January Ambassador Updates

A new year has started, and with it new opportunities for our class of Ambassadors. After spending a semester focused on professional development, financial literacy, and their own community impact projects, they will be moving forward into the complex and enriching lessons we have planned for them over the next few months. The Ambassadors will greatly benefit from some of our new community partnerships, and will undoubtedly become unstoppable forces of improvement within the neighborhood.

Many of our Ambassadors have minds oriented towards the business world, and understand that success in that field means not only working hard with the right people, but also working hard in the right places. With that in mind our partnership with the Cambridge Innovation Center in Miami has been something that they have been looking forward to for a long time. The CIC is an organization with an ecosystem tailored specifically to foster young entrepreneurial minds, and we have been extremely lucky to have them host our Ambassadors while they work on their community impact projects and begin studying for next years standardized testing. The CIC has five offices across the country and hosts over 1000 companies within them, with every location providing support and innovative ideas for the enterprisers of the next generation. Companies based at the CIC in the past have raised over $2 billion since the organization’s inception. Their assistance with our ambassadors is remarkable and the inspiration our students draw from the CIC is limitless.

However, whether you are working on a project inside a building or making it happen outside in the world, you need to look the part! Which is why we are excited to introduce the Suits for Seniors organization into the Knowledge Of Careers family. Working from the principal that “the suit is the uniform for success”, The organization’s founder Jervonte Edmonds has provided professional clothing to aspiring businessmen and businesswomen graduating from high school. With their help our Ambassadors will be provided with tailored professional wear, which will undoubtedly come in handy not only while pitching their community impact projects, but also at the upcoming Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, an annual leadership program organized by the Rotary Club, and for which all of our Ambassadors have applied.
As time progresses, so do our students, moving forward towards personal and professional growth. With the continued support of inspirational organizations like these, the Knowledge of Careers Ambassador class of 2017 is on track to mature into influential and successful members of our community.

Fall 2016 Booker T. Washington High School Recap

It’s been a busy semester for us at Knowledge of Careers! Between branching out to new schools, developing new programs at old ones, and hosting events in the Miami metropolitan area, we hit the ground running this year and haven’t stopped yet. The K.O.C. freshmen class at Booker T. Washington Senior High School felt the effects of this firsthand. Here are some of the wonderful people they’ve met and opportunities they’ve learned of throughout the semester.

Daniel Prada: Software Designer

Daniel Prada gave a creative and engaging first presentation, emphasizing the power of using old technology for new projects. Students came to understand that innovation is often the result of rearranging and repurposing what already exists, and brainstormed entrepreneurial projects they could pursue with the resources currently available to them. The activity saw students broken up into groups of technologies, users, and places, mixing together to create new and unique products that were greater than the sum of their parts.

Catherine Ragheb: Nurse

A quick change of pace had Nurse Catherine Ragheb speaking to the class. The product of a storied and impressive career, Mrs. Ragheb is an example of how many responsibilities can lie within a single title. From neonatal care to geriatric support to disaster relief, Cathy showed our students not only that one profession can take many forms, but also, and more specifically, that in a person’s scariest moment, a nurse can be their greatest ally. As her presentation drew to a close our students got a workout! Running up stairs and doing jumping jacks all contributed towards learning how to read and maintain one’s heart rate.

Leah Fein-Roque: Social Media Strategist

But what fun is exercising if you can’t brag about it? Leah Fein-Roque was next to speak to the class, and with her impressive background in social media strategy she quickly had a captivated audience. Speaking on her career path behind becoming a Social Media Strategist and PR Expert, our students were educated on the importance of having a professional yet engaging online representation. And while the lesson wasn’t interspersed with any #selfies, it ended with her activity, a hilarious mannequin challenge.

Amy Wang: Occupational Therapist

A week later our students were still stiff and sore from standing still for so long in that mannequin challenge, so we had to call for help! Amy Wang came to the rescue! Amy explained that as an OT, she helps those disabled from injuries or diseases return to the workforce through treatment and exercises. She showed how coming from humble roots helped shape her career path as an OT and a philanthropist, dedicating her life to helping those in need internationally. After an inspiring lesson Mrs. Wang taught us how to make finger splints out of thermoplastic.

Natalie Maldonado and Adam Stoller: Strategy Managers

At the end of November we had a double feature, Natalie Maldonado and Adam Stoller from the Miami Children’s Health System. Involved in the system’s Strategic Business Development and Growth division, the two showed the class the many avenues to improve and refine public health issues. With an emphasis on the paths each of them took to get where they are today, Natalie and Adam are examples of dedication and hard work that our students look up to today. At the end of lecture, our students were challenged intellectually, coming up with creative ideas on how to solve pressing health issues.

