The C.E.O. Program

During the summer of 2014, Project M.I.S.T.E.R.™ instructor Kevin Strothers was able to secure a grant for our students to extend our signature project into the summer.  

The Capture Excellent Opportunities (C.E.O.) Program is a life skills and job readiness workshop series designed specifically for at-risk and juvenile justice system exposed high school males in Seattle. Through weekly mentoring sessions and engaging field trips, the youth developed more effective strategies to navigate life’s challenges and to create a new vision for their futures.

How?  Through one-on-one mentorship and group mentor sessions we shifted the paradigms of the young men by exposing them to successful individuals that have experienced hardship, but through making positive choices in life were able to succeed against the odds.

The program focused on:
• Economic awareness: learning the basics of economics, smart spending, and business etiquette
• Resume Building & Goal Setting
• College Exposure: Discussion with successful college students
• CEO, CFO, CIO Interviews & Guest Speakers: Interviewing leaders of this caliber made the goals of the youth feel more obtainable.  Seeing is believing!  They accessed corporate working facilities, and experienced amazing opportunities to “Sit on the Board”!

The youth witnessed, first hand, how business is conducted in a professional environment.  They were educated on note taking, and being effective listeners, 

Additionally, the students focused on:
• Relationship Building, Networking, and Developing their personal brand
• Empowering, Giving Hope, and Believing! Some youth in our community are not affirmed enough and consistently alienated. The program focused on building them up and ultimately making them believers in self.

One of the key events was held at the estate of a successful entrepreneur with staff and the young men's families. The youth recapped their experiences, continued to exercise skills in networking and communication, and obtained a first-hand look at the benefits of a commitment to the path to full success. 

Kevin Strothers 

Founder & Program Coordinator 

Deon Fields

Master Mentor