Candace Joy Rucker, M.S.’s Post

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou These words echoed in my mind during the training week as I set my major goal: "To leave a lasting impact on the kids and staff I work with." As a Resident Director for the ETSU TRIO Upward Bound program, a federally funded initiative designed to support and prepare high school students for college, I embarked on this journey six weeks ago. Last week marked the end of my summer role, culminating in my evaluation. During the evaluation, my boss asked if I remembered the goals I had listed. The first goal I mentioned was leaving a positive impact on the people I meet—something I strive for in everything I do. Working with the kids over these six weeks has profoundly changed my perspective. One of my key takeaways is that kids often observe and emulate the actions of those they look up to. Lastly, a healthy work environment is one of the best things that can happen to you. Upward Bound gave me that healthy work environment. If you're passionate about making a difference and creating a positive impact, let's connect and share our experiences. How have you left your mark in your role? Share your stories in the comments below! #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma #UpwardBound #StudentSuccess #ImpactfulLeadership #EducationalEquity #PersonalGrowth #IpinoluwaAkintola

Empowering the Young Minds!!! As children grow up, they experience many changes, the main idea of this program is to enable them to cope with the physical, mental, emotional, financial and digital challenges to channelize their potential to the BEST. This program is a guideline for 10 to 15 years old kids to analyze things critically, gain confidence, polish their communication skills and over come their fears. They will learn to think out of the box, innovate and adopt fresh perspective towards problems and their solutions. Link to register: ttps://https://lnkd.in/d5D6mpXy... #LearningandDevelopment #Criticalthinking #Entrepreneurship #Fintech #DigitalLiteracy #FinancialManagement

As we conclude another summer semester, it's crucial to recognize the profound impact of educators on our professional landscape. Teachers are the architects of our future workforce, instilling not just knowledge, but critical thinking, resilience, and innovation in their students. Their tireless efforts, often extending far beyond classroom hours, shape the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Let's take a moment to appreciate these unsung heroes of our economy. Their dedication to continuous learning and adaptation, especially in our rapidly evolving digital age, is truly commendable. How has a teacher influenced your career path or professional skills? Share your experiences and let's celebrate the educators who have made a difference in our professional lives.

Share this with a friend: the 2025 Mira Fellowship application window is now open. If you or someone you know has a young, world-improving idea you want to make a reality in the company of other aspirational leaders, you can apply or nominate someone else at the link below. The Mira Fellowship selects five proven doers each year who are bent on reframing how the world works. They are typically mid-career individuals with a strong track record and a passion for solving specific problems.. As a 2024 Fellow myself, I've experienced firsthand how Mira has accelerated my mission to equip every company with the tools to deliver an experience of work that makes employees feel whole and alive. Other projects this year have focused on issues including: protecting the working poor from heat, assisting families in end-of-life preparations, fostering connections among children from diverse backgrounds, safeguarding NGOs from authoritarian pressure, and providing judges with access to independent environmental experts on demand. If this is you, and you are tired of working alone, now's the time - the application window closes on June 1st. You can apply or nominate someone else here. #leadership, #socialentrepreneurs #mirafellowship https://lnkd.in/gcVkvFC8

Moving from academia to industry is tough. But in today's fast-changing world, it's crucial for both people and companies to make this shift easier. That means offering support like mentoring, trust, opportunities for growth, and a clear path to being yourself. When individuals have what they need, they can do their best work and make a real impact – for their organization and beyond 🌍 To learn more about my journey, check out the article I've written below👇

Success isn't just about what you accomplish in your life; it's about what you inspire others to do." Join Who young professionals program https://lnkd.in/d55fgtyn

APs: Are you spending some time this summer planning when & how to step into your first principal role? 🔭 ⭐️ New leader Ahmed Adelekan shares tips to light your path here:

