Friday, February 28, 2014

Fellows Welcome North Carolina General Assembly Speakers!



What an exciting and eventful month for the Elizabeth Edwards Fellows Program! 

We welcomed Dee Atkinson and Russell Miles from the North Carolina General Assembly to talk to our Junior fellows about their local government.  The fellows learned how to find and track bills, follow chamber activities, meetings, and issues, and the best way to find and communicate with their State House and Senate Representatives.  The fellows also learned important ways to advocate for themselves and their community, and gained valuable advice for getting involved in politics and local government issues. 

The Junior fellows also attended a College Application Readiness Workshop hosted by the Raleigh College Center.  The workshop, led by a local high school counselor, gave strategies for creating the best possible application for colleges.   

The Sophomore fellows have also been busy with the Step It Up 2 Thrive Trainings.   This month, the fellows have been creating personal goals and learning goal management skills.  Dr. Richard Learner at Tufts Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, has demonstrated that young people who develop strong goal management skills are on a positive journey toward thriving.   In Step It Up 2 Thrive, goal management is described as an internal GPS guidance system- thus helping the fellows with their Goal Selection, Pursuit of Strategies, and Shifting Gears in the face of challenges.        

February Mentor of the Month!



Congratulations to our Mentor of the Month, Lauren Prevatte! 

Lauren is in her second year of mentoring for the Elizabeth Edwards Fellows Program.  She is currently a senior at North Carolina State University and majoring in Social Work.  

Lauren is matched with two of our fellows- J’nyce Poe and Tabrinna Haley.  According to Lauren, “My fellows have taught me so much more than I could ever have imagined.  They are two girls full of so much potential and drive to have a successful future, and it has been my honor to try and help them access that potential.”   In addition to their weekly meetings at Starbucks, Lauren and her fellows have participated in community service projects together, and attended a “Titanic” exhibit.  According to her fellows, Lauren has been a great influence on their lives.  She is “always available to talk and answer questions, and gives great advice with whatever is going on in our lives.”  Lauren is inspired to mentor because, “in this day and age, youth are surrounded by so many negative stimuli that it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate down a positive and successful path.  Mentoring gives me the opportunity to use my experience, and even my mistakes, to help them pick a better path for themselves.”  

Thank you so much Lauren for all your passion and hard work!