“If you can dream it you can do it.”-Walt Disney

By- Steven Inniss

Young people, end up losing their dreams, in fear of the imminent future, college.

In a low income neighborhood, there is a relatively small high school, Port Richmond High School. Although modest, Port Richmond HS has a lot of perks, and an upbeat spirit. One of those perks is the partnership Port Richmond HS has with Wagner College. Within this partnership, Wagner and PRHS nurtured a program called the Port Richmond Partnership Leadership Academy (PRPLA). The program is ran out of the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement in Wagner College (CLCE), and the Wagner College Raider Office in Port Richmond High School. Leo Schuhert runs the program, PRPLA, along with Arlette Cepeda, Kevin Bote, Kevin Farrell, and other  students who work in the CLCE office. Mr. Schuhert said “I love the opportunity to work everyday with such wonderful, intelligent, inspiring, and motivational young adults.Seeing them learn and grow, develop leadership skills and work hard to achieve their dreams, is what this program is all about. It's because of the students whom I work with at Port Richmond that this program is possible. Our collective work in this program makes us at Wagner so proud to be partnered with such a wonderful community.” This extensive idea of pursuing your dream, even extends to IS 51, where their is a mini PRPLA developing, and works to develop their dream.

   The Leadership Academy was founded by the New World Foundation COIN Program and Wagner College. They started PRPLA, with an aim to improve students’ educational studying tactics, to teach the students about immigration, and to instruct them how to work with CBOs (community based organizations).  One of their goals is for students in PRPLA to become community based leaders and learn how to achieve their dreams. Timofej, a senior a Port High School, benefited greatly from her experience in the Wagner College program. {It} “Provided opportunity to grow as person and go to MIT,”  said Timofej.  The Wagner College student mentors help to guide students toward reaching their goals. One of these mentors who worked in  PRPLA over the summer described her experience working with Port Richmond HIgh School students throughout the school year, and throughout most of the summer,  “The Port Richmond Partnership Leadership Academy, works to improve our Raider student lives, and help work towards their dreams.”

Starting Off the New Year

Hayoung Choi
For many people, the new year is a fresh start to a better life. The start signifies a new chance, a new opportunity for people to change an aspect about themselves that they want to improve. Often, to accomplish this goal, people set New Year’s resolutions to help motivate and shape their lives into something better. Resolutions are like a renewed contract, a new promise to one’s self for a healthier well-being. Whether it’s quitting smoking or losing weight, these resolutions, however, are often easily dissolved and people succumb back into their old ways. Therefore, the “new year new me” mentality is born. According to James Clear, a photographer and author who writes about behavioral psychology, the building of a new habit in 21 days is in fact a debunked myth and in reality, it takes approximately 66 days for the habit to be cemented into one’s lifestyle. Relatively, 66 days may not seem like a long period of time to completely change your life, but to keep up a habit for 66 days continuously is easier said than done.

By following these few tips it’s guaranteed that you’ll stick to your resolutions in no time.

1. Start by Being Specific

Focus on a certain area in your life that you specifically want to change. When you set a goal of losing weight, for example, choose a certain weight you want to achieve or decide on a certain amount of pounds to lose. By saying that you want to lose weight, it vaguely establishes an unclear target, making it harder to motivate yourself to achieve your desired goal.

     2.    Take One Step at a Time

Don’t expect a huge change to happen overnight. Unhealthy habits form over a long period of time and to form healthier habits, it will also take a long period of time. To form healthier habits, take baby steps and slowly start adding new routines.

     3.    Make a plan

Make a year long plan by mapping out daily, weekly, or even monthly goals. Plan for success by preparing the necessary items and materials. Read up on information about your specific subject. Whether it’s quitting smoking, running a marathon, or becoming vegan, brushing up on some knowledge about the health benefits of your goal can make you look forward for the change.

     

      4.    Be Vocal About Your Resolution

Let people know about the goals that you want to accomplish. Find someone who can hold you accountable for keeping you motivated and on track to a healthier life. These “accountability buddies” can serve as helpful reminders of your end goal; they are a good way to vent out some pent up stress from the challenging change. Don’t tell too many people about your resolutions,  try to limit the people you tell, to a few close family members or friends who are willing to help you along your journey.

     5.    Accept Failure and Don’t Give Up

Understand that those midnight cravings might override your “weight loss will” or that one bad day might ruin your “be more positive” goal; these occasional slip-ups are a natural part of the new resolution process. Don’t beat yourself up every time you make an unintended mistake. Accept your failures after it happens and reflect back to why and how this could have occurred. Think about ways that your can learn and improve from this experience.

Remember, fulfilling your New Year’s Resolution is no easy task. It requires an unfailing will, determined motivation, and the strong want to change your life. With these three things, anyone can accomplish their resolutions in no time.

Works Cited

Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

"New Years Resolutions: 9 Ways To Keep Them - Bankrate." New Years Resolutions: 9 Ways To Keep Them - Bankrate. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

Pardon Our Interruption. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

"10 Ways to Make Your New Year's Resolutions Stick." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

"Top 10 Healthiest New Year's Resolutions." Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.