In a March 16th ceremony that made them celebrities for an evening, Genesys Works young professionals Raymond Perez-Rivera (interning at Capella University) and Lashay Thompson (Cargill) were honored with Beat the Odds scholarships for overcoming incredible obstacles in their lives. It was the first time most in attendance were exposed to the astonishing public speaking ability of these two high school seniors.
In Genesys Works, public speaking is a core part of the curriculum that prepares high school juniors for serious corporate internships. At the same time they are developing technical skills like networking and imaging computers, they are presenting formal speeches to their peers. These speeches range from simple introductions to presentations on a topic in IT. Many of the biggest breakthroughs happen through these speech assignments, where students build confidence by forcing themselves out of their comfort zone.
The students put the most work into developing their presentation skills are honored as featured speakers at our annual Breaking Through Ceremony. Last September, Lashay was one of those featured speakers. In light of her recent success, we're posting her video here, along with another fantastic speech by colleague Jacob Johnson.
Hearing how Lashay and Jake changed their lives may just change yours:
