D.R.E.A.M. Reaches Milestone

Dear Dreamers,

I want to share an important update with all of you in the D.R.E.A.M. network. On June 14, 2014 D.R.E.A.M. celebrated a major milestone with the graduation of the first cohort of our hallmark program, “Invest-in-Success”. The event was a joyous and inspiring celebration as the Co-Founders, Success Mentors, and D.R.E.AM. staff gave a final ‘good bye’ to the scholars of the inaugural cohort.

I am very proud of all the scholars in our 2014 class and am fully confident they will embark on great journeys as future leaders across multiple industries and disciplines, and as responsible economically empowered model-citizens. 

The event began with a powerful keynote speech from D.R.E.A.M. advisory board member, Mr. Fritz Charles, MBA. Fritz, an alum of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, provided the students with an inspiring story about the importance of determination and hard work through his personal experiences. He encouraged students to aim high and consistently raise the bar for themselves.

The commencement celebration also included a special gift ceremony from NBA Cares, which was presented by Ms. Tyler Simpson, National Basketball Association employee and D.R.E.A.M. supporter. Each scholar received an NBA bag filled with souvenirs and memorabilia.

Another highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of two major awards for select scholars. The first award granted was our annual Most Valuable Saver award, which was presented to Adrian Andino for saving the most on an annual basis, marking his third consecutive win. The second award, Success Mentor Scholarship, was given to an outstanding student who exceeded all expectations of a D.R.E.A.M. scholar, Rayvon Dorsett. This award was presented by scholarship committee chair, Ms. Tadia James, and Rayvon will receive a scholarship in the amount of $1,500 for his higher education expenses!

The event concluded with students receiving individual medals and additional gifts from the D.R.E.A.M. Team. 

Class of 2014 Highlights

100% acceptance and enrollment to 4 year college/university

100% ownership of a checking and savings account

100% ownership of at least one share of a publicly traded company

For Jaleni and myself, the graduation was an emotional celebration of the journey we embarked on nearly five years ago to provide financial literacy education to the students of New York City. On behalf of D.R.E.AM., I would like to extend a big thank you to the following (this list is not exhaustive):

Capital One 360 New York Café staff

Mr. Kevin Corrigan

Capital One

All Hallows High School

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School

The D.R.E.A.M. Team (past and present)

Success Mentors

The D.R.E.A.M. Advisory Board

Moody’s Foundation

Dasha Wellness

NBA Cares

All Guest Keynote Speakers

All Volunteer Judges

& All Friends of D.R.E.A.M.

I look forward to building on the success and lessons from our inaugural cohort.  I also can’t wait to hear the amazing updates from the freshmen years of our rising scholars. Again, I extend a HUGE congratulations to the Class of 2014, I am very proud of you all! Remember to maintain your S.W.A.G. #WeMadeIt

To view more photos from the event, visit us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. 

About the Author:  Femi Faoye is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of D.R.E.A.M. He's also the Founder of Millennial Capital Management, an investment management firm based in New York City. He’s a staunch and passionate financial literacy education advocate. 

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