Bettering Education's response to COVID-19
The importance of passion during uncertain times
Do you have a passion?
Lane Wallace, the author of Surviving Uncertainty: Taking a Hero’s Journey argues that passion is necessary to “improve a community, build something of value in the world, and even survive tough times or a daunting economy” (The Atlantic 2011). Young people today are certainly facing tough times; between a global pandemic, an economic recession, and increasing inequality, the future for young people is mired with uncertainty. However, as Wallace suggests, by harnessing their passions young people can create better futures for themselves and maybe even for us all.
This certainly seemed to be the case with the highly motivated young people who attended BE’s Passion to Profit workshops. These young people, already brimming with hope and ambition, were there to learn how to turn their aspirations into viable careers. Young people shouldn’t have to choose between a career they love and making a living, which is why we developed this two-part workshop designed to help young people find their passions and develop them into a career strategy.
Creating a Career Strategy
In the first part of the workshop, the young people completed activities designed to create a career plan, such as the mind-map technique utilised by Stanford professor and co-author of Designing Your Life Bill Burnett. Additionally the participants were introduced to the structure of a business plan, both as a format to structure their current plans and as a resource for future entrepreneurship.
Learning from guest speakers
The second part of the workshop consisted of three inspirational guest speakers who shared their own journeys in pursuing their passions. These speakers included the successful host of Capital Xtra Breakfast Show, Yinka Bokinni. Yinka, who began by attaining a law degree, recounted her journey turning away from a career she was not inspired by toward a creative field she was passionate about. The next speaker, Mark Maciver, achieved his success as a celebrity barber, but stressed the importance of perseverance in overcoming the hardship he faced along the way. Finally, radio presenter and creative producer Mosique Lavontelle concluded with her story about chasing her dreams and gave young people valuable advice about casting a wide net and creating opportunities for oneself.
All of these speakers gave invaluable insight that connected directly to the lessons young people learned in the first part of the workshop. Not only were the inspirational stories and advice shared by these speakers indispensable, the speakers also advanced the representation of successful minorities in creative fields.
Though we may be living in uncertain times, we can all be inspired by the passion put forth by these creative speakers and the young people of London alike. As the participants of this workshop demonstrated, young people are ready to harness their passion to transform uncertainty into an opportunity to create something positive.
Jane Wallace, 2011. “The Value of Following Passion in a Jobless World” The Atlantic