Disney Dreamer’s AcademyBy Dorothy Tene’ Redmond
executives, celebrities and emerging leaders in the African American community with career workshops entitled, “Each One Teach One,” sponsored by Kodak on Imagineering techniques, choreography, to the business of sports, networking essential and entertainment. The students selected for their submissions to the Dreamer’s essay Contest. Harvey along with a panel of celebrity friends and executives handpicked each participant from over 5000 submissions for the once-in-a-lifetime program geared towards students that show promise yet may need additional motivational support to excel. Several students from the Georgia area were selected for the 2010 class including; Edmund Dyson (Leesburg) , Dikembe Ester (Lithonia), Dejanay McCauley and Briana Vannoy(Stone Mountain), Aaron Robinson (Acworth), Jordan Randles (Lilburn), Tatiana Ward (Carrollton) and Charmaine Woody (Macon). Throughout the four day program, the students had an opportunity to enjoy many of the Disney parks and were often embedded into high profile activities with “Dreamers” embedded into the American Idol experience, performing choreography from High School Musical, and preparing dinner for VIP’s with celebrity Chef Jeff. According to Woody, “It was a life changing experience, my time here has taught me to dream bigger and to not let obstacles deter me from my goals. 2010 featured an all star line up of speakers with gospel star Yolanda Adams kicking off the festivities with words of welcome along with Steve Harvey. Sherri Sheppard returned for a second year hosting a talk show just for the dreamers with guests Camp Rock actor Roshon Fagen, actor Daniel Curtis Lee (“Disney’s Zeke & Luther”); Chris (“Zoey 101”) and Kyle (“Cory in the House”) Massey; actress Tamara Mowry (“Sister, Sister”); producer Will Packer (“Stomp The Yard”); gospel group Trin-i-tee 5:7, celebrity trainer Harvey Walden., and American Idol’s Ruben Studdard and Kimberley Locke all stopping by to share their stories of success as well as their struggles.
Ellis schooled the dreamers on the importance of appearance and giving tips on professional attire. However interactive “Pearl and Tie” ceremony proved to be one a true Kodak moment when Ellis asked all female mentors to present a young female dreamer with a strand of pearls and all the male mentors to present the young male dreamers with ties. As the young males received a lesson on the proper way to tie a tie, the young ladies received words of encouragement and affirmations from their mentors. The moment underscored the mission of the academy as a symbolic gesture of the wisdom passed down from one generation to the next. According to Ellis, “I came here to be a source of inspiration, but I’ve been inspired myself. In my one and one interactions with some of the students they have shared their life stories and I am amazed at how despite their challenges they still have hope. They still dare to dream and that’s what this is all about, keeping that hope and dream alive.” For more information, visit http://steveharvey.com/disneysdreamersacademy/ or visit me at glamgirlgo.com for a more in depth look at all the fun!
Making Money (Legally) on the InternetBy Sidmel K. Estes
Lawson knows what he is doing as a Certified Education Specialist for e-Bay. In other words, he is an expert on Internet Commerce Education. And he was just voted #1 Savviest in Social Media for Home Based Businesses. (http://ow.ly/A4zb) Believe it or not, Lawson only got into the “social networking thing” a little over a year ago when he signed up for Twitter. Lawson’s blog receives over 10,000 unique visitors and he has more than 20,000 followers on Twitter. In one of his YouTube videos, Lawson has received over 100,000 views. Very few people can do that. He uses the analogy of an old Faberge Shampoo commercial featuring Heather Locklear where she explains that she was so thrilled with the shampoo that she told two friends and they told two friends and they told two friends. Lawson is a passionate presenter who calls himself the “Ecommerce Edutainer”. That name sums it up. He’s chocked full of information and presents it in an extremely entertaining way. “I wanted to show people how to crush the competition,” he exclaims. “The way to reach people is to teach people and that’s what I am trying to do.” Lawson is not your usual business type. He once worked for Accenture as an Information Technology Specialist despite the fact that he only had a GED instead of a high school diploma. He calls himself the GED-CEO. Most of his business acumen is self-taught because he is constantly reading. “I believe the Nation is one of the best models of business development that ever existed,” Lawson explains. He followed his sister who moved to Atlanta in 1996. Now he is in demand as a presenter and speaker in business conferences all over the world. He recently spoke at the eCommerce Summit in Sydney, Australia, the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association and the Atlanta Social Media Day held at Clayton State University. Lawson doesn’t do anything in a conventional manner. One of his most successful business efforts involves reaching out to people who are interested in hip hop or “urban wear” accessories such as bandanas and hats. And it’s been quite profitable for him. He is a platinum eBay Power Seller who ships out more than 1,000 packages a week. Coming up next week in the final installment, some Internet tools you may have never heard about and some advice from the experts. |
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However some of the most inspirational messages came from names many of the students had never heard of before the academy. Motivational speakers, Jonathon Sprinkles, and clothier, Alex Ellis were fan favorites of the 2010 class. Sprinkles chosen by the students for the commencement ceremony award, “Role Model of the Year,” celebrated his sophomore year with the program by challenging the students to make the impossible possible. According to Sprinkles, “There is no such thing as impossible, the bottom line is just because someone else can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it’s not true for you. Even if you can’t find someone else like you who has done what you want to do, it may because you were meant to be the first to ever do it.”
Business expert John Lawson (