Dr. Liza Merly: Senior Lecturer

Dr. Liza Merly, expert on Marine Biology and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, showed the students the inspiring and complex ecosystem that lives beneath the surface around us in Miami-Dade county for the last lecture of the semester. The intricate scientific pathways and biological developments she taught were as impressive as her own path to her profession, and the students were lucky to learn about each in turn. Just before we had to say goodbye to the students until we see them again next year, Dr. Merly brought out sample sharks, which the students were able to study, measure, and tag!

It was an amazing semester at Booker T. Washington, and the next one will be even more so! Thank you so much to all of our presenters over the past few months, you taught us as much as you did the students. And thank you for your continued support of Knowledge of Careers and our dedicated students! Have happy holidays, and a happy New Year!

Fall 2016 Miami Senior High Recap

A new year is approaching, and with it, new beginnings. Ever ahead of the curve, KOC’s big new beginning began in September, when we opened a chapter at Miami Senior High!  We feel very grateful for all the wonderful new freshmen we have met and worked with since then—we are truly learning as much from them as they are from us. From farming to pharmaceuticals, here’s what the new class has learned this year:

Eddie Echeverri: Sourcing Strategist

Setting a strong tone for the rest of the year, Eddie Echeverri from Costa Farms came in to speak with the class about his role in sourcing materials for the company’s agricultural products. Traveling as far as India, and as nearby as Little Haiti, Eddie goes to all lengths to ensure that the product is of the highest quality. Eddie brought the class into a negotiating game for his activity, having the students represent buyers and sellers negotiating for profitable prices.

Sandra Ferrin: Attorney

Getting out of the dirt and into the courthouse, Lawyer Sandra Ferrin was next. As a judge’s clerk moving into a position at a firm, Mrs. Ferrin knows all sides of the law intimately, and expressed to the class how invaluable creative thinking is in law and in everyday life. With a focus on logic, deductive reasoning, and an appreciation for recognizing legal process, Mrs. Ferrin introduced the class to the legal methods of settling suits and prosecution. For an activity the students worked on a real case that Mrs. Ferrin was involved in, helping to determine if actions taken in a case were premeditated or not.

Catherine Ragheb: Nurse

Soon after Catherine Ragheb presented to the class on her experiences as a Nurse. Mrs. Ragheb described the study, hard work, and experience that goes into nursing, and the fulfilling and profitable future it holds. Having been involved in numerous fields of nursing, Cathy described the different field of treatment from admitted patients to being involved in emergency disaster relief. Later, she got our class’ blood pumping with some jumping jacks, sprints, and runs up the stairs to measure our heart rates.

Ashley McNeil: Nutritionist Masters Student

As any athlete knows, exercise is only as useful as the diet you pair it with. As such, Nutritionist Student Ashley McNeil joined our class to speak with us on the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. Covering the movement from the Food Pyramid to the Food Plate as the national nutritional standard, Ashley covered how different types of food affect our bodies, and how maintaining a balance between them is instrumental towards a healthy body and mind. To finish up, Ashley had the class fill out a 24-hour diet recall, and graded how healthy the last 24 hours were for each student.

Daniela Diego and Alex Bode: Medical School Students

Medical Students Daniela Diego and Alex Bode spoke to the class about their experiences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and the paths they took to get there. The two explained that you can reach medical school with a background as typical as biochemistry, like Alex’s, or as unexpected as dance, like Daniela’s. Between the two of them the students gained an appreciation for the rigors of higher education and the payoff it has for the future. As class drew to a close, the future M.D.s showed us how to tie a surgical suture knot.

Isabella Roque: Digital Marketing Intern

Isabella Roque was next to teach our class about her experiences working in the music industry. Focused on the business side of music production, Isabella explained how her many high school courses created the skill set she has today to effectively market new artists and singles. As a Digital Marketing Intern, Isabella is a key figure in making new music popular. This was especially evident in her activity, where each student chose a popular artist and was tasked with coming up with a marketing strategy to advertise the artist to their parents.

