Visions Federal Credit Union President and CEO Tyrone Muse kicked off a new monthly speaker series at Windsor Central High School Wednesday, telling 250 students to visualize success, and know they have the tools needed to make that vision a reality.
“I want them to realize that if they can dream it, they can be it. Sometimes when you hear the title, ‘President and CEO of Visions,’ it seems unattainable. But, my predecessor was a Windsor graduate. He could have been a freshman sitting in those chairs, just like these guys,” said Muse.
This appearance is the first in a monthly speaker series at the school designed to improve the college- and career-readiness of WCHS students. The speakers will share with the students the skills they developed and courses they studied that are applicable to their careers today.
Not all of those skills are academic. Muse shared his story of being a highly-recruited basketball prospect before suffering a career-ending injury during his junior year of high school. Faced with a dramatic change, Muse pivoted.
“There’s a silver lining in almost everything. It’s a lesson in preparedness. When there wasn’t basketball, there was track. When there wasn’t track, there was education. Education is the great equalizer. You can always become an expert at something,” said Muse.
Muse impressed upon students there are a number of ways to develop that expertise and succeed.
“Being nice to people goes a long way,” said WCHS student Austin Agati.
“Communication is one of the most important skills,” said WCHS student Brennen Riley.
This speaker series is part of the Windsor CSD’s partnership with Harvard University and its National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN). Windsor is one of 50 districts in New York and Ohio partnering with Harvard to address the challenges of chronic absenteeism, college readiness, and college enrollment in rural districts.
“I think that it’s definitely wise for us to listen to people who came before us and learn how they interact with bosses or employees,” said WCHS student Christian Arsenault.
In addition to the speaker series, the Windsor CSD has also aligned career exploration with the counseling and English Language Arts departments. All students will engage in interest-exploration and career-development activities within their English classroom over the course of their four years in WCHS. This integrated approach will culminate in the development of a career plan for each student.