Real World Leaders

Real World Leaders had the privilege of hosting a career coaching for the students at Hopeworks. We were joined by talented professionals from Andesa: Sarai Fortin, Systems Engineer, and Kevin Klinger, Business Solutions Consultant. Sarai and Kevin shared invaluable insights, explaining how their roles relate to the student's interests and current positions. They emphasized that a degree alone isn't enough; skills like conflict resolution, relationship building, and strategic thinking are equally important. The key takeaway? Do the best with where you are. Seize every opportunity to shine and prove your worth.

Our young ladies at BELMONT CHARTER SCHOOL had the opportunity to speak with Michael A. Budner from Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky. Michael A. Budner who is also a girl dad spoke life into our young ladies. He said, " You can make all the money but if you can't enjoy your life, what use does it have." He also said, " You have time, try out everything and find your passion." Michael A. Budner really wanted to install in our youth that they can do whatever they put their minds to as long as you keep that same drive and ambition. Thank you Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky for letting us borrow Michael A. Budner for this great conversation.

Our energetic and outgoing students Franklin Towne Charter High School had a great conversation with Craig Timberlake and Tanya Manila with OnCourse Systems for Education. During this coaching session both of our guests gave our students everlasting advice. Craig Timberlake told our students " Put your energy into things that you can change, don't focus on thing you can change." Tanya Manila said "find a company that honors being a servant leader." Thank you OnCourse Systems for Education for allowing us to use your brilliant Project managers.

Our bright and talented students from Legends Charter School did a fantastic job interviewing our guest Jake Leone President and CEO of Corporate Interiors, Inc. As the students expressed their interest in history, Jake Leone shared with them, "Learning from the past is a good technique for future CEOs and leaders in general, it's taking those experiences, what worked and what didn't and learning from them to help guide your company."

We had a great time this morning recording a Real World Leaders radio show with Dr. Shab Maffei's students from Methacton High School and Christopher Heffernan, CEO of dlivrd. Chris said “We have a saying here at the company: ‘If you don’t make a mistake, it means you’re not trying.’ I’m a firm believer that you can’t really understand success until you’ve understood failure. I’ve failed a bunch of times. You need to put ego aside. Know when it was a mistake and don’t dwell on it. The past is the past. The rearview mirror is a lot smaller than the windshield for a reason.” Chris is a real-life proof that victory is on the other side of failure. Chris, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed by our student co-hosts and for being a positive, relatable role model!

This career coaching was dedicated to all the students who want to go the traditional route and attend university. Our students at Freire Charter School asked Ron Gilyard and Bill Knecht at Jefferson Health Plans how they overcame some challenges at college. Bill Knecht said, "build relationships with your professors" and Ron Gilyard said, " you can share experiences to build connections." Both of these men went through college as single fathers and explained how networking and continuing with school helped them get into their positions. One of our students responded at the end and said, " both these men had to sacrifice for their families, that encouraged me." Thank you Bill Knecht and Ron Gilyard for being open with our students and encouraging them with your story.

Our young ladies at DC International School had a great conversation about seizing opportunities with Olin Green and Cathy Lerche at T-Rex Solutions, LLC. During this coaching session we discussed motivations and taking opportunities. When asked 'what keeps you motivated' Cathy Lerche responded " inner drive is powerful and can lead you to a lot of great places." Olin Green told the young ladies "You have to put yourself out there" once we spoke about how to gain opportunities.

This week, the students at Imhotep Institute Charter High School attended a Real World Leaders Career Coaching with special guests from Cleanlogic: Lylian Melendez, Production Supervisor, and Angelina Hall, HR Manager. 💼 The students asked: "What advice would you give someone who wants to get into a similar career that you have?" Lylian Melendez shared: "You have to be open-minded and willing to try new things. Take the opportunity to do volunteer work in the field that interests you. You never know where that road will lead or who you'll connect with." Angelina Hall responded: "Get as much education as you can. You may not always understand every process, but understanding the industry and field is crucial." Everyone on the call learned something valuable, and we’re excited to see the bright futures that await the students at Imhotep!

We were thrilled to have Michael Precopio, CEO of Summers Laboratories, join Real World Leaders for an incredible Career Coaching session with Souderton Area High School students! Mike shared his valuable insights with the students, emphasizing the power of collaboration and mentorship: “People who ask for help achieve more, faster. If you help people get what they want, you will get what you want.” The students were engaged throughout the discussion and contributed thoughtful answers. It was an inspiring and impactful session for everyone involved! A big thank you to Mike and the Souderton High School students for making this session a success! 🙌 #CareerCoaching #Leadership #Mentorship #RealWorldLeaders #SoudertonHighSchool #InspiringFuture

This morning, Meghann Townsend's students from Hatboro-Horsham School District had the opportunity to interview not one, not two, but THREE amazing employees from Pennoni! Mark Hood, Professional Engineer, told the students: “Don’t be afraid to explore. Don’t get narrowed into one thing and think you have to do that for the rest of your life. Ask. Talk to people. There’s nothing wrong with going into a field and realizing it isn’t what you like. Pursue your passions. Find what you like.“ Hannah Miller, Marketing & Public Relations Specialist, said “You don’t need to know what you want to do when you graduate college. You can start a path and realize it’s not for you… I’m still changing my career now… An aspect of each role helped me find my next role and see what I wanted to do… I think we all do a better job when we like what we’re doing." Michael Lewandowski, Professional Engineer, gave the students the following advice: “Don’t forget that your life doesn’t end while you’re off the clock… There’s a whole wide world of things you can do. Just because you do something for a living doesn’t mean you can’t explore and grow as a person in many different areas. Cultivate a broad range of interests.” We heard from three amazing professionals that it is okay to not have your future mapped out! Follow your passions, network, try new things, and change course as needed. The future is bright for these students from Hatboro Horsham who thanked our guests from Pennoni for taking time out of their days to be interviewed by the students. We couldn't do this without you, Team Pennoni! Thank you for your ongoing support!!