Stephanie Ragheb: Physical Therapist

For the final presentation of the semester, Physical Therapist Stephanie Ragheb joined the class early in December to speak with them about the path towards becoming a PT. Explaining the complex science behind muscles and bones, Stephanie educated the students on how the body fits together, and how to treat it when the pieces aren’t all aligned. Ms. Ragheb described her career path in detail, and made every step to becoming a PT clear. She also taught the students how to run a physical therapy evaluation on a patient, which the students performed on each other as part of her activity.

As the semester ended, we were forced to say so long to our students once again. The first year at Miami Senior High School was a smashing success. Our class size has grown, and we have all grown close to one another. It may be a new environment, and may be a new class, but it feels like we are with old friends, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for next year!

Fall 2016 Ambassador Recap

In their second year at Booker T. Washington Senior High School, the Knowledge of Careers Ambassador class focused on a different professional skill every month, beginning with financial literacy. It’s no secret that financial literacy is underemphasized in most high schools, and so we were grateful and proud of the lessons our Ambassadors received in it from volunteers from the prestigious PriceWaterhouseCoopers firm. Understanding personal finance is an essential life skill. The volunteers investigated the underlying math behind finance and how to apply it to practical money management skills.

Financial Basics

The first lesson, “Basic Math and Finance,” was designed to gauge students’ mathematical skills and to introduce them to basic topics in modern finance. Topics included interest, taxes, and percentages, as well as discounts and premiums. Most importantly, we stressed the value of payment plans and budgets, and the students completed an activity in basic payment plans and discounts. The second lesson, “Saving and Budgeting,” was crafted to demonstrate the importance of savings for one’s own future. We introduced the different means of saving and taught practical ways for students to budget their own money. During this lesson, we stressed why it is important to save and keep track of current expenses. In order to emphasize the importance of savings, we had the students complete a write-up on the value of savings and also had them create a mock budget given a discretionary income and choices of things to buy.

Advanced Finances

As the lessons became more complex we introduced “Taxes, Savings, and Investments,” which was designed to convince students of the importance of saving and shows them how strategic decisions made with each paycheck can contribute to long term prosperity. Throughout the lesson, emphasis was placed on how to save, and students learned to file a 1040EZ as an in class activity. Beyond that, “Credit, Debt, Living Within Your Means,” showed the students how credit is a powerful resource but must be handled with caution and restraint. In order to stress the benefits and risks of maintaining credit, we had the students complete a write-up about bankruptcy, and also worked through an example problem of paying off debt.

Following a month of Financial Literacy, November introduced a new theme – Technological Development. This module was designed around the most essential skills: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and the use of internet based resources. The students acquired the basic training needed to use any of these programs in their career or college life. Each student made significant progress on their respective Community Impact Projects, which were integrated into each week’s lesson. Students worked one-on-one with Jorge Mendez, the Program Director of University of Miami’s “Innovate:Miami” and a Teaching Fellow at Miami Dade’s “The Idea Center.” With his help, the students began giving their projects much more substance and depth.

Community Impact Projects

Jorge Mendez led the first lesson on November 1st, which focused on the Community Impact Projects, community growth, and self involvement. After brainstorming some ideas for their projects, students completed a worksheet laying out the backbone of their Community Impact Projects. Students began thinking through the major factors associated with the ‘problem’ they are addressing and crafting their problem statements. Jorge met with each student individually to further their progress with their respective Community Impact Projects. At the end of this lesson, students had a detailed problem statement and a plan for how to begin implementing solutions this Spring. Over the Winter holiday, each group will be administering 20 surveys throughout their communities to better assess the issues they are targeting.

Technological Development

Basic skills associated with using Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel in a professional and academic capacity were a primary focus this semester. Topics included: formatting paragraphs, essays, and memos, creating bulleted information and info at-a-glance, using spellcheck and search and replace functions, and formatting APA bibliographies and citations. Students researched scholarly articles pertaining to their Community Impact Projects and formatted APA bibliographies with the information. During classes, students practiced formatting cells by reformatting a poorly formatted excel sheet. These skills, in addition to the professional and academic applications of Microsoft PowerPoint, will undoubtedly prove important when the students begin working on the financial aspects of their Community Impact Projects.

SAT/ACT Preparation and Youth Leadership

In anticipation for second semester, the month of December began integrating real practice material from the ACT and SAT standardized exams. We want our students to feel as prepared and confident as possible when it comes to these tests, and we believe early introduction and practice will help them achieve this. This month students also switched gears and focused on applying for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), which is an intensive training program for young adults, ages 14-30. Through RYLA, students have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and character, gain exposure to a variety of issues and people, meet active community leaders, and learn valuable information and career skills. Our students prepared answers to a series of questions and turned in their applications during the second week of December.

