is becoming increasingly hectic, but that’s okay. We are Fearless Fall ’18, and we are collectively determined to succeed. Every table in the dayroom is occupied with PEP brothers practicing their Venture Capital Panel pitches, studying for the Chapter Five test we have tomorrow in our entrepreneurship class or rehearsing for Toastmasters speeches.

To speak of the character of the Fearless Fall ’18 class, everywhere you look you see a sense of community, brothers helping brothers. Everyone shares the common goal of seeing others succeed, not only in the classroom, and you are able to see this camaraderie on the recreation yard, at Health and Wellness, or even when it comes down to someone having a bad day. There is always someone there to uplift you and keep you on the right path. Keep up the good work, Fall ’18 – you’ve got this!

Basil H. (a.k.a. “Zohan”)

Wednesday August 1, 2018

Today is a day many of us look forward to: Bert S.’s (a.k.a. “Chocolate Truffles”) class! Inside Bert S’s class, we learn the ins and outs of a business and pretty much everything you need to learn to be successful. What we love about Bert is his method of teaching, because he breaks everything down to the simplest terms to help us get a deeper understanding of what he is speaking about. He also has a fun way of teaching by cracking jokes every now and then to keep us engaged. But today, we had a volunteer named Adam (a.k.a. “Ned Flanders”) who showed us many ways to market our business and determine our pricing plans. He has a phenomenal way of teaching and is very knowledgeable.

The first thing we did today was take our weekly test from the entrepreneurship book, followed by Adam’s lecture. Once the lecture was finished, they handed out our test scores so we could start our “issues and tissues”! In other words, if you believed your answer should have been marked correct, you could question it; but if you turn out wrong, you will be walking away with a tissue in hand, which gives us all a great laugh.

Overall, everything we learn is very helpful and useful, and the class participation is unbelievable. So many people participate, but due to the time, plenty of questions go unanswered; however, what we love most is the opportunity at the end of every class to ask any questions that we may have. We look forward to the class every week and come out brighter every time. Let’s go, Fearless Fall ’18.

Joel B. (a.k.a. “Cardi B.”)

Thursday August 2, 2018

Today was the first day in weeks that we weren’t called out to class. However, our brothers of Spring ’19 were. They went to receive their study guides and while there, they were able to get a taste of our brotherhood by getting to show off some of their dance moves. At the end of it all, they got to hear testimonies from Michael G. (a.k.a. “Richard Simmons”) and one of our “Fearless Leaders,” Greg P. (a.k.a. “Flower”), and we hope it was an inspiration. Spring ’19, our fellow classmates, all the graduates and Fall ‘18 welcome you to the brotherhood that is PEP.

As for Fall ’18, we were able to spend the day studying for our entrepreneurship test on Chapter 11. It appears that it may be a little more difficult than our previous tests. We also utilized this day of downtime to practice our business pitches for the upcoming Venture Capital Panel event next Saturday. This hard work will surely pay off as we show the executives what Fearless Fall ’18 is made of.

Aaron K. (a.k.a. “Troy Landry”)

Friday August 3, 2018

For many PEP brothers, the day began with a 7:30 a.m. devotional class, a moment when we were able to reflect on God, devote ourselves to Him and be thankful for His wonderful mercy and grace.

Then came American History class at 10 a.m., where we were enlightened on the Rebellion to the Revolution, the capture of the British Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 and the day General George Washington raised a new flag to commemorate the Grand Union in 1776. American History is powerful, and we honor these men for their Servant-Leader Mentality and for sacrificing their lives for our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Servant-Leader Mentality is one of the 10 Driving Values that PEP is founded on. PEP believes that with leadership comes the overriding responsibility to be of service to others. Fearless Fall ’18 is filled with Servant-Leaders on a mission to transform lives. We believe that people can change, dignity can be restored and as a result, society will reap bountifully. Thanks PEP!

Brian F. (a.k.a. “Sweet Quagmire”)

Expressions

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

• Viktor Frankl

While we so desperately want to change our circumstances, unfortunately, sometimes we are unable to due to factors such as incarceration. This may cause us to feel stuck in time, but in reality, we are placed in these situations to work on ourselves. In these instances, we must focus on the things that we do have control over or the things we can change, including ourselves.

So brothers, instead of seeking change externally, focus your attention internally. Sometimes when we change ourselves, our world changes with us; as our attitudes, values and beliefs change so do our opportunities, our friends and even our environments. And, before we know it, our lives are so much different.

As you journey through this program, pay careful attention to where your energy is being directed. With so much work on your plates, you can’t afford to stress over unnecessary stuff. Instead, imagine what could be done constructively with all that energy that is being carelessly wasted. So brothers, utilize this wonderful opportunity to change yourselves and watch how everything else follows suit.

Timothy D. (a.k.a. “Ren”)