I gleaned from my team today 🙌 perspective can differ. In life, the lens through which we view life experiences can transform challenges into opportunities and obstacles into stepping stones. A shift in perspective doesn't change the situation, but it changes how we perceive and react to it. We really are fortunate at Junior Achievement of Orange County & Inland Empire where we are constantly reminded of the power of perspective. Whether mentoring students, collaborating with colleagues, or navigating the complexities of organizational growth, our outlook shapes our outcomes. ✨I am grateful for my beautiful team who support and helps to shape one another Carlos, Erin, Jennifer, Sarah, Kaylin, Rebecca, & Leslie as we work together to make a difference in our communities! In our life’s journey, it is filled with both triumphs and trials. It has taught me that the difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how you use it. As we reflect on our achievements and plan for future successes, I am reminded that a positive perspective can turn a good experience into a great one and a tough moment into a learning opportunity. We have an amazing OC& IE Team that is committed to continue to view our work through a lens of possibility and potential. Together, we inspire and empower the next generation to see the world with hopeful eyes and bold dreams. Cheers to a week of embracing new perspectives and creating impact! 💡 Also, thank you Amanda Sattler, CFRE for facilitating the JASoCal advancement retreat and creating a safe platform for some open dialogue around our personal values & EQ. I know each of us throughout JA continue to strive to be and become our best. #Perspective #GrowthMindset #JuniorAchievement #Inspiration #Leadership #Empowerment #JAOC #JuniorAchievement #BestTeamEver #BoundlessPossibilities

"No way you are 25!" I get this a lot. 👆 There are many things that have contributed to my maturity in life, but specifically I want to talk about attending summer programs in the US when I was in highschool, in Greece. I first traveled to the US alone when I was 15. I went to Smith College and Oberlin College for sustainability, and then Lehigh University College of Business and Middlebury College's MiddCORE for business programs. Why I found these sumemr programs to be transformative experiences? 👉 I realized I wanted to study in the US due to the experiential learning component, the liberal arts education, and extra-curricular activities available 👉I developed my collaboration skills working with cross-cultural teams from a young age and learned to value diversity 👉I honed my leadership and communication skills by leading teams, making sure we deliver our projects on time and present in front of various stakeholders Was it easy to put myself out there from such as young age? No. There were many times I felt like: 👉 I didn't belong 👉 My friends back home will forget me 👉My accent is too thick and they don't get it 👉My style is different and so on. Fear, insecurities, all those inner thoughts are things we all have in common. But they all have their place and propel us to do better and be better. These summer program experiences shaped me to a huge degree. They taught me it's okay to be and feel different than all the rest in the room. So now that I do business and work with peope that many times are 2x my age I don't feel intimidated or less than. I know I have value to add and even though I don't have 10 years of experience on paper, I have been cultivating the skills that matter the most since I was young. To you who might be feeling any type of imposter syndrome, you are not alone. When you know that what you are working on is bigger than you, you will find the courage to go for it. #impostersyndrome #selflove #selfawareness

What a great bunch of like minded, enthusiastic and passionate professionals. 😊 There was sharing, caring and friendly challenge to understand more. Each college talked through the progress they have made in such a short space of time, regarding their three development areas identified as part of the Careers Impact System Peer to Peer Review pilot back in April. It was amazing to sit back and listen to the actions each college has committed to and the intended outcome and impact of this work. It was also great to see others scribbling down ideas to take back to their organisations. This is a direct result of the facilitated process and displays how invested college senior leaders, governors and those in attendance are in bringing about change with a whole college approach to #careers #education for the benefit of the young people in our region. We also used the time to discuss a #collaboration project that we will be looking to take forward in 24/25 around parental engagement with students voice (including pathways). Watch this space 🙌🏼 Thank you all for your time and openness in this process, so much learning and exciting times ahead for us to continue to track and celebrate. Jenna Cains Margz A. Judi Harper Julia Gray John Walker Luke Read (He/Him) Liam Evans Sara-Jane Watkins Matt Atkinson Ben Knocks Anna Holton The Careers & Enterprise Company Sian Gresswell Marie Jobson Louise Liddle #careersimpactsystem #colleges #careerseducation #wholecollegeapproach #cec Career Leads / SLT / Heads We will be rolling out Careers Impact System Peer to Peer reviews in more schools and colleges in 24/25 - interested? Please get in touch. We will also be launching the new Internal Leadership Review tool on Compass that all schools and colleges can use to start the journey of reviewing their careers provision. Dates to follow shortly.