Today’s Hope Life Skills class guest was Derek Viveiros, the Athletic Director at  Bristol Community College.

The Life Skills class host was Yael Torres.

Yael Torres (left) welcomes Derek Viveiros to Hope High School before the start of the Hope Life Skills class

Yael introduces Derek Viveiros to his Hope Life Skills classmates to start the day’s class.

Hope Life Skills students welcome Derek to their class following Yael’s introduction.

Derek begins his story of success

“Becoming successful,

finding a job that we look forward to every day, doesn’t happen quickly or easily”

Derek said at the beginning of his personal story.   “After several months in my first job, I realized I couldn’t see myself doing it for long. I didn’t like it.  So, I thought about what I really wanted to do and I realized I liked coaching baseball.  I reached out to a few people in my network who proceeded to get me an opportunity for my first coaching job. 

My network definitely helped“.

Derek speaks about adversity and the benefit of having a good brand and strong network

Derek spoke about a series of coaching jobs in different parts of the United States.  He found himself working in a job he looked forward to every day.  And, then, he encountered adversity.  “One day, the College in Iowa where I was coaching eliminated my coaching position.  I was out of a job!”  Derek then spoke about dealing with adversity.  He informed the class that people frequently confront adversity, failure and hardship during their lives.  Derek acknowledged he faced the challenge of losing a good job;  it wasn’t anticipated nor easy to deal with.  “Adversity provides lessons. 

Adversity can  make you better and stronger.   It can also open new doors of opportunity.  

It did for me!  

Once again, I contacted people in my network and they told me the Athletic Director’s position at Bristol Community College was open.  I applied and find myself in

a new job I never considered and love going to work everyday.”

Derek finished his story by speaking about the

benefits of his first internship.

“You don’t always make a lot of money but you learn valuable lessons which can affect your career plans.   An internship can reveal what you like and don’t like for a job.  One of the best lessons I learned in an early internship was I couldn’t see myself doing this kind of job for the rest of my life.   I decided to look in a different direction.“

When the bell rang to end the class, Derek stayed to network with a few students,

exchanging business cards,

to add each other to their personal networks.

Mohamadou Mbaye exchanges business cards with Derek at the end of today’s class.