A nice view of Long St. from my (sunny) daily lunch break walk.

We are hurtling toward the end of the summer at full speed over here at Per Scholas. Last week we prepared for a new class and tried to squeeze the last few applicants into the class that started on Saturday. Things were pretty hectic with a grand opening of the Cincinnati Per Scholas office scheduled for the same day as our final entrance exam testing. But we made it through and now we have an awesome class of twenty motivated and passionate students ready to begin their training.

To reward ourselves for the hard work we put in this week, the Per Scholas team went out on Friday for a day of team building. It was so much fun! We went to a place called the Chamber Escape Room (10/10, would recommend). An escape room is basically a live-action puzzle with clues hidden throughout one or two rooms and you have to solve all the puzzles within an hour to “escape” the room. I was a little hesitant at first, I think the whole Per Scholas team was, but we ended up having a great time and learning a lot about each other. After we “escaped” the room, we had a debriefing session where we talked about how we worked together as a team. Activities like that really do emphasize the importance of communication and teamwork, as well as highlight the skills and talents that each of us possess.

We made it!

Saturday we had our first day of class! On the first Saturday before class begins, Per Scholas hosts an orientation with leaders from Nationwide. I started my fellowship in the middle of an eight-week class so it’s been exciting to see a group from the beginning. I am already marking my calendar to come back for the graduation of Class 12. We are all excited to see lives changed in the next eight weeks.

After our Saturday orientation, some of us fellows got a special treat: a personal tour of the Pizzuti Collection with Jessie and her Junior Docents. Another perk of the job! 🙂

Chrysler, the newest addition to the sculpture garden at the Pizzuti Collection.

This week is sure to be another busy week. We’ve got the first full week of class this week, so that is keeping everyone on their toes. On Wednesday I am presenting my research and survey findings to our board members and area IT leaders as I move toward the completion of my main project here at Per Scholas. We’re in the home stretch of this summer fellowship and I am determined to finish well!