On September 3, 2009, West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution (WPFSI) graduated another class of future leaders. The Third Annual WesGold Fellows Graduation Ceremony took place at The Enterprise Center in West Philadelphia. The pictures are in! Thank you to Perretti Photography for taking such beautiful photos.
Student Speeches
Alexis Jenkins and Kevin Cole were selected to compose and deliver special selections at the ceremony.
…When I go to college, I will not be swooned by all of the pretty colors on the credit cards….If I want to be the next Oprah, I can; but I will need to be willing to do what Oprah did and then do it better… -Alexis Jenkins
Kevin was an unscheduled insert of inspiration. He did not have the same preparation time and practice as Alexis did. He was excited to finish his final deliverable for the program and asked if he could read his speech moments before the graduation ceremony kicked off.
WesGold Fellows Staff
James R Burnett, Executive Director of WPFSI, Michael A Gross, Director of the WesGold Fellows and myself, Tiffany C Bentham, Coordinator, offered words of encouragement to the students. We are a part of their network now and we highly suggest to every student that they keep in contact with us. Once they graduate from the WesGold Fellows, it is up to them to continue to practice and prepare for a challenging and changing world. If we can help them in any way, we are more than glad to do so.
Past graduates Shaniqua Isaac (’07) and Ashley Handy (’07), volunteered to assist with the logistics of the evening. Ashley is currently a WPFSI employee and Shaniqua, a former employee.
Distribution of Awards
The students were honored with a certificate of accomplishment and a video presentation solidifying their dreams into the atmosphere.
Stellar Student Award
“Can I start Monday?”
Kevin Cole was the recipient of the Stellar Student Award. This is given to one Fellow who demonstrates improvement over the course of the program, verbalizes and implements the principles they were taught. In return, they are given the opportunity to continue their growth and development as a WPFSI employee.
Friends & Family
As always, friends and family members were there to show their support.
Congratulations WesGold Fellows 2009!
(From the left: kevin Cole, Alexis Jenkins, mark Walker, Sameera Sydnor, Rovell Vialva, Malcolm Lewis, Ishanteria McBride; Missing: DaShawn Starling, Andre Jones and Nancy Rai)
…When I go to college, I will not be swooned by all of the pretty colors on the credit cards….If I want to be the next Oprah, I can; but I will need to be willing to do what Oprah did and then do it better… -Alexis Jenkins
Kevin was an unscheduled insert of inspiration. He did not have the same preparation time and practice as Alexis did. He was excited to finish his final deliverable for the program and asked if he could read his speech moments before the graduation ceremony kicked off.