As the semester drew to a close, we introduced the students to the vast number of internet resources at their disposal. In particular, we taught the students how to use local government websites and how to navigate a college application page. In addition, we had the students use YouTube to supplement their Community Impact Project.

September 2016 Ambassador Updates

This fall, KOC started its year 2 curriculum at Booker T. Washington High School. As such, six sophomore KOC ambassadors have been meeting on a weekly basis to focus on indispensable specific skills and the mental habits that will engender future flexibility and perpetual growth.

The first several lessons have focused on what we deem to be the most crucial concrete, or “hard,” skills: writing, public speaking, Microsoft Office and other technological competencies. These tools are necessary to effectively navigate the modern world, and their mastery opens doors that could not be opened any other way. While some of these skills are covered in a student’s regular coursework, many are not, most are underemphasized, and only rarely are students made aware of their functional importance.

Each lesson makes use of three assignments that sharpen essential skills on an almost daily basis: reading and critical thinking, writing, and problem solving. At the beginning of each class the students are given a problem to engage their mathematical prowess, logic, and analytical reasoning. At the end of each lesson, students complete short, graded writing assignments. The prompts typically relate to the material learned, or relate the day’s lesson to their own Community Impact Project. The first module was “writing and public speaking,” the goal of which is to introduce students to the writing and speech skills that will be required of them in both classroom and career settings.

For the first lesson, “writing crash course,” students were introduced to basic grammar through passage reading, writing, and review. The writing focused on professional writing, peer revie skills, and tools used for improving one’s writing. The aim was to familiarize students with grammatical conventions via intensive writing assignments that are closely edited by peers and teachers, then revised. During this lesson, we discussed parts of speech, sentence structure, and paragraph structure. In order to emphasize the importance of writing in a professional setting, we facilitated a discussion by posing the question “why do you think writing is important in a professional and collegiate environment?” Additionally, the students practiced their reading comprehension skills with a take-home assignment. This exercise was similar to an AP English Literature one, featuring an excerpt from “A Man of Letters as a Man of Business.”

During the second lesson, “intro to professional writing,” we familiarized students with the different forms of writing that will be expected of them in a college or career setting. We discussed the role of editing and critiquing, and also emphasized the importance of proofreading. During this lesson, we went over professional emailing, and worked with students on coming up with a hypothetical thank you email following a job interview. At the end of the lesson, we had students brainstorm some ideas for their Community Impact Projects, which they read out loud to the other students in the class.

The third lesson, “advanced writing topics,” students examined the different tools at their disposal for improving our own writing. We also took a more advanced look at sentence structure and the importance of both grammar and spelling in professional writing. We went over the ways in which the dictionary and thesaurus can improve writing, and also went over possessive nouns and verb tenses, since the students seemed to need more practice in both these areas.

The fourth lesson, “professional and public speaking,” was designed with the goal that students should be able to identify the different setting in which public speaking will be important in both a career and classroom setting. We taught the students how to convey oneself in the best way possible through speech techniques. Additionally, the students were assigned famous historical speeches that they will present during the next two lessons. At the start of this class, we facilitated a discussion by asking students why they think public speaking might teach them to become a better listener. In doing this, we emphasized the importance of listening in being able to adequately express their ideas.

The upcoming lessons will feature Price Waterhouse Cooper volunteers who will teach on financial literacy.

September 2016 K.O.C. Updates

The school year began with a running start, and we here at Knowledge of Careers were ready to get back into the swing of things! The first month of the school year has been one of growth and new experiences for us, from starting a new Year 1 program at Miami Senior High School to initiating the second year of K.O.C. at Booker T. Washington High School. With new schools, new students, and old friendships, we’re looking forward to seeing what this year has in store!

It’s only been a month, but our partnership with Miami Senior High School has already proved itself to be more than we could have hoped. With amazing support from staff and students alike, K.O.C. has been able to set its feet down easily at the school, and through presentations to Freshman Experiences classes nearly 400 students have shown interest in the program! With a number that large we had to be sure we had the guests to back it up, and with professionals from the medical, legal, entrepreneurial, and agricultural fields (just to name a few!) lined up to present, we can be sure the new students will have an experience like they never have before! As K.O.C. grows and expands to new schools, we are focused on providing the utmost exposure and education to our students, from the largest class sizes to the most concentrated.

