It's really my pleasure to have a chance to introduce this panel both to a studio audience by the way we have a studio audience we have almost a full house tonight so if you're not here tonight right you're watching this from your home in Longmont you're gonna miss really a fun time in the studio so the studio audience has been invited to listen to this conversation and they if they have questions before the the evening runs out before the hour runs out about 40 minutes into the hour we'll see how this conversation goes and if there's time we're gonna ask audience members to come right stand right over there by Eric our camera guy and and if you have a question you'll get to ask it and we'll get a chance to hear the response from this group so pay attention audience members you're gonna be part of the conversation before you finish around the table Jason Valerie is a product of the I Have a Dream program and lots of other experiences in life but part of the reason Jason and Jackie Juarez who are at this end of the table are here is I had the I was had a good fortune of listening to their stories and I have a dream at a high I have a dream foundation luncheon last spring and I was bowled over by what I heard and both their experiences in the program and what they're doing with their lives so I'm excited to share your story with this audience and with this community a lot of folks in town know but if they didn't they're gonna learn pretty soon Jenny Diaz Leon is not a stranger to this to the backstory Jenny is has been I tried to promote her a little bit ago and I was gonna introduce her as a as a program manager but she's a coordinator for the City of Longmont in our division of children youth and families and she's the manager of this project right among the portfolio of other things she's managing brings a tremendous amount of the city and I know it's gonna bring a lot to this program and to my left is Dr. Perla Delgado Dr. Delgado is the executive director slash president I've referred to her I give her a number of titles as we've gone through this of the I have a dream foundation Boulder County okay and Dr. Delgado has been in and around education and doing this kind of work for a long time and and we're really excited about what's happening now this fall in Longmont so Dr. Delgado I'm gonna get started with you in this interview is it okay going forward that we call one another by our first names okay Perla there's a there's a story line that starts way back from 1987 right so if you wherever you want to pick it up this started in 1987 with Eugene Lang stepping into that classroom in Harlem in the world changed in really profound ways as a result get us started of course story line so Eugene Lang attends actually his alma mater his middle school in 1987 and in the early 80s I apologize and he was asked to inspire youth in the community and how did he get to where he was and how can they get there right and so the story goes that Eugene Lang looked around the auditorium and he said oh my gosh like that for me my journey was somewhat easy it might not be as easy for the students that I'm about to talk to so apparently he rips up his talking points and he offers full-right scholarships to students who are graduating from middle school going on to sorry sixth grade going on to seventh grade and he promised them upon graduation from high school they would have a full-right scholarship what he realized through this journey was that it wasn't simply giving them the money but it was trying to remove as many barriers as possible so fast forward to Boulder County in the late 80s early 90s community leaders and local philanthropists come together after a 60-minute interview in 1987 with Eugene Lang and they get inspired and they say how can we change how can we impact the graduation rates in our community at the time it was 37 percent of youth of color in Boulder County were graduating from either school district and as we know that's pretty dismal so community community leaders came together and said we're going to form the I have a dream foundation so we've been around the community for almost 33 years now making a difference in collaborating with youth and their families on this journey on this pathway to post-secondary education and I'll talk a little bit more about it later because I know we have some amazing panel who will speak first hand of the work that we do in collaboration with students and family anymore you want to do with vision and mission of course right now yeah yeah definitely so our mission I have a dream Boulder County is to collaborate with youth and their families as they successfully navigate this journey of education we work with them collaboratively and upon graduation we offer a scholarship to each of our students and it's a scholarship that can be used for any post-secondary pathway whether it's a short-term degree or a certificate two year or four year and we work collaboratively with them to ensure that they have the tools the extra tools in their toolbox as I like to say to build continue building this pathway to post-secondary education and our vision is to impact each of the students and their families that we work with and ultimately our global vision is that every child has equitable opportunities to access educational resources and systems that really meet students where they're at and so we're super excited that we've been around for 33 years working collaboratively with over 2200 family well is this this is the first time however you've partnered with with the city of Longmont correct as an institution have you partnered with other municipalities we partner with Boulder Housing Partners we do get funding from our municipalities our local municipalities but this is the first time that we're partnering with the city to launch a class of 45 first graders we're super excited and again you'll learn more as you get to hear from our other guests the city I'm pretty certain is in the process of thinking hard now about budget priorities for 2024 anything you'd like them to hear from you as they're contemplating budget I mean I think again as we come together as we look at the impacts of the pandemic and how it exasperated a lot of gaps that were already in place and what it also taught us is that we can't do this alone the city the district nonprofits like I have a dream community members we all need each other to ensure that this pathway is a lot easier it's not a guaranteed for all of us right but the pathway can be easier if we work collectively together and I think there is this responsibility that cities and the district have in ensuring that we're collaborating with community members like the volunteers their board members our students and their families as well as nonprofits like the I have a dream foundation and I really believe that if we work collaboratively we can start to close the achievement gaps we can increase graduation rates we can fracture if not eliminate the cycle of poverty for many families that are experiencing that in Boulder County oftentimes it's invisible but we see it as nonprofits we see it as community members but we can also address it if we come together so before we I'm gonna I'm gonna pivot to these two and I'll introduce you by title I know I haven't done that but I want to do that in context of your stories go back to the two tools right yeah that's a generic reference to all kinds of possibilities exactly what are some of the tools that that as you think about a new cohort of kids coming on board getting started in the fall what are the kinds of tools that you imagine will be in their toolbox as they of course they go through their experience yeah definitely I also want to just preface this with our students and families come with many tools they have skills and expertise we're meeting students and families where they're at with these additional tools and the additional tools is knowing how to navigate our school systems it's social and emotional and learning tools and interventions and strategies to help address some of the moments of crises that our students experience it's providing additional academic support in the out-of-school time it's also providing additional mentors and leaders from the community who work in collaboration with the students and their families to address any questions or concerns that they might have again because we want to recognize the value that our families bring to these spaces we just meet them where they're at and we say okay how can we work collaboratively what's missing what do you need more information on and I think this collaboration with the City of Longmont and specifically the Longmont Youth Center is a great partnership because they already have that in place while we have a model that we've been working on for 33 years the City of Longmont and the Youth Center have worked in the community so I think bringing our forces together will really help meet the families where they're at and help them grow academically socially and emotionally. I think it's going to bring a lot to the to the city in our division of children youth and families but the reciprocal is going to be very exciting to see and just to make the point you made it clear that kids bring and their families bring a lot of tools sometimes it's refining the use just recognizing that these are tools exactly that can be used and just some guidance on how to use them really well in addition to new tools so some of those tools came to into your lives right both that you brought to it and that you acquired along the way so Jackie Juarez for those who don't know is a specialist is the diversity equity and inclusion specialist for the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado right that those are a lot of words that's a high-powered position