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Home / Washington Business - November/December 2006 / Points of View: Helping youth succeed is its own reward |
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Points of View: Helping youth succeed is its own reward |
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Written On: November/December 2006 |
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Written By: by Gary Hauff |
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Gary Hauff is the general manager and advertising director of the Snohomish County Business Journal. As a Washington native, Hauff continues to give back to the community, drawing on his extensive sales and management experience. After attending the Washington Business Week program in high school, he realized its value and is involved in supporting the program as an adult. He volunteers as Chair of the Week, acts as a mentor, and shares his professional knowledge with high school students in the summer Business Week program as well as in local programs statewide.
"Washington Business Week, the magazine?" I get this comment more often than not when I approach the subject of Washington Business Week at high schools and Rotary Club meetings. Ironically, my parent company is The Washington Post, who in turn owns Business Week magazine, so I am constantly in a tightly woven "business week" web.
My name is Gary Hauff, and I’m a 1979 Washington Business Week graduate. Back then, as a junior at Cashmere High School, a teacher shared some information about a business program designed for students. It was held on the Central Washington University campus and it was a full week in length, which meant a week away from home hanging out with friends and meeting girls. There was only one problem: It was held during the summer.
That was more than 27 years ago. I ultimately made a life-altering decision to interrupt my summer and attend Washington Business Week. Not only do I have fond memories of that special week in Ellensburg, but it also helped mold my future. Thanks to Washington Business Week, I started two separate businesses in central Washington and had the opportunity to venture into the business world at a young age. I learned how to make money as well as lose money, and everything else that goes with owning a business.
Today, I proudly state on my resume that, not only did I attend Washington Business Week the third year it existed, I am a volunteer company advisor, as well. I became reacquainted with the program about 10 years ago and have been a volunteer ever since.
My wife says that I’m obsessed with the program — I have an entire wa ll in my office dedicated to Washington Business Week photos! I prefer to use another word to describe my feelings about the magic of Business Week: Rewarding!
I am guaranteed my reward each and every year, albeit measured in different ways. I have an opportunity to meet young adults, learn their stories and help make a positive impact on their futures. I have had the pleasure of meeting parents and grandparents, and even having an occasional lunch with my students. Over the years, I have found that the demand on these students is high, yet they all have one common aspiration: They want an adult to listen to their ideas and opinions.
Having three teenagers of my own, I know that we parents don’t always listen to our kids and may have a tendency to tune them out. That’s why I love Washington Business Week. It really helps me with my listening skills, and my students have an opportunity to express themselves without worrying about criticism.
Washington Business Week is more than just learning about the business world and calculating profits and losses. It’s about teamwork, communication, leadership, and social skills. I have seen many students do a 180-degree turnaround within the first few days of the program, and then be the first to pass along e-mail addresses and hugs at the end of the week. I still receive e-mails and cards from past students, which only makes me look forward to the summer program even more. In addition, the other volunteers and staff really work to make the program a success, which means that Washington Business Week is about the adults as well as the students. The synergy is very pronounced.
Although I’m just a volunteer, I am constantly prospecting and recruiting for the program. If it were up to me, Washington Business Week would be mandatory for all high school students. After all, "real-world experience" and "life-changing results" is what everyone will encounter in their lives. Washington Business Week just makes it more enjoyable.
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