Teens, Local Leaders Together Explore Career Paths at YMCA Forum

Around 200 motivated teens from across New York's five boroughs gathered at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA today for the second annual Teen Career Forum.

The forum provides an opportunity for college- and career-bound teens to meet face-to-face with leaders in the fields of medicine, finance, law, sports and entertainment.

Jack Lund, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater New York, addressed the teens, followed by keynote speaker Robert E. Knowling Jr., chairman of Eagles Landing Partners.

Knowles shared with the pubescent group his own story of struggle, growing up homeless part of his life, and the other part being shuffled from one foster home to another. He also was an active member of the YMCA, where he said he found safety and refuge in his very early years.

He was a gifted student who excelled in sports, but because of a lack of role models pushing him to believe in himself, he spent most of his childhood just drifting through life, underachieving. That is, until age 16, when one of his teachers and his sports coaches began to push him to challenge himself.

"Nobody outside of these walls cares about you," Knowles told the teen audience flatly. "Don't worry about having it all figured out, but it's important you at least try to do your best. And if you don't know the answer to something, ask somebody. 

"Look for that role model, that person who is achieving in a positive way who you can model yourself after. The greatest thing you can do for your own development is to be a great listener, a great observer," said Knowling.

The kids then broke out into smaller, career-focused sessions where they met with a panel of professional leaders-- Many of whom hailed from the very neighborhoods the teens live in today.

Some of the panelists included entrepreneurs Vicki Thompson, assistant manager of the Lawrence. H. Woodward Funeral Home and Benjamin Grossman, founding member of The Smoke Joint Restaurant Group; Greg Mayers, senior policy advisor for the Mayor's Office; Judith Aarons, prosecutor for the Kings County District Attorney's Office, Rotimi Akinnouye, executive sales consultant for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and co-founder of Bed-Vyne Wine in Bed-Stuy; and Dr. Aliyah Morgan, director of community medicine at the Brooklyn Hospital Center.

What could have easily become another rote academic-style "adult-tells-teen-how-it's-done" lecture instead became a very candid forum in which the panelists made themselves equally available to listen to the teens.

There were students interested in a variety of career paths, from criminal justice and finance, to business management, sports medicine and civil service.

“I’m here because I want to be an entrepreneur and start my own business,” said Kwazi Theirrod, 17. “So I hope I get some good advice on what I should be doing to prepare myself to be a successful businessman.”

“I’m here because I want to pursue my career in becoming a police officer,” said Brian Medina, 17. “I was told if I came to this I would become better educated on how these professionals became successful in their jobs. So, I’m hoping to learn how I can take the right path.”

Dordy Jourdain, executive director at the Bedford YMCA, said he was very pleased with the turnout, mid-way throught the conference: "The kids seem very engaged and interested in what our panelists have to share, and we're equally impressed by the adult participation. So far it is going well," said Jourdain. "Our panelists are very excited about being here. I think it's going to be a great day, and we're very happy to be doing this for the community."