right Jason is the director of a product management team global team from Microsoft so you're managing folks who are doing software development around the world right so flip a coin who wants to start this you both have powerful stories you've told them before you've tagged team this somebody either one of you just jump in it's and pick jump in so my journey dates back to calm by an elementary so folks say calm by an elementary calm by an elementary down the road listen to this yeah calm by an elementary back in 2002 so back then the I have a gene foundation focused on the model of one donor for 50 students and we were very lucky to have Kathy Ray who was our class sponsor and she invested a million dollars into a group of 50 students and throughout calm by an elementary I remember the after-school programming that was something I looked forward to every single time because not only did we get academic support but you talk about the experiential education the camping opportunities things that maybe in my household at the time we weren't exposed to or maybe we didn't have the resources and the I have a gene foundation supplied that for me to get that opportunity so after fifth grade I my class sponsor Kathy Ray sponsored me to attend a private K-12 school in the area and I graduated and went to the University of Denver where I pursued my bachelors in business administration and I loved all things about business international aspects the cultures that contribute to our day-to-day dynamics and relationships those are very much at the core of who I am and in my undergrad years I actually started teaching part-time in Denver public schools a social justice curriculum and it was then you can imagine first-year undergrad teaching part-time to high school students I wasn't you know I was in high school not too long ago and I was here in this classroom but I always remember the one student that's for me in education and it took that one student in the classroom who was too cool for school would not want to engage in our curriculum for me to understand that it wasn't that this student did want to not want to engage they were dealing with things from home and that didn't allow them to be present here and when we were able to work on that relationship and understand me as the adult in the room the instructor what can I support the student they're already so gifted and they needed that emotional support and that understanding that really shifted my passion of how to make business with education and that ultimately started out my career in education and after the university of Denver I worked in Denver public schools of community engagement with some of our charter schools and I returned back as a world language instructor for the K-12 institution that I went to and I was doing diversity equity inclusion work at that time then COVID hit and I said what a better time to get another degree under my belt and that's what everybody said right well I mean the new thing is is that it was an online program so it fit my working needs and graduated from University of Colorado Boulder with my master's in organizational leadership and that led me to my current position here I'd be revised of course not to mention that we're on the board so I've been with the I have a dream foundation serving as a board member for the last four years and the reason for that is always giving back that has been one of the values that my family has instilled in me is always give back to the people that supported you and for me I mean I'm a product of this organization and I know that we cannot get things done just understanding the importance of community and gifted and nurtured and supported through this program I believe that I have that duty to also share that with the rest of our students in this case. I think you probably used the word gifted in two ways you are gifted and you received the gift of this kind of investment in somebody embracing you. You have twice mentioned or several times mentioned the school that you went to, an unnamed K-12 school, it's okay, the name of the school if you want to. Yeah of course so it's Alexander Dawson's school so it's a K-12 private school down the road on 287. Yeah I would say there's a lot of people who deserve credit for the woman that emerged here and Columbine Elementary. My wife was teaching at Columbine in 2002. Janie's in the audience right now so I'm she can take some credit for this even though I don't think she had you as a student but I know there were great teachers. They'll remember their names Tim. And they still show up every day and then that somebody would see and all that promise and give you a chance to experience what you experienced at Dawson is another part of that story and the gift but but but there's a lot of work behind that that storyline. We're gonna come back to all this. Jason pick it up from there. Yeah so my experience with the I Have a Dream Foundation started when I was at Pioneer Elementary School I think it was probably in 1890 when the organization launched a class there and I was fortunate enough to become part of that dreamer scholar class. My personal circumstances at the time were a little unstable. Shortly after that my parents got divorced and my mom and I moved to Longmont when I was nine and you know that class that I have a dream class that was based there in Lafayette continued to you know operate as a class together and have all of the benefits that the I Have a Dream Foundation brings in that tight-knit environment but I was a remote member and one of the things that really think back about and the benefits I got from the organization was that sort of continuity even though I wasn't locally near them I was moving around but you know my mom you know she struggled and we lived all over this community and I switched schools I moved from a number of different elementary schools middle schools and throughout that entire journey that I had from an educational perspective I had one consistent thing in that and that was the I Have a Dream Foundation. My program director at the time would drive all the way up to Longmont pick me up and take me to a meeting in Lafayette after school or Boulder at one point and that sort of consistent adult role model in my life from very old age all the way through when I graduated from Longmont High in 2000 I think was a huge part of my education success just somebody who kept me accountable to what I was you know committing to myself to my educational journey somebody who provided that mentorship just stable adult role model was the tool that I took from the I Have a Dream Foundation into my success. Who was it that said never, never be able to remember that one or two people I can change the world? Yeah. Not my quote. But this is an example when people say what can I do you know what can one person do just think about this story and have what one didn't have one made in your life in your life now talk about what you're doing. Yeah well I mean so when I was a kid I was a computer nerd I was the stereotypical computer nerd really into computers and you know I will also add one of the benefits really got from the organization was the opportunity to pursue my passions in a certain extent like getting access to internship programs and so forth and so you know when I graduated high school I very quickly went into the software industry and so I was a software developer for a number of years and moved through software development into then product management and where I find myself today as I've been at Microsoft for I actually just celebrated my 10-year anniversary with Microsoft and I'm a director of product management so I'm responsible for as you said a large global team we deliver a core part of our storage platform our storage cloud platform and it's been just an incredibly rewarding career that I've been able to have as a result of you know having that accountability young and keeping me focused on the things that that mattered you know I think the this the saying that I often hear is that if you if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life and that's really what happened for me early on is that I took my passion and was able to take it into a career and that career has carried me to where I am today. I'm going to come back to both of you. Say a little bit more Jackie about what you do with your days now. I think that's an important part of the story as well. Yeah so as I'm going to shorten it, DI culture specialist for the business school I work with our business staff and understanding the culture. There's a lot of strategic analytics looking at the data what does the trends in years past tell us to improve the culture recruitment retention for our staff and for our students of color so there's that component but also that strategic planning what will diversity and inclusion look like in business in the next five years. How do we make sure that we are also aligned with the greater campus and the system views and at the core of it how do we ensure that our employees feel a sense of belonging and often times I think about I'm an empath and that's who I am and for me I strive to ensure that whatever walk of life any of our employees come in that they feel like they are heard seen and valued for the gifts and talents that they bring to our business school so that in short is how I support our employees. I wonder if we took a show of hands for those people who went through university experiences how many would raise their hands and say yeah that's what happened to me. The university went and I was seeing her in the back or are you just kind of on your own. So the fact that that's the work you're doing with such a powerful statement in the extensions of the experience to yourself. I know this is probably not a fair question