Posted by Sandy Warren on Jun 05, 2018
 
Passion Spark Helps High Schoolers
Set Goals to Achieve Meaningful Careers
 
A recent study by Forbes magazine revealed that as many as 80 percent of employed Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs. That sobering statistic was presented by Jerry Beckerman, our meeting speaker on Monday, June 4. Jerry is founder and president of Passion Spark, an innovative mentoring program designed to help high school students find their passion in life and develop goals to help them find meaningful rewarding careers.
 
"A college education is expensive," said Jerry. "How many people can afford $30,000 per year, or more, without a focus?" Jerry explained that the core of Passion Spark is a weekend retreat/workshop that guides students through an introspective, exploratory process on how to develop goals and a sense of who they are. The sessions are led by experienced facilitators who are familiar with the needs and anxieties of students who are about to graduate from high school and may have little, if any, idea of what they really want to do with their lives.
 
Jerry observed that when students know where they are going with the lives, they can graduate from college in a focused four years, rather than spending the time (and money) on six to seven years of trying multiple courses of study. "We have developed  a program for college students as well," said Jerry, "and we'll be rolling that out at Ventura College in the near future."
 
Tuition for the Passion Spark retreat is $595, and Jerry noted that there are scholarship/financing options for those who may need them. For more information, click here to visit the Passion Spark website, or call (805) 643-3444.