Today’s guest was Michelle Saunders, a Senior Talent Development Business Partner at Sensata Technologies.  Our Life Skills class host who welcomed Michelle to Hope High and introduced her to the Life Skills class was Jeff Kinnie.

Jeff welcomes Michelle to Hope High prior to today’s class

Jeff introduces Michelle to the Life Skills class.

Maria Dasilva welcomed Michelle to class following Jeff’s introduction.

“My story today reinforces the importance of ‘attitude’. 

With a positive attitude and positive people surrounding you, reaching your potential and fulfilling your dreams are more certain than with a negative attitude and negative people in your network.  A positive attitude strengthens your spirit.  It enables you to get out of your comfort zone to learn and grow. You’ll essentially be able to will yourself to success.  With a positive attitude, mistakes and hardship are accepted as lessons to learn not something to be feared or embarrassed about.   A positive attitude and a network of positive people will create more opportunities for jobs and meetings with new, successful, well connected people.  And I’m a prime example for all of this being the case” Michelle told the class today.

Michelle asked students at the outset of class to write instances of failure experienced in the life.

Michelle shared some very personal hardships with the class.  As a young girl, she was seemingly surrounded by negative people who, in turn, made her feel and active negatively.  “All this negativity changed when I met a teacher who

told me I was smart and good and I could accomplish great things in life.  Wow!  I had never heard such nice comments before.  Someone actually believed in me. Suddenly I felt different about myself. 

This new belief in myself then gave me

the confidence to change

the way I was acting.  It also helped me change some of the people I was hanging around with.  I eventually met a great guy who was also very positive.  He believed in me too and eventually became my husband.  We’ve been married for close to 20 years.  I went to college while I had a full time job.  I eventually got a Master’s degree. My husband and I own a home and we have two, wonderful daughters.  It hasn’t always been easy.  I’ve had setbacks.   But my positive attitude has helped me persevere, not give up and stay focused to get back on track.“

Michelle sharing her story with the class

The class ended with a Life Skills networking session where many students continued the conversation, exchanged business cards and became part of each other’s network.

Sanniya and Michelle connect at the end of class with Sanniya giving Michelle her business card.

Gisabel speaks with Michelle as Chanda Nuth waits to network with Michelle at the end of class.