but I'm going to ask it anyway. None of us right when you're in retrospective we reflect on our lives. None of us can predict where we would be if it worked for filming blank this person that person this opportunity because we're all product of what those doors that opened and the people touched our lives but are you willing to speculate without the I have a dream foundation how likely is it you would be doing what you're doing today. I mean you're both bright and talented yeah there's a lot of things that factor into our success but you know I think about my parents you know and my mom and I think about you know what she went through to provide for me you know she didn't have that opportunity to do what she loves she had to provide and so her life was not in a career that was fulfilling any meaningful way she clean houses and worked at gas stations and did random jobs through her life and that was out of necessity to survive and I really appreciate that the opportunities that I have a dream foundation gave me allowed me to really focus on my passion because if you can turn a passion into a career you have the just continual ability to continue to work up and to continue to find new ways to drive impact through what you do on a daily basis and and I would speculate maybe that I would have had to follow the path my mom took and many working moms and other parents have to take to make ends meet and they have to take jobs that pay the bills not the ones that reward them and provide them opportunities to have the impact that I've had. Inspire the soul and the imagination as opposed to just put food on the table. Yeah similar to Jason for me and I often think about that every time there's a huge milestone in my life and I have a dream has been a part of that I often think what would my life be without the I have dreams foundation and in my moments of reflection I think about the doors and connections that the foundation has supported me with talking about education to traveling I mean the fact that I was able to travel abroad in high school that was something that my siblings and opportunities that they were not presented with and just learning about the world and ways that we work so for me I think about that I'm very grateful and I always give credit where it's due with this organization because it really opened many doors and connections not only personally but professionally I think about I am an extroverted and I love networking with people and a lot of my connections here I mean Tim it has also been because of the foundation and so that's that's what what comes to mind we've all heard people say things like I stand on the shoulders of giants right I mean that's true for probably anybody who's successful in life that you're standing on the shoulders of those who came before you in this case you can name those people and in the shoulders that they gave you a chance to stand up when you were very young right so and I think about when people watch this and they think about what can I do right here in Longmont to make a difference this is a great example of without a whole lot of preparation I'm certain that there's some preparation but it's people bring their heart and their willingness to extend themselves and what an impact they can have and you're going to have a chance to make more of this happen ladies so smile if you're happy about that so Jenny talk about this you do so many great things for the city and you know we could go on and on about all that you do and for folks who have followed you they know you are you know what on the rise as a contributor to the city of Longmont in in in the city government and in the city of Longmont even though you live somewhere else and that's okay and I grew up here so you know it's always fun to have you back here and see what you do day in and day out but just talk about what what's the role what's the city's role how is this going to come together what should people know as this unfolds so the very first thing that I think is important to talk about is when these conversations were started about our partnership what I really started envisioning is how we would work together to fill the gaps that you talked about they got even bigger with COVID and for the city of Longmont we do great programming with with our community and and really I think everybody that works there we're all community connectors we're all cultural brokers that are able to build those relationships and to have a program like I have a dream that also values the community members the strengths that everybody brings it seems like such a natural fit which I'm really excited about working with everybody around the table and the rest of the teams there's a lot that goes into something like this right and I think one of the pieces I mentioned before is is funding and that is a very big piece I think that when I think about programs like this you often hear that youth are the future youth are the future and the truth is that youth are the now right and every time that we invest as a city and as a community in the future of these children in our community we are kind of watering a little seed to be able to blossom to the future right but it starts now and so fundraising is definitely a piece of that we have meetings where we connect with each other to be able to to move this process along one of the things that we are actually in the works of in these next two weeks is doing some interviews for a program manager for this next cohort of students and then after they are selected we'll be working closely with them to be able to determine the students reaching out to different community members so that they know about how they can get involved in the different levels of whether it's service or volunteering is a big piece of that and even spreading the word I think as a cultural broker that's one of the best ways and one of the most simplest ways to be able to support a community program is talking to your neighbor about it hey did you hear that this is happening in town did you hear that this is the first time that this is happening with directly a city and we have an opportunity to create change for our youth here and then after that there will also be a hiring process for a program specialist who will also be supporting this cohort we are hoping this summer to once we have the children selected to be able to do a lot of community building because as you heard from a lot of these people here is that community is the center it's the core of this and I think it's what makes it successful is that the people that go through this program know that they have a community behind them and when you feel that you feel like you can soar and so that's the very first piece is building community within that cohort and you think about the students too but you think about the parents as well the thing that I really appreciate about I have a dream as well is that they are looking at that parent support and that's something that we will be able to work together with because the Long Want Youth Center also has parenting programs to support the families and we'll be able to partner in different ways to leverage the resources that we have to better serve the community so that's a piece of things I think the we're hoping to do like I said that soft lunch in the summer and then by September the program will be already up and running and I said it was 45 students first graders in our community and I think one of the things that that is exciting to me too is that it's this year and then we're going to be having multiple classes throughout the year so we're going to start one class this year take a year to develop and then get another class so it's going to be a great community change and I just think about the stories that you shared of growing up and I think about my story too being I grew up here in Long Want I'm an immigrant from Durango, Mexico and just hearing the message from my parents of you have to go to college or you have to go to post secondary education but not really knowing how you're going to get there this you have people helping guide that experience and so it's going to be very valuable I should do a pitch right now for the 529 jump program makes certain that all the parents of the kids involved in this program are working with us to open those accounts because that's another part of the message that we want to send so somebody who's listening right now or listens after tonight and it sparks an interest who do they contact and what might they be expected or asked to do? Yeah so depending on the level of involvement there's going to be different asked right so especially when working with youth if you're wanting to volunteer there's going to be different mentor roles that they will be able to volunteer to support youth or a group a small group of youth throughout this process they will have to go through like a background check and different trainings because we want to make sure that the volunteers that are coming into this program are able to see the youth from the lens that strength based lens that we want to make sure that that everybody sees the youth with because they do come with so many gifts and talents and if people are wanting to get involved by helping us fundraise there's different opportunities that will be available with that but anybody that is interested right now I ask that you send an email or come to the Longmont Youth Center and I'd love to sit down with each and every one of you and share the different opportunities get you involved because it takes a village it really does. The idea of being seen, heard and valued if it's useful at the university it's critical as first graders and that's part of what this experience is going to be about so you mentioned email what email address would you want