Coaching Spotlight: Luis Alexander Perez (aka “Alex”)

Alex is a recent graduate of Training for Office Jobs and a coaching participant who was selected to share a speech at his graduation. You can read the full graduation speech below, but here is a highlight:

"Between Word lessons, Excel, Google, Mavis typing, presentations, tests, coaching sessions, workshops, mock interviews, resumes, cover and thank you letters, speakers, practices and exercises we can now say with certainty that we feel more prepared professionally, more confident with ourselves, more full of motivation and energy to go out and build our future work. To contribute to society in a positive way because we can achieve it. We will set short and long term goals leaving fear and overcoming the obstacles as we have done many times in this training. Paraphrasing Eleanor Roosevelt, 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.'"

Good morning everyone. The first thing I say for me is a real pleasure to give the graduation speech on behalf of classmates and friends graduating here today. Today is the end of an important stage of our lives where together we share knowledge, joys, fears, efforts and successes. We have finished our training for office jobs.

If in our minds we go back to the time when we arrived here at the United South End Settlements. We had great expectations at facing this new stage on our first day of class. We started a cycle of preparation with unknown people which, would become colleagues that would become mutual support. Additionally, the staff of this organization that would guide us and help us in this path to learn. A start full of enthusiasm and ambitions.Good morning everyone. The first thing I say for me is a real pleasure to give the graduation speech on behalf of classmates and friends graduating here today. Today is the end of an important stage of our lives where together we share knowledge, joys, fears, efforts and successes. We have finished our training for office jobs.

The days and weeks passed, we started as a large group, which eventually became reduced for different reasons leaving us in the fight. We were discovering a new process, perhaps not so new for some but a process of improvement, nevertheless. Everything became profit and aids for our knowledge and the future career paths we will take. Despite the weather, the adversities, the personal problems, etc. here we were with the best disposition and with the desire to continue preparing until completing this cycle.

Between Word lessons, Excel, Google, Mavis typing, presentations, tests, coaching sessions, workshops, mock interviews, resumes, cover and thank you letters, speakers, practices and exercises we can now say with certainty that we feel more prepared professionally, more confident with ourselves, more full of motivation and energy to go out and build our future work, To contribute to society in a positive way because we can achieve it, We will set short and long term goals leaving fear and overcoming the obstacles as we have done many times in this training. Paraphrasing Eleanor Roosevelt "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams". These months have been intensive, I think for everyone. But they were necessary for our formation in the face of a new stage that is approaching us. I hope that for each one of us, opportunities arrive everywhere. Pleasant experiences, dreams achieved, and happiness overwhelms us.

It is worth mentioning that throughout this process we have been accompanied by people who have invested their time, their energy, their knowledge in forming competent and successful people in the future. Many of those people are here. And not only do I refer to family members, but also to those teachers and coaches who have shown interest in our learning. They have helped us to form ourselves with a critical sense of the things that surround us; They have helped us to trust in everything we can achieve and discover our abilities. In each class their passion and concern for each student was evident through their teaching. To all these instructors and coaches of the winter cycle, I would like to thank you for everything we have learned at your side, for the enormous patience you have had with many of us, for each of the advice given and for that unconditional support during this process and from which we can continue to take advantage after today.

Gratitude cannot remain within oneself, this in silence does not serve anyone, it must be expressed to highlight and recognize the effort of an excellent work. To our instructor Mrs. Adella Ryan my gratitude and affection for her infinite patience, knowledge and professionalism; It has been very important in this process. To our director Mr. Joel Nitzberg, thank you for your commitment and leadership, a key piece for all. To our coaches Mrs. Melody Valdes, Mrs. Cristina Harris, Mr. Abrahan Vega, thankfulness for your advice and faithful support during these months that have contributed so much to our personal and professional development. To our volunteers: Mrs. Lee Warren, Adriana Gonzalez, Anne Spielberger, Olivia Cosio and Anne Long thank you for your invaluable help and constructive collaboration.

We finished such an incredible process; I hope that each one of the people who are finishing with me live the same joy and keep this great memory forever. From this moment another chapter begins for each one of us. Keep going forward, but do not forget to look back to see who can help. “Networking is very important”; as Mr. Joel would say.

My dear colleagues, I have full faith that we can achieve many positive goals in our professional paths. We have achieved it and we now go for much more. Remember a phrase from Martin Luther King Jr. “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Thank you very much for everything and enjoy this celebration.