The Graduate Baruchian

Perhaps no organization, company or firm has so aptly named itself as the Everybody Wins! Foundation (yes, the exclamation point is officially in the name). If you are a part of this organization, you and everyone around you do, indeed, win. And the best part? Baruch College is a partner with Everybody Wins! (EW!), which means that you have a chance to be part of the winning.

Let me explain:

Once a week, I take my lunch break from work to walk a few blocks from my office to PS 111 for Power Lunch, the main program of the EW! Foundation. At the school, I meet up with my reading buddy, a third grader with a soft but excitable demeanor. For one hour, we read, talk, draw, and get to know each other. We ask each other questions, talk about the books we are reading, play games, and the hour flies by before we know it. No matter what is going on at the office, or if I have a test to study for later in the day – or anything else – meeting with my reading buddy brightens up my day and week. The point of the program is to reach out to children while they are young to help them establish a love of reading, and to encourage them to believe that they can succeed in school and ultimately in life. In fact, my reading buddy helps me remember what my priorities are, helps me put my life into perspective, and helps ME believe that I can succeed in school, work, and life. If she can have such enthusiasm to learn and grow, so can I!

I participate in Power Lunch through my full-time job at Random House book publishers, but because the program had such an impact on me I wanted to share the experience with my classmates and colleagues at Baruch College. Last year 30 Baruch students participated and all reported having an amazing experience. There are many schools located throughout the city (two that are walking distance from Baruch) at which you can participate and you can choose which is most convenient for you.

I encourage everyone who can to attend one of our orientation sessions for interested students. We will be holding orientation sessions on Friday, October 8th and Friday, October 15^th in VC 3-215. There will be two sessions on each day, one starting at 12:15pm and the second starting at 1:30pm – attendance is only necessary at one session.

Check out the EW! Website for more information:

http://www.everybodywinsny.org/index.php?/everybodywins/our_programs/

-Emily Rotella