people to use? So my email address it's a very long one so make sure you might have to rewind and watch it again my email address is jenniferjennifer.diaz hyphen L-E-O-N at longmontcolorado.gov and my phone number which is a little bit shorter is<PHONE_NUMBER> Alright well we're making progress I'm going to suggest members of the audience if they have questions if somebody has one and want to come over here I'll call on you in just a moment the audience might be exiting all the fun they want to have here program is going to start in the fall it's the first of what we hope to see cohort after cohort so starting with first graders it is the intent that we're going to see for a long term I have a dream program working with the city to get students together from across the community or a particular school how's that going to work? So we're hoping the first year we're hoping to focus on one school to make sure that we're very intentional about launching this program and making sure that they get the attention needed and then like I said there's going to be a kind of a gap so this first year really the first two years will be focused on that class and then by the time that the first class is at their third year there will be another launch to another class I haven't missed any of my questions can I also add something that I think has really been mentioned here and that's the piece of when I have a dream started it primarily focused on youth and what we call dreamer scholars what we've done these past couple of years is incorporate a two-generational approach so we're working with the entire family unit we're meeting families where they're at as I've mentioned before but we're also meeting their adult parents, guardians or caregivers we're meeting with them getting to know their aspirations the challenges that they're facing and really encouraging and working collaboratively with them to complete their GED or high school diploma enter a post-secondary pathway whether it's a certificate program a two-year program or a four-year program over 40 adult learners from our dreamer scholar community in a post-secondary pathway either again completing a GED or a short-term or long-term degree we also added a component because what we've learned through this partnership in this relationship with parents is that the parents need a little bit more support if English is not their first language and so about 64% of our dreamer scholars are classified through both districts as English language learners so we're meeting parents where they're at encouraging them to enroll in our ESL classes it's a collaboration with Front Range Community College and getting them that confidence and that encouragement and those connections as has been mentioned before to really just make a difference because we know that if we can begin to move the needle forward with the parents and the adults and the lives of dreamer scholars and others we can move the needle forward in fracturing or eliminating the cycle of poverty so we're trying to move it a little bit faster. So all the adults you just referred to are all parents or guardians of dreamers they're part of the family unit. So it's not a different program specifically for adult dreamers it is family dreamers. But we also have an additional component to our program that we've expanded is working with adult dreamers who for whatever reason weren't able to finish their GED or high school diploma. Who were in the program and haven't had quite the results for these two. Exactly, for many reasons right so we are trying to bring back our alums who weren't able to finish and then we're working with their parent community and the guardian community to support them in accomplishing their goals and aspirations. I know this is a bit of a tangent and I didn't prepare you for this kind of a question. It may not be fair and I don't want to overdo this and I don't want to redirect this but I find myself in conversations frequently in this community about what we should be doing about events, behaviors, situations that occur that we have a lot of anxiety about and we spend a lot of time and effort trying to intervene after problems have occurred whether they're with kids, young adults or adults You want to talk about what this means in terms of getting in front of that. How important affiliation is a sense of belonging, one of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where without these opportunities kids get drawn other places because of that need. If you really care about getting in front of some of the dysfunction we see, what does this represent as a way to keep that from happening? So what we know the research tells us as early as kindergarten we know based on attendance, based on reading, based on engagement which students are going to be successful. We know which students statistically are going to make it to high school graduation and if we know that information, if we've been talking about it why can't we do something earlier? Why can't we begin to remove those barriers for engagement help create systems that encourage students to be seen and heard, meet students where they're at families where they're at. If we know all of the research and it's research based you can just google it and you can find research that supports that if we know that that's happening and those are the stories that we're able to tell as early as kindergarten then we should be focusing on early childhood education. We should be talking to families as early as first grade and saying what are some of the gifts that your students have at home that you see and what are some of the challenges. Because again teachers what we know through the pandemic right the first year teachers were hit really hard and they work extremely, I mean they just work so hard to meet students, to support students and what we also learned was they couldn't do it alone. I mean we had families who didn't know how to navigate computers, who didn't know how to navigate all of those applications and we activated these parent pods to basically encourage parents to learn computers, to learn computer literacy, to embark on these classes because we knew that was a barrier and we knew that teachers couldn't do it alone. And so working with and in collaboration with the school system I think is critical to addressing some of those gaps that they can't take on. Unfortunately our school systems can't do everything for all the families but we have community members who can be volunteers, we have local municipalities who invest in this type of work, we have nonprofits that have an expertise. So if we begin to complement the work that's happening for students we're able to get them on this path. And I think also recognizing that there are different means of success right. A four year pathway can be a success for a student but so can a short term degree. If you're working with someone who works in HVAC or is an electrician that too is success and we knew we needed all of those expertise during the pandemic right. Everybody was at home so the plumbing system right was definitely in need of experts and so I think that's part of again this journey. I don't know if my panelists want to add something else. One of the things that came up for me too is I always think how are we engaging community voices in the places where decisions are being made. And one of the neat things that as board members we have experience is also the representation of a parent board member. So really bridging those connections between all of our stakeholders so that there's information transparency but there's also that level of engagement from within our families so that they know what's the board doing, what's the organization doing with something that my child will be invested in for all of these years. So I just wanted to make sure that that was also how I did. Thank you. What I was going to say is that when you think about, I think this is one of the reasons why we're such a great fit as organizations is that when you think about youth protective factors, when a child is learning how to effectively manage their emotions and learn how to communicate in a positive way. When they're learning about their identity and their culture and they're proud of that, they learn those gifts that they have and those are identified at a young age.  My co-worker Louis Lopez is very well known in the community. He always says if you know where you come from, you know where you're going. And so if you're developing a strong character and a strong identity at such a young age, that's only going to flourish. That's only going to grow into a more positive view for that person and then they'll be able to see that these doors are open. Because if you don't have that strong core within yourself, then if a door opens, you're not going to feel like you're capable of taking those opportunities. And that's one of the things that I really think is going to be so valuable that we're going to do that. And the other thing that I think about too is that we're going to be able to in some families you might think, you know, well you're only working with the first grader. This is going to be an opportunity for us to give resources to the family as a whole with this partnership. So if they have a middle school student, they'll be able to participate in an afterschool and summer programming. So siblings? Yes, siblings. We also have a post-secondary planning program which I'm very excited to partner with you all on because we have Aspire which is focused on supporting first generations high school students on their pathway to higher education. And so there's some pieces where we might overlap but really this is going to be able to see how we can support each other to make that impact. I should have brought the vision statement