- Website: http://www.youthaboutbusiness.org
- Email: yab1bcampbell@gmail.com
- YouTube Video: Youth About Business
- ABC News: NYC Teens Take on Business Boot Camp
- Forbes Magazine: The Two Key Traits Employers Need From Today's College Graduates
"My background is in finance and civil engineering, but I work full time with youth now. Memphis is home to me, and I love giving back through my involvement in the Youth About Business (YUB) Leadership Development Program. The organization's goal is to help young people connect to their purpose for being. My daughter was part of the YAB test run when it started in Memphis several years ago, so I've seen the program from the perspective of both a parent and a market director. Helping these young people tap into their talents, relationships, and resources is so rewarding. They learn how to maximize their strengths, and it changes their lives. If you know of any 9th-12th graders who might be interested the program, let me know." Belinda J. Campbell, YAB Southeast Market Director. For more about the Youth About Business (YAB) Leadership Development Program for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders---
"I want to be a lawyer someday because I want to help people who are in trouble and who really need someone they can trust."
"I've been clean and sober for almost six years now, but I was a heroin addict for 30 years and spent 19 years in prison. I was always interested in woodworking, so while I was in prison, I started working on pieces to pass the time. I was a teacher's aide in the computer lab, and my best friend was a teacher's aide in the shop, so he would bring me quarter-inch thick scraps of wood. One day near Christmas there was a small picture in the newspaper of a painting by Thomas Kinkade called the Christmas Express. It took me 4 months, working 11 or 12 hours a day with toenail clippers, a broken utility knife, sandpaper, and glue as my tools, but I made a copy of that train. I used a magnifier to help me see the details better, and I colored it with magic markers because I didn't have any paint. Another friend worked in the upholstery shop, so he got me scraps of material, and I upholstered the seats in the passenger car. The pieces of coal in the coal car are actually rocks from the prison yard that I colored black.
"Woodworking is what I do now. Tables, chairs, bedroom suites, jewelry, hope chests, whatever people request. It's just word of mouth." "I retired last year after 16 years as a night nanny; I've stayed nights with families all over Memphis so that new parents could get a little sleep. I used to say, 'I sleep around from Harbor Town to Germantown' -- (*laughs*) --with newborns of course! I have a suitcase full of pictures of babies and me together. I think God gave me something special for the little ones." Konnie Daniel hails from the part of Czechoslovakia that was annexed by Germany during World War II. The picture (below right) that she brought to America from her homeland is part of the What I Kept exhibit on display March 14 - July 2, 2015 at the University of Memphis Art Museum. This exhibit features the treasured objects (and the stories behind them) of women who immigrated to Memphis from around the world. What I Kept is curated by Penny Dodds Karwacz and photographed by Jason Miller: The following narrative appears with Konnie's keepsake in the exhibit: For more information on the What I Kept exhibit at the University of Memphis, go to---
"He's my little nephew. I'm going to spend time with him and keep him on the right path. I hope he gets the best in life and grows up to be somebody."
"Besides being an artist, I also collect stamps, coins, anything related to the Boy Scouts (patches, etc.), books, and sports memorabilia. I was at an auction in Brinkley, Arkansas, once and bought some baseballs to go with my baseball pictures. When I got them home and was looking at them, I saw Hank Aaron's signature on one. I did a little research and found out that it was one of the 200 balls Hank Aaron signed as a promotional when he hit his 715th home run. I just happened to get one of them." Fred Malcolm Tibbs is a collector, woodcraftsman, artist, and jewelry maker. Find his work at http://tibbsplace.com
“Spirituality is very deeply embedded in the culture of India. My grandfather, a farmer with 12 children, was inspired to explore his spiritual side, and that experience impacted him profoundly. He responded by giving away much of his wealth as his 'Guru Dakshina', or gratitude gift: 100 acres of farmland, a car (which was rare even to possess in the 1920’s and 1930’s, especially in India), and a large amount of gold jewelry. My grandfather’s spirituality gave him the powers of a healer, and every day there were long lines of people outside his door waiting to be healed and blessed. I heard several such stories of healing about my grandfather over the years from family members as I was growing up, and that has had a profound influence on me. He was a very special man, held in great esteem by thousands. Years later my father, his 12th son, continued my grandfather’s legacy of giving. He helped nieces and nephews with their college educations and marriages. He, in fact, even donated two flats to relatives without a penny in return. With real estate in Mumbai (Bombay, India) being very costly, the giving away of personal wealth with no return whatsoever has led me to hold my father in high esteem. “I am nowhere close to the level of giving of my grandfather and my father, but I am committed to continuing what they began by giving my time, efforts and funds, serving on non-profits, and working to bring about positive changes in our community. We know about the problems that Memphis has, but that's no reason to give up. Instead, I take it as my personal challenge to change the city for the better: emotionally, physically, spiritually, and in every way possible. The organizations I involve myself with give back to the community, and one of the most important ways we do that is revitalize blighted areas. That happens one house at a time. I don’t want just to give back from a distance. I want to be there, to form relationships, to be involved with the community in which I live. I am proud to be a Memphian.” Sandeep Pednekar serves the community in a number of ways. He has been a City Commissioner with the City of Memphis and currently serves on the Shelby County Mayor’s Young Professionals Council. He is the founder of India Fest. Of special interest to him is the US-based non-profit 1 Universe, Inc., with offices in three countries, devoted to diversity and inclusion. He is committed to promoting love, peace, and harmony among people from all over the world through his work with the arts and cultural organizations (both non-profit and for-profit).
For more information, see http://www.memphis.edu/wumr/profiles/profile_sandeep.php "My daughter's life will change when her child is born. I've had three children, and I know what it's like to be a new mom. You don't look at yourself the same way anymore. You come to understand what it really means to put someone else before yourself. My advice for any new mother (whether by birth, adoption, or stepfamily) would be: 'Relax. Don't try to be so in control all the time.' By the time my last child was born, I had learned enough not to worry about doing everything exactly right. It's more important to enjoy the time you have together." A few hours after the interview, Andrea holds her new grandson.
“When I was a very small child, perhaps 8 or 9 years of age, I met a young man who was the best looking guy I had ever seen. He must have been about 14 years old. We did not hit it off well together at all. However, as time passed, I fell madly in love with him. He didn’t even know that I existed. Nevertheless, I said to myself, ‘Someday, I am going to marry that man.’ To make a long story short, I won out. On August 21st, 1934, I married J.R. Williams, and we were married for 67 years until he passed away in 2002. Did we ever think of leaving one another in all those years? No, but we thought of shooting one another at times! (*laughs*) I'm just kidding. Ours was truly a love story. We adored each other. We didn’t just love one another. We were ‘in love.’ We were willing to give as well as to receive, to see the other’s viewpoints, and to acknowledge and appreciate each other’s thoughts and talents. It was important to have God in our own home too. He was good to us, and he gave us what we needed. “I must mention my sweetheart’s reaction to my retirement. When I drove in from my last day of work, my honey was waiting in the driveway for me. To my surprise and great pleasure, he had prepared a wonderful meal: shrimp cocktail, baked potato, and a salad. He even bought a bottle of champagne with which to celebrate. He had set the dining room table and the candles were all aglow just for the two of us. “We were in our 70’s when we started teaching ballroom dancing, and we did that for 12 years. Even after he passed away and I moved to a retirement community, I was still dancing. In fact, I only stopped a few months ago. I’m 100 years old and not quite as steady on my feet as I used to be.” Myrtle's beloved husband: Myrtle as a young woman:
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