Speaking of focused, our intensive K.O.C. ambassador program at Booker T. Washington has been a huge success! Our ambassadors, while small in number, are quite the opposite when it comes to drive and ambition. We have been touched to see how students we grew to know over the last year have developed into forward-thinking young adults, compelled to improve themselves and their communities. They have made this obvious through professional development activities, engaging the students around them, inspiring the class below them while introducing them to the benefits of being a K.O.C. member, and their long-term plans to directly improve the lives of their neighborhoods. We have been working hard to pair our ambassadors with like-minded professionals in the Miami-Dade area, and as such give them the opportunity to step into the corporate world at their own pace with the mutual goal of personal and altruistic success.

How I Became a Social Entrepreneur (and why you should too!)

There are a number of perks associated with a typical job in the corporate world. You might get to work in a swanky office in a city high rise, you might get to travel the country or even the globe to visit clients, and if you’re really lucky your paychecks might actually make a dent in that pile of student loan debt you picked up while you were living the good life on campus.

All great things, but let’s face the facts: just about every point on the long list of corporate perks is a self-serving one. Regardless of how your boss tries to spin your company’s role as one that enables the betterment of society or how many “Give Back to the X” days that you attend, the bottom line is you are a cog in a machine dedicated to making profits for shareholders. Now before you stop reading, don’t worry I’m not a socialist (though the whole Bernie Sanders thing has me pretty confused…is socialism still bad or what?), and I don’t believe that a life of pure self-sacrifice is the only decent one. There’s nothing wrong with being self-serving when the objective of your selfishness is to build a career that enables you to pay your debts, save money to support your current or future family, and assure you are not a burden on society. I am, however, saying that such a career, regardless of how much you enjoy your work, may neglect that part of you that truly wants to make a difference and improve the lives of those who are in dire need. Robert Kennedy said that “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” Despite what many in our society now seem to think, angry posts on Facebook (while they may feel so good at the time) are not a contribution, but social entrepreneurship certainly is.

Social entrepreneurship offers two distinct opportunities that are likely lacking in your life as a corporate minion. First, it provides an opportunity for true altruism; you are helping those who are actually in need as opposed to adding another percentage point to an already healthy bottom line.

Secondly, it puts YOU in the driver seat. The layers of red tape that are routine in large, established, hierarchical companies are gone. Now it’s just you, a few other adventurous individuals, and an urgent problem that needs solving. You (and they) have the responsibility to independently make decisions that can tangibly improve lives. That alone can be a very intriguing and rewording proposition.

At this point you might be thinking, “I give back to society, just last month I spent a half day passing out water bottles at our company run to end homelessness!” A valiant cause to be sure, and I am not trying to diminish any contributions. Ask yourself though, how do you feel after a one-off volunteering session? Do you go home truly feeling as though your investment is making a change in your community, or are you just glad for any opportunity to do something besides staring into the depths of your laptop screen? The fundamental difference between volunteering and social entrepreneurship is your level of investment. Social entrepreneurs aren’t just showing up and supporting a cause for a day without being able to see the impact of your work or even knowing if there is one. We are planting altruistic seeds that we are actually there to nurture, grow, and see harvested by those who we’ve vowed to help. In my experience, this increased commitment pays substantial dividends both in the amount of impact you will be able to have and the satisfaction you will feel as a result.

So let me clarify, I am not trying to guilt trip you into quitting your six figure job as an investment banker and striking out to help form an organization that will leave you with at best a profit of zero. Social entrepreneurship, though I have been lucky enough to get some of my colleagues involved, is outside of my day job. For me it was a gradual process of involvement. I began as a volunteer with a local organization just starting to incorporate and get their feet under them, found the experience incredibly rewarding, and began to support them with some of my own skills from a financial and management perspective. From there I found a passion and as the organization grew my role grew as well. As with any young organization, new startups are in dire need of individuals with the business-related skills you use every day. So here’s what I am pushing you to do: go out and volunteer, but not with a one-off mindset. Go out and volunteer with an organization that has a goal you connect with and that you think could truly use your help. Find a way to apply your skills to a cause you believe in, and you just might find that before you know it you’ve joined me as a passionate social entrepreneur.