that the City of Longmont Council has adopted in 2018, reaffirmed just recently. But part of that vision for people is that this would be a community in which children would be most fortunate to be born and raised. When somebody asks, what does that mean? Those are words on paper. This is what it means. It doesn't solve every problem but it is a huge step, a huge contribution to answering the question, what does this mean in communities like this? Put that together with, you made reference to early childhood and I'm going to get a chance, I hope to do a back story on child care and early childhood education coming up pretty soon but I'm waiting until a moment to do that. But if you add them up, add those things up and it's a first-rate school district that what the city does in terms of outreach to community and families is pretty remarkable. But it all comes together in this constellation of folks leaning in together to elevate, so that our kids are seen, heard, and valued. Are there questions I haven't asked you that you wished I had asked? Why didn't he ask me this? I don't want to left anything unsaid and I don't think... We do have a question. The question's been answered. Hey Cheryl, I recognize that voice. You've enjoyed this. I'm curious as to what the cohort of first-graders activities would look like in a given month or a given semester that makes it unique that they are, I haven't dreamed people versus just regular students. Great question. So our program model for the most part is the out-of-school time. So once the students have completed school what we do in our program model is one, it's developed as a cohort. So we recruit 45 students and in the out-of-school time it's more structured. So there is a curriculum, there's a social justice curriculum, there's an academic curriculum which will focus on both math and literacy because we know that those are two indicators also for success. And we provide snacks, we provide experiential learning activities, oftentimes for a population that doesn't have those resources. We know that many of our students also often go home to empty homes. If they can't afford after-school childcare for whatever reason the school is in offering after-school care programs that are affordable I have a dream model really encompasses very many aspects of after-school care. So experiential learning, academic support, social and emotional support and to ensure that the students again are being exposed to different opportunities that they otherwise would not have and we build a pathway to a post-secondary education. So we focus a lot in the out-of-school time and ringing in panelists and volunteers, doing tours on campuses, learning about colleges like the Emily Griffith School, coming in and really again doing hands-on, oh you want to be a chef, oh you want to be an artist, here is what you can do. Here are the resources locally that will help you. Again, we're really unique in the sense that we're one of the few models that builds a relationship with the students. We're with them for anywhere between 10 to 13 years because of that cohort model. So we get to know the family, the family's really well, we're able to address food insecurity, we're able to address housing insecurity with collaboration with other nonprofits in the community. We don't do it all. There's expertise across the county and so because of those relationships that are fostered in our model, we're able to address and celebrate a lot of these achievements. Wonderful, a great answer. One other question, what kind of attrition is there in cohorts? That is a great question, you have amazing questions. So our cohort model again is about 45 students with this new class. We've had cohorts in the past that are as large as 65 students and we have about a 93% retention rate. Most of our students and families who don't remain in the program is because I'm sure Tim has talked about it in the past. Boulder County is not affordable and so it's because they moved, it's because mom and dad found another job in another community but we very much still keep in contact with the dreamer scholars once they've moved. But sometimes life happens and they feel like we're not the right model because what we do while we provide a lot of resources and supports for students we also ask for that engagement back. So we add a component of community engagement and community leadership and volunteerism and they're volunteering in the community making a difference again and really planting that seed of leadership for our youth. So it's a pretty high rate of retention and it's really based on that relationship that they form with the program staff. And I do want to just add another statistic we had a 95% graduation rate in our dreamer classes last year and so that's again a statistic that is really important to share with everyone because we're doing this collaboratively. The school district is making a difference we're making a difference. The city and other nonprofits are addressing these barriers that the students have and celebrating the successes and the gifts as Jackie mentioned that they bring to our communities and together we're able to create these students who say I belong in Boulder County and I can make a difference. I mean to know that these experts all three of them still reside and do work in our community we want to be able to not just grow that intellect that they bring but also keep it here right because we want them to contribute to the work that is happening and I feel really proud to be part of this panel and to know that they're a product of these school systems and that they're still giving back. Well, talk about being proud. I'm so proud that you all would be willing to take an evening or an hour out of your evening and donate it again right to the community by spending your hour with me and sharing this story. Were there any other questions? Eric Alright, any last words? Any of you want to share? I do just want to share. As a nonprofit I would be remissed if I don't plug in. The way that we survive as nonprofits in Boulder County is through donations. It's time, treasure, and talent right? So if you can't donate you can donate your intellect and expertise and we're always looking for those individuals who want to work with you both at the Longmont Youth Center through the Friends of the Longmont Youth Center and I Have a Dream. So we're at IHaveAdreamBoulder.org. The Longmont Youth Center you can find through the City of Longmont's website because that's how we can give back. It's really important for me to also share that Boulder County is one of the wealthiest communities in the state of Colorado and yet we are the least giving. There's an interesting dichotomy that happens. So I ask that if you don't have treasure to donate but you have talent to give that's how we can really meet families and students where they're at and move us forward as a community. You would like to say that over and over again. Just kind of amplify and reiterate. Exactly. Because that part of this message has to get through. And there's so many ways people can contribute to this. It doesn't have to just be through big checks. Although that's good. It makes a difference. Generosity takes a lot of different forms. You do remarkable things with your lives. In addition to thank you for this hour, thank you so much for what you do day in and day out. It's a great place to live because of people like you and what you're willing to give back. I'm honored that you were here in Longmonters. That is the backstory on the I Have a Dream program and it's new cohort starting in Longmont in the fall of 2023.


Hurry up! Let's go! Get on the bus! Let's go! Recruit training command is the quarter-deck of the United States Navy. Good order and discipline will be maintained 24-7. Proper military posture will be maintained 24-7. Every enlisted sailor begins their naval career here, and our mission is fairly simple. It's to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit sailors ready for follow-on training and service to the fleet. We're doing so to instill in them the highest values of honor, courage and commitment.  Whatever you were before is now over. You're about to begin a journey that's going to make you a part of the greatest naval force the world has ever known. This training will not be easy. It wasn't meant to be. Our training environment is controlled chaos. Now you guys can listen to what we say! While it may not seem like that to the recruits, each and every event has meaning and purpose. You're going to stand off at the top of your lungs.  Yes, Major! We are designed to develop skill sets that sailors can carry throughout their entire career. We push hard on physical fitness. Watch standing. Look! And creating a warrior mindset.  