January 2017 has been a very busy month for IHDF-NY! With 4 events happening in the span of two weeks, our Dreamer Scholars (college students) had a busy schedule during their winter break.
We started our gamut of events on January 4, 2017 with our College Success Workshop. Over 50 of our Dreamer Scholars attended the workshop and engaged in different activities pertaining to their college experience. Freshman were able to convene and discuss both the highlights and the challenges of their first semester, while upperclassmen were engaged in a workshop about choosing their major and ultimately their career path. Following the event, Dreamers went bowling to decompress from their demanding afternoon. It was great to see our Dreamers again after a challenging academic semester!
College Workshop - January 4, 2017
Our Work Is Success Internship Program applicants came out on January 7th, a snowy Saturday, to participate in our Improv for Interviews workshop! After having successfully submitted an application and a resume, WISIP applicants attended the workshop to continue to improve on their resume writing and hone in on their interview skills through improv exercises. The Dreamers had a great time and felt more prepared for their upcoming interviews to gain entry into WISIP. We received 100% positive feedback from the Dreamer Scholars on this event!
Improv for Interviews - January 7, 2017
Furthest to the left is Alexandra Sanchez, Improv for Interviews facilitator
After the weekend workshop, interviews to gain entry into WISIP occurred on both January 9th and January 10th. These interviews took place at the IHDF-NY Central Office, where National IHDF staff and members of our Junior Board served as interviewers. Dreamers arrived in professional dress with their resumes in hand, prepared to have an interview. Our interviewers were very impressed by the candidates they interviewed and we ended up accepting more students than we anticipated! Thank you again to all those who came out to help!
Lastly, on January 12th The Viacom Career Mentoring Day allowed our Dreamers to meet with professionals from a diverse range of departments within Viacom. An amazing energy and positive spirit at the event fostered an invigorating and inspirational experience on many levels. The exchange of information, the thoughtful conversation, and the motivational dialogue that took place during the speed mentoring as well as during the networking session was excellent. It was truly inspiring to see our Dreamers, who have been in the "I Have A Dream" - NY program since elementary school, each use their individual skills and attributes to thrive in a professional setting. Thank you to Viacom and all the staff who helped to provide such a powerful experience for the Dreamers.
Viacom Career Mentoring Day - January 12, 2017