 

Michael Anderson

CFO of Knowledge of Careers

 

Expansion News

Are you ready for K.O.C. Year 2 to begin? We sure are! There are a lot of updates coming to the organization this year and we can’t wait to tell you about them! From partnerships with volunteer programs and education support foundations, all the way to our expansion into new Miami Dade schools this year, we have a lot of news to cover!
We here at K.O.C. are excited to announce our partnership with the AmeriCorps VISTA program, an organization dedicated to providing service and volunteership in order to combat poverty. VISTA volunteers will be joining K.O.C. staff in the classroom and on an administrative front to help our Year 2 initiatives roll out smoothly and effectively. The presence of the volunteers not only provides K.O.C. with the manpower needed to expand into new schools this year, but also shows our students that service to one’s community, even when done by just one individual, can have an indescribably positive impact.
It has been a groundbreaking summer for K.O.C. when it comes to partnerships. We had the pleasure of forming a relationship with The Education Effect from Florida International University. Together with JP Morgan, The Education Effect works to improve the scholastic engagement of the Miami-Dade community by connecting its public schools with the amenities and resources provided by its university. Now working in conjunction with K.O.C. at Booker T. Washington Senior High School, The Education Effect will be helpful in enhancing the experience students have in our program. We are happy to celebrate this collaborative partnership, and to work together to improve the offerings each of our programs can provide to the students we serve.
Finally, we want to extend a huge thank you to the Brian H. and Jill P. Rowe Family Foundation! Dedicated to the enhancement of community and economics from an educational perspective, especially in regards to low-income districts, the organization has helped an incalculable number of at-need children across the nation. We want to thank them for their generous donation, and congratulate them on becoming our first Principal level donor! Thank you!

Our family is growing, and we’d love for you to join!

Our organization has been growing and developing greatly over the past summer! Aside from expanding to Miami Senior High, our own staff,family, and partners have grown as well. On top of our institutional connections with the FIU Education Effect and the Brian H. and Jill P. Rowe Family Foundation, one of our most exciting new developments is with two very inspiring and unique individuals: Nicolette and Victoria from the AmeriCorps VISTA program!
As a Miami native and Johns Hopkins graduate, Nicolette is well-traveled and well-rounded! She brings a distinctive outlook to the K.O.C. mission. With her BA in Earth and Planetary Sciences and her Masters in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nicolette brings a scientific and diagnostic approach to identifying challenges students face and the ways to overcome them. Nicolette is a passionate and hardworking member of our team and we are excited to have her!
Victoria is also a Miami native, and a graduate of the Miami-Dade county public school system we currently work in! As a graduate of Miami Northwestern High School, Victoria is intimately familiar with the challenges in the public schooling system, and is an example of how to overcome them. Victoria shared that she is passionate to share her experiences and knowledge with the youth in our program, and is an invaluable member of our organization!
These exciting additions to our staff will prove integral as we transition into our second year, but you can get involved too! We want YOU to come speak! We are currently actively recruiting speakers for the upcoming school year,and spots are going fast! If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] with your name, profession, and a few Wednesdays in October, November, or December for which you’ll be available. Speaking for K.O.C. is a unique opportunity to share your own story and experiences with young students who may be interested in your field. Students from our last year have stayed in contact with influential speakers from their year and look up to some of them as mentors. Take this opportunity to make a difference!

K.O.C. partners with Miami Senior High

There could not have been a better pilot school for K.O.C. to set its feet down and grow than we had at Booker T. Washington Senior High. The support we received from Principal Aristride was exemplary, and we would not have become the organization we are today without the help of him and his staff. We came to love our students there and were amazed to watch them grow through our program. But perhaps more than anything else, Booker T. Washington Senior High showed us that there are undiscovered bright young minds in classrooms across the county, and we’re looking forward to discovering them!
With that in mind, we are excited to announce that as the Booker T. Washington program moves into its second year, we will be starting our first year at Miami Senior High this month! We’re taking our ever-evolving program to the high school, and are eager to work together with their staff and students to make it a fantastic year . Employing a similar classroom setting, we will be inviting interested freshmen to attend weekly afternoon sessions for presentations on a diverse selection of careers across the professional spectrum. Our Miami Senior High students will learn all about the careers presented to them, what they entail, and the steps they can take early on to achieve similar success.
As the oldest high school in Miami-Dade county, Miami Senior High has an incomparable history and a deep-rooted relationship with the community. Its student body of just under 3,500 students has produced local and nationwide leaders, ranging from professional athletes to CEOs to elected officials, at the city, state, and federal levels. We here at K.O.C. are extremely lucky to have the chance to work with such a diverse, driven, and engaged student body and staff, and we are looking forward to the opportunities Principal Valdés has given us there. Go Blue and Gold!