Geared Up Issue 1 2018 | Page 37

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]. 35