1.  Here’s an interesting video.  So many of us too often state we can’t get something done by a deadline because we’re too busy with other things going on in our life or we’re too nervous to introduce ourselves to someone we’d like in our network or too embarrassed to play the role of HOST for one of our Friday morning classes. “Oh, I’ve been too busy, Mr Cronin to do the homework…….” ……”Oh, I’m too embarrassed to introduce someone.…….”  This video is the story of a remarkable high school girl who is never too embarrassed to try something she is challenged to do, and often fail, but continues to persevere and try harder to get better so she can be the best she can be.

Isn’t this the goal we all have?

After watching this video below, please send a well written statement composed of short sentences, good grammar and punctuation and perfect spelling to my email address by December 27th, 2017, about what YOU COULD DO that you’re not doing now by simply “pushing out of your comfort zone” to be the best you can be.

2.  Please read my blog on Today’s class and tell me what you think about what we discussed in class today.   Please tell me one thing you agree with AND WHY you feel this way and, if there is anything you disagree with, what you disagree with AND WHY you feel this way.  Please send a well written statement composed of short sentences, good grammar and punctuation and perfect spelling to my email address by December 27th, 2017.

3.  Please tell me the name of one person you met in our class this year that YOU SENT AN EMAIL TO WISH THEM “HAPPY HOLIDAYS and Happy New Year!”

4.  After listening and reading our list of coming events and guests during Friday’s (December 15th) class for the second half of our class, please state a PERSONAL GOAL(s) you have for the second half of our Hope Life Skills class.  For instance, you might indicate being invited to go with the class on our tour of a college campus OR being chosen for a paid CVS Health summer internship at CVS offices in Woonsocket, RI OR meeting and adding an FBI agent to your personal network in one of our classes.   Please send your well written statement composed of short sentences, good grammar and punctuation and perfect spelling to my email address by December 27th, 2017.  Thank you.

5.  For those of you interested in the story of Kayla Montgomery, the female track star battling the debilitating disease, MS (multiple sclerosis), here’s a video of what she’s doing now in college.

At the end of Friday’s class,

I encouraged all of you to prepare for Future Forum 2.

The better we prepare, whether it’s a softball game, an exam, or a networking event like the Future Forum, the better our chances for the success we hope to achieve.

I encourage you to watch the videos posted here.  The speaker, Masayoshi Son, is Japan’s wealthiest person.  Be patient watching this video.  However, if you can, it will be worth your while.  Watch and listen.  You will not only learn a lot;  many of you will become more curious, more creative and more confident.

‘Masayoshi Son’ is worth $23.5 BILLION! despite having lost most of his wealth in the year 2000

when his investments in internet companies failed.  He didn’t quit; he persevered!  Today Masayoshi Son is the Founder and chief executive officer of SoftBank, the chief executive officer of SoftBank Mobile, and current chairman of Sprint Corporation.

Masayoshi Son believes ‘AI’, Artificial Intelligence, will increasingly change our future.

He has stated the year 2017 is the tipping point for the world’s focus on AI, Artificial Intelligence. From this year forward, there will be more and more conversations, investments and uses of artificial intelligence devices. Siri, Google and Ford driverless cars, Rumba vacuum cleaners, drones, to name a few, are here NOW!  UnderArmour is designing and producing intelligent sportswear with AI in the fabric of the clothing.  In fact, Masayoshi Son predicts

in “30 years, when the population of the earth will be 10 BILLION, there will be 10 BILLION robots on the earth as well“.

Tuesday’s Future Forum is our first step getting prepared for this eventuality.

You are intelligent and creative enough to be successful in a world of artificial intelligence.  Yes, you are! Keep being curious. Don’t be afraid to be imaginative. Work hard always.

Push out of your comfort zone!

And, keep building networks of diverse, curious, hard working, respectful people who always do the right thing.

If you examine your network and everyone looks like you and has the same interests as you, you are missing opportunities for success.

Build a diverse network of good  people who have similar AND different interests as you.

See you Tuesday at the Forum!  And,

don’t forget your business cards.

1.  Read pages 61 through 67 in the “Brand” textbook, the ‘Story of Cesar Chavez’.

2.  Let’s use our imagination.   Make believe you have the opportunity to have dinner with Cesar Chavez at a restaurant called Forbes Mill Steakhouse at 206 North Santa Cruz Highway in Los Gatos, California.     You and Mr Chavez are seated when the waitress approaches you.  You notice her name tag says – Tara Cronin, Providence, Rhode Island.    Hmmmm…..Your mind starts wondering.  Could she be…..?   Please share with me one question you will ask Mr Chavez during dinner.   Then, please tell me something you will say to the waitress other than ‘how is the Australian Coldwater Lobster at this restaurant?’.    Please send your well written answers with perfect spelling and well constructed, short sentences to my email address by Sunday, November 12th before midnight!  Thank you.  I look forward to reading your responses.

3.  Today’s guest, Nan Quinlin, encouraged all of us to

set up our profile on LinkedIn,

a popular, employment networking web site (www.linkedin.com).  LinkedIn is used mainly for career networking;  i.e. (that is) people looking for jobs and companies looking for good job candidates.  LinkedIn will be another tactic for building your network of successful people who may one day help you get an internship, job or maybe acceptance into the University or College of your choice.

Go to the LinkedIn web site to set up your profile.   Check out my profile on LinkedIn.  You can also

check out the LinkedIn profiles of Hope Life Skills graduates Hafzat Akanni, Marta Aparicio, or Johnny Montanez.

Once you’ve finished setting up your profile,

connect with me on LinkedIn.

You can find my LinkedIn profile by  putting my name, Stephen Cronin, in the inquiry bar at the top of the site.  Make sure you read the Stephen Cronin profile to make sure it’s me.  There are many Stephen Cronins on LinkedIn.

Once my profile appears, click on the connect button.

This will send a message to me asking if I will connect with you which I will.   I look forward to connecting with you on linkedin.  Please do this as soon as possible.

4. What do you think about a “Meet Mr Cronin” night at Hope High School?    I would ask you to bring one or both of your parents to meet me.   I will have dinner for everyone;  we can talk about the menu during one of our classes.  We’ll start about 6:30pm.  I will have a few of my friends, like George Ortiz and Marta Aparicio, come to meet your parents too.  I will tell parents about what we’re doing and planning to do in the Hope Life Skills program.  WHAT DO YOU THINK?   WILL YOUR PARENTS BE INTERESTED AND ABLE TO COME?