For Many Students, Midtown & Metro's Impact Continues After High School

If There is Pizza, They Will Come!

Midtown and Metro’s impact starts in fourth grade and continues through high school graduation. But it often goes beyond as students return to the centers as employees, volunteers, and alumni community members.

Over winter break, both Midtown and Metro hosted events for their alumni, now in college or recently graduated. It was wonderful to see handfuls of alumni gather together as a community in the places many refer to as their “second home.”

While countless laughs and good times ensued over pizza, there were also components of professional development at each get-together.

The men came together at Midtown on December 21st to share stories of their college experiences and to network with one another. Alumni had the chance to personally connect with Midtown Program Directors and talk about challenges they are facing at school as well as network regarding potential career paths that they hope to pursue. 

Metro ladies assembled on January 3rd for an afternoon of professional development. Program Directors delivered excellent presentations about seizing opportunities, the value of all work, social media, professional attire, and proper behavior for interviews and the workplace.

Two Metro Advancement Council members were very generous with their time and also came to address the ladies:

Lauren Thompson of William Blair introduced the topics of saving and budgeting with examples of daily trade-offs. Who knew that instead of buying your daily coffee, making it at home and putting those savings to work at a bank could yield many more dollars down the road!? Lauren covered the steps to saving: from opening a savings and checking account to living within your means. She showed how to build a budget reminding everyone to review and adjust monthly. Lauren even stuck around to answer thoughtful questions about credit scores, when to move money from checking to savings, and retirement.

Candice Smith of The Boeing Company closed out the day with a workshop on staying ready for any opportunity and always putting your best foot forward. She urged the girls to “be bold in your actions, be curious, be informed with the facts, be courageous with your voice, and be yourself” among many other inspiring words of career advice. Candice highlighted advice such as asking for help, building on your inherent talents, surrounding yourself with good (not necessarily like-minded) people, and redirecting your plans with colorful and impactful stories from her own journey. She challenged the ladies with a role play exercise, putting the girls in real life scenarios to do some self-discovery about reacting to adversity and opportunity. Candice stayed for pizza and a Q&A where the girls inquired more about seeking to understand themselves and those around them, how to stay encouraged in the face of discouragement, and how to learn from failure.

Thanks to all who came back to Midtown and Metro over winter break! The Midtown and Metro family wish you the best in second semester and all at MEF look forward to seeing you this semester and in the summer!