Glassman notes that a lot of the youth he works with on
a regular basis have broken families, come from a one-parent
household and sometimes aren’t exposed to a level of education that
all youth should receive.
“I think family is something that we take for granted. I grew
up with two parents who are very nice people, and just being able
to grow with two parents is a luxury that I think half of young
people today don’t have access to,” said Glassman. “It leads to a
lot of behavioral, respect, discipline and focus issues. Kids need a
strong familial background to grow strong and take their studies
seriously and have self-esteem.”
As saddening as many situations are, Glassman notes that
working with these children is worth every minute when he’s finally
able to see young people fulfilling their dreams, building relation-
ships and getting into college.
“I think seeing a person grow into a young adult and being
more self-sufficient is interesting,” said Glassman. “Seeing young
people say these programs have helped them and then years later
they say, ‘I want to help the high school or college students who
are younger than me make their progress and help them with their
studies or life skills’ – that’s a nice thing to see.”
Although Glassman has learned numerous business lessons
through his work as a mentor and tutor, he feels above all else it has
taught him compassion and given him a more complete view of the
world.
“A different way of thinking and approaching the world
is refreshing. Having a true perspective on life and on what is
important is
very powerful. It’s
about r eally having a
world view and not
just a view of the
moment but a view
of what you want to
do and accomplish
with your life – not
just your business
life but your whole
life. I think those are
powerful things that
I’ve learned by being
charitable,” said Glassman.
“You’re born into the world and
given certain advantages or disadvan-
tages. Part of life is that it’s a societal contract
that you have to fulfill, and that’s just part of
being human. I think that part of my societal
contract of being born with these advantages is that I
should use them to fulfill other people’s needs.” G
Christina Cannon is the PFIFA communications manager
and associate editor of Geared Up. You can contact Cannon at
678-797-5165 or [email protected].
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