The Impact of Principal for Almost a Day - You Just Never Know...

Dear PFAD Class of 2014 –

Recently, Victoria Lara of Lara Media Services shared with me her personal story about the impact of Principal for Almost a Day (PFAD). It affirms the value of busy people like you taking the time to build relationships with our schools.

“This October as a part of Principal for Almost a Day I had the opportunity to visit with Principal Hristic of PPS’ Roosevelt High School. Among the several things I did as a part of my visit was to briefly share my life experiences and career choices with a class. It was good to get into a school, share about my struggles and successes being a minority and a Latina business woman. I appreciated the opportunity to do so through PFAD.

Last week, I attended the Hispanic Chamber’s scholarship luncheon to give out an award on behalf of Lara Media to a student, and I was thrilled to meet an incredible young woman, whom I will never forget. She told me that she was in the classroom at Roosevelt I visited back in October and that she was blessed and thankful that Lara Media had given her an opportunity to continue on to higher education via the scholarship she received. She shared with me that at the time of my visit she was struggling and did not see a positive future for herself beyond high school. Something in what I shared stuck with her and at that moment she decided that as a young Latina, she had set the bar too low for herself and became motivated to make some changes.

I was humbled and honored to present her with a scholarship this spring that will help her achieve her new goal of attending and completing college and to have the knowledge that had I never returned to the school, I would have never known that a few small actions on my part had such a huge impact on one of our community’s youth. My biggest passions are to help youth, especially young women to let them know that they can do anything they set their minds to. ¡Si se puede! And, I am motivated and driven by making others aware of their self-worth and ability to do great things.”

Thank you Victoria, this was a good reminder for me that each of your visits had an impact in ways that you may not have even realized.  And, thank you PFAD participants for making time to step into schools. One final request of you, I hope you will take the time to reconnect with your host principal with a note of thanks for all the good work they have done this year and wish them well for a much deserved summer vacation in July.

Sincerely,

Dan

PS.  Please mark your calendars for Thursday, October 15, 2015 for our 15th Annual Principal for Almost a Day.