A true body, mind and soul approach. When I say nice, gas, gas, you'll have 15, one, five seconds to down your face, stand your straps, check floor, seal and put your hands in your pockets. Our recruits receive training that will help them the second they get to the fleet. Firefighting, damage control, weapons and seamanship. Our recruits get hands-on training and application with them all. So I need everything you guys because once we start this evolution again, we're going to expect you to adapt, overcome and beat. Work together as a team, execute the mission and the next time I see you, you'll be sailors. Who you are, Navy. Everything they learn is tested in a battle stations. Chief, Division 001, man in ready for battle station, Chief. Very well. We'll not relax anything that is on you. A 24-hour event where the recruit ceases to exist and a sailor is forged. Navy Boot Camp really is a machine with a swarm of moving parts all working towards the same goal. Making a sailor. Good morning. Welcome to the Navy's recruit training command and today's graduation ceremony. We're very excited to have the families and friends of our Navy's newest sailors here. You are about to watch the formal transition of your recruits to full-fledged sailors. Today, your recruit will officially join the world's greatest and most powerful Navy. The Department of the Navy is determined that the men and women graduating here today have what it takes and are ready for service as a sailor. Today's graduation is not just for the graduates, but for you as well. Today, you will become part of the Navy family. Your sailor will continue to depend on you for love, support, and encouragement as they progress through their Navy careers. Their time in service will bring about new challenges and take them to ports and duty stations across the globe. In addition, you will meet and network with many Navy families here and throughout your sailor's time in service. Without the steadfast support of Navy families, this day would not be possible. So on behalf of the United States Navy, thank you. Take pride in what your sailor has accomplished here and the tremendous journey they're about to embark on. Thank you all for what you do to support our nation's Navy and enjoy today's ceremony. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. And now we invite you to join the staff of Recruit County Command in welcoming the graduating divisions as they enter Midway-Shermonelle Drill Hall and are announced in the following order. Ask this as a courtesy to our viewing officer. The photographers, you will see on deck official photographers of Recruit Training Command. Recruit Training Command's met. I would like to welcome you to today's pass and review. Today, you will see seven divisions comprised of 482 sailors participating in their graduation ceremony and soon join the most powerful Navy in the world. Please draw your attention to the Unit Position at Center Deck. The review commander and staff. The review commander is responsible for conducting the graduation ceremony. Today's review commander is Seaman Recruit Alexander Whiting from San Diego, California. Let's give her a hand, folks. Joining today is the staff unit on their seventh week of training, the triple threat unit on their ninth week of training, and the state flags unit on their tenth and final week of training. These units are comprised entirely of recruits. During their night of arrival, recruits are placed into divisions of 88 personnel and assigned division commanders. Recruit division commanders form the backbone of recruit training and are key individuals in the life of every recruit. Division commanders must serve as counselors, disciplinarians, administrators, and military leaders. Above all, they must show themselves as outstanding examples of military bearing, appearance, attitude, and behavior. Each division also has a recruit chief petty officer. This senior recruit supervises the divisional staff positions and leads a division in the absence of their division commanders. Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce the graduating divisions of their division commanders and recruit chief petty officers. As I introduce each division, they will raise the competitive flags they have earned throughout their training. As I introduce each recruit chief petty officer, the flag representing their home state will also be raised. Please hold your applause until all introductions have been completed. I will be starting from there. Right. Division 1, 3, 5. Commanded by petty officer first class Christina Leonard, petty officer first class Stephen Baylor, petty officer first class Shayna Decker, and their recruit chief petty officer, Seaman Sebastian and Moseillo from El Paso, Texas. Division 1, 3, 7. Commanded by chief petty officer Edwin Baker, petty officer first class Jason Levin, petty officer second class Brian Mendesta, and their recruit chief petty officer, Airman Austin Shoemaker from Dayton, Texas. Division 1, 3, 8. Commanded by chief petty officer Oscar de la Rosa, petty officer first class Kenny McDaniels, petty officer second class Manuel Nieves, and their recruit chief petty officer, Airman Apprentice Sertonio Milner from Colleen, Texas. Division 1, 3, 9. Commanded by chief petty officer Mikhail Allen, petty officer first class Silvio Osorio, petty officer second class Kimberly Hammond, and their recruit chief petty officer, Airman Joseph Lorenzo from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Division 1, 4, 0. Commanded by chief petty officer Dale Julioct, petty officer first class Michael Brown, petty officer first class Bryant Martinez, and their recruit chief petty officer, Seaman Apprentice Michael Callaway from Gainesville, Florida. Division 9, 2, 5. Commanded by petty officer first class Marcus Wyatt, petty officer second class Ashley Houser, petty officer second class Andrew Oda, and their recruit chief petty officer, Seaman Wesley Dutess from Miami, Florida. On behalf of the commanding officer and staff of recruit training command, we congratulate these division commanders and recruit chief petty officers on a job well done. We'll see the ceremonial side boys, Bosin and Honor Guard take their places for arrival honors. This time on our tradition is our formal greeting to this morning's reviewing officer. When requested by the announcer, please stand for the arrival honors marching on of the colors, the national anthem, and the invocation. As a reminder, military guests shall remain covered throughout the entire graduation ceremony, and ladies and gentlemen, one final note. As we finish the importance of this occasion, our ceremony is conducted in a formal manner. However, we do encourage you to participate in today's graduation ceremony by letting your applause show these sailors just how proud of them you are. Once again, welcome aboard. Will the guests please rise and remain standing for the arrival of the official party. Troop training command arriving. Forces Reserve Director Maritime Operations arriving may be seated. Force of togetherness, here we are. Gathered together from near and far, sailor, instructor, family, and friend. For a moment, I ask your heart, please lend. These recruits, though near, have come so far, set so very high, they cleared the bar. Our deceeds all staff behind the scene, working tirelessly on them, we lean. Families, too, behind at home. Support and missing their loved one on loan. Sailor heads held high, they are walking like they talk. From danger and trouble, you know they will not balk. Wherever in the world life takes them next, they can go there with pride, their abilities flexed. So thank you, great one, for bringing us here together at last, from far and near. Amen. What is your orders and advice about? And relate the information to their divisions. Today's events show how orders are passed through the chain of command. Recruit training command. I'm pleased to welcome families and friends to our graduation ceremony, and we look forward to sharing this momentous occasion with you. With us today is our reviewing officer, Rear Admiral Kenneth Blackman, US Fleet Forces Reserve Director of Maritime Operations. And our guest of honor, Captain Joel G. Stewart, Commodore of Naval Beach Group One. I'd like to acknowledge and thank the representatives of Naval Beach Group One as a fleet sponsor of Division 139. Our fleet sponsor program allows sailors from Navy commands to provide valuable mentorship and motivation to our Navy's future sailors while they are in training and recruit training command. I cannot thank all our visitors enough for your continued support, and I'm sure your sailors are grateful for your encouragement throughout their time at Recruit Training Command. I would also like to welcome all the veterans in our audience and say thank you for your dedicated service to our country. Would all of our veterans please stand so we can give you a round of applause? Division 925 graduates today, they are the state flags unit providing the 50 state flags, District of Columbia, and US territory flags, Drum Court, and Collegard. Please join me in giving them and the six other graduating divisions here today a round of applause for their outstanding performances. This is where our Navy heritage meets the future where these young men and women enter the profession of arms. The Staff of Recruit Training Command is dedicated to providing the United States Navy with basically trained, physically fit, and smartly disciplined sailors such as those standing here today. These sailors have successfully completed 10 rigorous weeks of the manual recruit training and they have earned the right to wear their uniform, recognize throughout the world as a symbol of freedom. They and others like them serve as a bedrock for the sailors around the world to give our Navy its combat edge and enable us to help keep this nation secure. This training group is ready to graduate and serve in the world's most powerful Navy. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you 482 of the newest and sharpest sailors in the United States Navy. This week's individual awards and he will be joined on the jail deck by our equining officer, Captain Brooks, our guest of honor, Captain Stewart, and today's special guest, Gordon. For achieving the highest overall academic score during recruit training, Seaman David Lee, Division 925 from Irvine, California has earned the Academic Excellence Award which is sponsored by the Lake Defiance Chapter of the Illinois Society of the Sun of the American Revolution. Seaman Lee receives a letter of accommodation from the commanding officer. Well done, sailor. For having displayed extraordinary quality and the best expressing the American spirit of honor, initiative, and loyalty, Seaman Elisha McHatchy, Division 138 from Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded the Navy League Award which is sponsored by the Navy League of the United States. Seaman McHatchy is presented with a commemorative plaque and a letter of accommodation from the commanding officer. Well done, sailor. Airman Apprentice Nicholas Paxson, Division 137 from Hanoverton, Ohio is the winner of the United Service Organization Award for best exemplifying the spirit and intent of the word shipmate. Airman Apprentice Paxson is given a commemorative plaque from the United Service Organization. Well done, sailor. Fireman Tyler Banderbos, Division 925 from South Windsor, Connecticut is the recipient of the Military Order of the World Wars Award of Menor. The award is presented for notorious performance during recruit training. Fireman Banderbos is presented with a commemorative plaque from the Military Order of the World Wars. Well done, sailor. The Military Officers Association Leadership Award is presented to Airman Isaiah T. Division 137 from Odessa, Texas for demonstrating exceptional tenacity and professionalism. Airman T. is awarded a letter of accommodation from our commanding officer. Well done, sailor. Airman Ian Stewart, Division 137 from Worthington, Minnesota is the recipient of the Navy Club of the United States of America Military Excellence Award for best exemplifying the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing, and teamwork. This award places him at the pinnacle of today's newest sailors. He is awarded a flag letter of accommodation. Airman Stewart, the staff of Recruit Training Command salutes you as the finest of this group of graduates. Well done, sailor. It is appropriate to recognize such outstanding individual accomplishments by these sailors with a round of three cheers. The Adjutant will lead all graduating divisions in three cheers for this morning's award winners. A distinct pleasure this morning of introducing our revealing officer, we're Admiral Kenneth Blackman, US Fleet Forces Reserve Director of Maritime Operations. A native of Chesterfield, New Jersey he was commissioned in 1989. As a career surface warfare officer he served aboard the destroyer USS David R. Ray and the infamous amphibious assault ship USS America. He affiliated with the Navy Reserve to support multiple operations and mobilized the US Pacific Fleet and US Central Command. He has commanded Naval Reserve Lateral Combat Ship Squadron 2, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, Navy Reserve Fleet Technical Support Center Detachment 204, Navy Reserve Recruiting Support Unit Detachment 466, and Navy Reserve Mobile Mine Assembly Unit 3. As a flag officer he served as a deputy commander of US Third Fleet and he assumed duties as the US Fleet and he served as the US Navy and he served as the US Reserve Director of Maritime Operations in October 2021. Ladies and gentlemen please join me in a one recruit training command welcome to Admiral Blackman. Good morning and thank you for the kind introduction. What a great day of celebration today. It's my privilege to join you today to welcome these 482 sailors into the world's finest Navy. For over a century Naval Station Great Lakes has transformed highly trained sailors. The program here has always been rigorous demanding more from recruits than they probably thought possible. But each of them has selflessly answered the call of duty to serve a cause greater than themselves. They've passed battle stations and proven themselves worthy of wearing the uniform that symbolizes freedom throughout the world. The uniform of the United States Navy. The recruit division commanders instructors and staff at RTC have taken on the unique and honorable challenge of shaping recruits into the finest American sailors maintaining the Navy's high standards. We thank them for their dedication. Most importantly we acknowledge these sailors' families and friends for the integral role you've played. You helped shape your recruit into a person who wanted to stand up for you, who understand the Navy values of honor, courage, and commitment. And during the past eight weeks you've tirelessly supported them. We now welcome you into the Navy Mountain. Sailors you're about to embark on one of the most challenging adventures of your life. You've chosen to serve your country at a time when it is most needed. When America must show a strong presence throughout the world on the seas and in the skies. You've taken on the responsibility of defending our nation and are now prepared for that tremendous duty. You've earned not only mine but the respect of a grateful nation. Congratulations Sailors. May God bless you the United States Navy and this great nation. I look forward to seeing you in the fleet. Thank you. He will be joined on agility until your graduates post section leaders.


The Selzy care shop, the key thing is is in the name. We run Sunday afternoon teas because people told us that Sunday afternoon could be the loneliest time of the week. We have a regular morning telephone service to people who are perhaps vulnerable or on their own called Good Morning Selzy where we ring up about 25 people each day and just have a chat. We run a range of activities of that kind. These activities are all dementia friendly and then we run some specialist groups for people living with dementia and their carers. We have about 80 volunteers who work with us. When we had the offer of these premises and decided that it was a step we wanted to take, we were really very keen to have some funding. We received a grant of £2,000 from the Chichester South County Local Committee and that enabled us to reach our target.


So good so good So Yeah, so This is to a beach Make you happy man.  This is your store, right? This is your restaurant. Yeah. Tell me. What is this? What is this shininon that the shininon? Los Angles that December that the very beautiful very big he's been running these two bars for 11 years, right? 11 years. He's been on this beach for 11 years. Yeah, these are his two bars All right, man. I want to see this drink. I respect my man. Yes. Peace. Yes So yeah, we just in the DR right now Such a beautiful day right now it was raining earlier and right now it's absolutely gorgeous Every time I do We lose connection just keeps reconnecting Internet here is not the same every time I get close to the water it starts to disconnect We're live from Susu Beach Like usual having issues with the internet connection Just hanging out I Thought I would come live regardless so we're just in the Dominican Republic right now. It's a sewer beach And the market's been up and down. I hear that snapchat has been bouncing back lately. So that's pretty interesting good news to see and Crypto's last time I looked we're doing pretty well and the marijuana stocks were kind of up and down But we're just at the beach right now. We're looking at the market.  Why is the world like that? Canada is such a safe country great country. I love to be Canadian, but we have the worst weather and Then you come to these countries that are filled poverty and they've got the best weather Kind of weird how it works Let's bring in some drinks pineapple drink There's all kinds of shops and restaurants everywhere and like really in like the middle of the jungle because if you look back You could see the deep the thick deep jungle behind So you got the jungle and then you got the Businesses right on the water here and then you got the beach And the ocean This is Sisuah Beach. This is a world-famous beach called Sisuah Beach in Porta Plata the Dominican Republic Apparently the most tourists that come here are from Canada Second most I hear from the United States. It's just crazy busy Today's Monday, obviously, so people are working so there's not as many people on the beat Yesterday Sunday is when all the locals come and that's when the Sisuah Beach is really popular There's a lot of people right now on the beach trying to get some sun. I Would take you to the beach, but every time I go there I lose connection That's opinion Okay, it's coming. Yeah, okay. Cool. Cool. No problem, man. Take your time, brother There's no rush there This guy's here comes the band is in the band. What's up, man? How you doing, buddy? We're reporting live from Sisuah Beach right now Live on YouTube. Yo, what's up, Nathaniel? How you doing, bro? Yeah, we're gonna get a And Yeah, who knows where the night's gonna take us the night's still young man. We just get it. They started really to be honest with you Starts low here I've days and I'm busy with so much. I got five ICO reviews. I've already done two ICO review since I've been here Since the day I believe I've already done two ICO reviews and I've got like three more requests. I gotta do While I'm here in the DR, man 24-7 vacation here But I don't mind working while I'm on vacation. It makes it more entertaining when you're making money Because then you don't feel so bad if you're guilty so guilty about all the money you're spending Hello, if anybody wants to get on YouTube. What's up, yo? You just say hi to everyone they say hi to you It's that simple I'm always working, bro. Even when I'm on the beach and I'm chilling.  