Tomorrow's Leaders-Today

This Tuesday, September 16th, I will begin a nine month journey with about 30 other adults, in a program which develops community leadership skills. The program, named Leadership Racine, was founded on October 23, 1996, during a meeting of community leaders. By September, 1998, the first leadership class was formed, and the history of Leadership Racine began.

The program is nine months in length, from October through May, and begins with a two day orientation for all participants. The goal of the program is to build community trusteeship through development of strong, diverse, and knowledgeable leaders in the Racine community. The program recruits individuals which have a strong interest in volunteerism and display leadership skills. The program further develops leadership skills and prepares participants for positions of public influence and decision-making in the Racine area.

I look forward to this new journey, and the great friendships, I will make in my community. Continue to watch the local Racine Journal Times newspaper for updates on my class, as well as check my blog for updates on projects, and valuable information I learn along the way.

Graduation

This weekend marked the end of a very long journey for me -- I finally graduated with a BA in Business Management and Communications! I had always been on honor roll throughout grade school and middle school; however, when high school came along I decided life was to be enjoyed and socialized way too much. I somewhat knew what I wanted to do in life after high school, but did not want to put the effort into college. Back in 1991, I began an associates degree at Gateway Technical College in Racine, Wisconsin, and honestly thought I would complete that degree. When I decided to get married and start a family, school was pushed aside. As my children grew older, and I returned to work, I found out real fast how important a degree is if you want to get where you want to be. Almost three years ago, I made the decision to return to school, and was determined to finish a bachelor degree. While raising a family, and working, I finally finished. I attended Concordia University Wisconsin adult education program and loved it! Concordia has two campuses located in Racine and Kenosha for the adult education program.

As an added bonus for my graduation weekend, my nephew graduated from kindergarten, at the West Suburban Montessori School located in Oak Park, IL. So I not only was able to enjoy my walk for my diploma on Saturday, but I also was able to watch my nephew receive his kindergarten diploma on Sunday.