I Didn't supply any music today Your chopper is still on the table. Yo, man, I'm alive from the beach right now, bro What how much more can you ask for? I'm in Sisuah, and I'm alive from the beach One more can you ask for it? You can't ask for any more than that That's as real as it gets This isn't edited This is real. We are at the beach and we're live so What you see is what you get right now When you're in the Dominican you're on island time, so everything is slow Everything is slow Getting your food is slow getting your drinks is slow Everything is slow. You're on island time. You're not supposed to be rushing anything when you're here It's almost like a sin to be rushing anything The beach is right behind me It's right there. Can you see the blue water? You guys see the water? Go live from a boat or jet ski I would I would go live from a boat or jet ski if I had the connection, but I don't think my connection will work over here I'm staying close to this restaurant here because if I get close to that water then my connection will get lost You want to get on YouTube, bro? Oops What's your name, man? Peter? Yeah, I'm rich man. Oh, yeah, so you're on you're on YouTube. My name is Rich. I have a channel called Rich TV Oh, my name is Peter. Cool. So I'm from Asia. I'm from You're from Haiti. Yeah, cool. All right. Yeah, so why are you here in the Dominican Republic?  Yeah, yeah from Canada It's really cold rain thing. I'm losing it see Yo, these guys are saying hello from Houston Yeah, I'm live. I'm live right now and there's guys in Houston and they're saying hello from Houston from America They're saying hi from America, man Yeah, so we got Canada watch we got America watch and we're in the Dominican Republic and You know, my friend here is from Haiti Haiti is attached to the Dominican Republic Haiti and the Dominican Republic are one island, correct? Yeah, right and Hades on one side of the island the Dominicans on the other side and my friend here is just 15 minutes So you live 15 minutes from the beach cool and And Melanada is in the Dominican Republic In Sousa. Oh, okay. Cool. Very nice. You know Kasselinda Yeah, that's where I have a villa I live in here Kasselinda. Yes. So I live in Kasselinda. So I come to the beach rich Yeah, I have a YouTube channel called rich TV. So we're going live right now So you're doing this we're doing this live right now on YouTube. Yeah, I'm showing you to the world, bro Make you a star man. Yeah, we're gonna make you a star Yeah, that's what we do here. We turn people into stars on rich TV, man See that That's your business, so what is this?  I understand I understand That's tough. That's tough, man.  All right. Well, this is what we're doing here on the beach. We're just waiting for my drink You should be getting a pineapple drink here soon Just waiting for it beautiful ladies here a lot of beautiful The locals are beautiful the tours They don't know about Bitcoin here man, I'm telling you guys if I was to bring Bitcoin here We'd make it big we would make it big. They don't know about Bitcoin They don't know what Bitcoin I was thinking about bringing a Bitcoin machine here I think I'd be the first to bring a Bitcoin machine. No, I hear you brother. I hear you man. I hear you I'm still waiting for my drink. I think it's coming I'm waiting for my drink and I have a friend on the beach I'm just gonna go with me with him in a bit and then See what's see what's popping Definitely talk. I'm here all day, man. I'm here all day. Yeah, there's people everywhere here man Lots of people Is that my drink? Is that my drink? Yes That's what I'm talking about right there that pineapple's mine You want me to do a picture you want me to do a picture of your shop. This is this is your shop. All right All right, we're gonna do a picture of her shop. See Look at this guys. This is the back alleys And then this the shop it's okay. It's okay. No problem. No problem. People want to see everything They got t-shirts. They got bags dresses flags bathing suits towels Yeah Yeah, I'm gonna come there soon. I want to I want to drink that in the shade though So this is the pineapple drink open it up look inside You got a spoon and a straw for this it's pretty thick Straw doesn't work straws not working. So I think you need to you need a very good It's so thick. You need you need a spoon. You need this That's delicious as good as good as it gets. All right guys, I'm gonna go and join my drink. I'll talk to you soon


sure you know you know college offenses are changing so much so a lot of times guys don't even have the opportunity the exposure to do that at the college level obviously the way they use them in Arizona State gave them some opportunities to show he was capable of as a blocker in the run game and we got to do our best I got to do my best to utilize that skill set and help them add value to our team. sure yeah you know I know Ferk worked his tail off this offseason and it certainly shows he looks great he's he's certainly looking really strong and I know that was a conscientious effort he made this offseason to add to his put it on a couple pounds and get stronger and he showed that and he's still showing ability to move really well at the weight he's playing at so I can't say enough about the work he's put in and it's certainly paying off out on the field. sure you know what it kind of goes back to that versatility thing I think our guys in our room you know Tommy's a guy that I think is a very capable pass receiver he's got excellent hands he can body up defenders and he's got a good feel for for spacing and versus zone coverage so certainly we're trying to improve every aspect whether that's some guys in the past game the run game but I think Tommy's a pretty balanced player and I'm excited to what he can decide to see what he can do this preseason yeah awesome thanks guys you know what I love our room I love the guys in our room we got a great a great mix of young guys and veteran guys and they're all eager to learn there's a lot of great communication that happens every single day in all of our meetings and and they come to work every day that's all you can ask for and a coach from your players as a coach is just to get maximum effort every single day and that's something I get from our guys so as long as they keep working and playing the way they are with the effort and finish that we preach I'm never gonna have any complaints from us from me sure you know guys like Jeff Swain and Adam Luke stalker they've been invaluable guys that have done it before you know they've seen every look a defense can throw at them and and they've been very they've taken very instrumental in a leadership role with the younger guys the communication in the room and out on the field is great and I'm really really fortunate to have two guys like that in our room that that have done this and have established great careers in this league and they can pass down some of their knowledge to the younger guys we have in the room yeah yeah obviously we'd love to have him out there but when one guy goes down the next guy steps up so it has been a great opportunity for guys like Tommy Hudson and even FERC to get more opportunities obviously adding stock you know filled that hole a little bit but yeah it's the whole next man-up mentality and it's been it's been great we'd love to have Jeff out there I know he's working hard to get back every day but you know it just opens the door for someone else to get a rep that they might not have gotten where they can improve and evolve as a run blocker with some of the stuff Jeff normally does for sure sure you know he's just a guy that's got to play to his skill set so he's got great quickness and he actually has you know because he gets pigeonholed is this receiving tight end I think his upper body strength gets overlooked and I think those are two things in a skill set that if he can use his quickness just to get into blockers and use that upper body strength I think he can be a very effective blocker whether it is against Sam linebackers or defensive ends and obviously he's got the quickness to cover up safeties and corners sure exactly and I think it starts with with growing the versatility of those players so that it is an obvious tell that when someone's in the game they're thinking pass and someone else is in the game they're thinking run so it's our call to develop them to where that red light kind of kind of goes away when defenses are scouting us but yeah we obviously have to do a good job when we're game-planning to make sure our tendencies aren't too strong one way or the other and I know Todd will do a great job you know covering that stuff up as we go sure sure yeah no doubt no doubt yep you know what I think that's something we'll attack week to week and that's probably a question above my pay grade but but I know this one thing that that rage is always done and Todd's always preached is that playing to the strengths of what we got so if we go into one week and we think 11 personnel is our best group that's probably what we'll roll with the next week that could be 12 or 13 personnel and I know it's my job that no matter how many opportunities we get in the tight end room that I do the best to prepare those guys and take advantage of the shots they do get on the field yeah yeah sure Luke Stocker is the consummate professional he's an awesome vet I feel very fortunate to have him in the room the communications been great he's taken on a leadership role from the second he walks through the door and I think those younger guys are really feeding off that leadership Jeff Swain was doing a great job of that still is obviously with the addition of Stocker now we got two guys two guys that have seen a lot of looks in this league they've seen everything a defense can throw at them and and they've been very vocal in teaching the young guys different techniques different fundamentals here's what you can do versus look here's another technique versus other look and I feel very fortunate to have both those guys in the room sure yeah you know and I've even though I haven't had the front row seat until this year that I've had yeah I've been here the entire time FERC has been here and it's been really exciting to see him develop as a player every year he becomes more versatile every year I think his route craft continues to improve and I'm really excited to see what he can could turn on this year