A group of Beverly Hills teenagers spent several hours on Jan. 25 developing their professional skills at the Roxbury Community Center.
The City of Beverly Hills Teen Advisory Committee, a program for local sixth through twelfth graders run by the city’s Parks and Recreation Division, heard from a panel of professionals in the music, legal, media and design fields during the afternoon event. They participated in breakout sessions on networking and learned about best practices when it comes to writing college essays.
The event, Teen Development Day, took place in several rooms at the community center from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. More than a dozen students attended, many sporting maroon TAC T-shirts and sweatshirts promoting their group.
During the panel, four professionals spoke about topics ranging from how they got their start in their industries to how they built confidence along the way. Several spoke about the importance of learning from mistakes and finding mentors along the way. (Disclosure: this Courier writer was one of the panelists.)
Students asked questions about the challenges and rewards of panelists’ work, and about specific situations they may have faced and how they handled them.
Following the panel, students took turns getting professional headshots taken by a photographer.
In a breakout session focused on networking led by Lisa Crespo, the city’s community services senior recreation supervisor, the teens watched part of a TED Talk by organizational psychologist David Burkus in which he discussed ways to reframe the concept.
“We need to redefine networking,” he said in the video. “Networking is not really something you do. A network’s not something you have, it’s not about meeting strangers. In fact, the best definition is probably that it’s about understanding the network that’s already around you and acting accordingly. I like to think of it as, it’s about knowing who’s a friend, and who’s a friend of a friend.”
The students paired up to do confidence mapping, an exercise in which they identified three good qualities about themselves. They were then asked to use those qualities to craft a way to introduce themselves to potential employers.
“Think of it as an elevator pitch for yourself,” said Crespo.
Some of the elevator pitches included teens noting that they are, “charming when I want to be,” “open-minded to new ideas,” and a “good listener.”
In the college essay breakout session, students learned the difference between supplemental essays and personal statements. They brainstormed ideas for their own potential essays and reviewed samples.
Malik Diggs, the city’s recreation supervisor, led the session.
“The goal was to plant the idea that their current experiences as freshmen, sophomores and juniors can one day be a topic,” he wrote in an email, “so the ability to articulate and story tell while conveying a message is important.”
TAC meets monthly at the community center. Participants must live or go to school in Beverly Hills. They are required to apply for the program, which offers an emphasis on leadership training and youth empowerment.
Students who become members of the group come up with ideas for activities and programming for teens, with the objective of engaging them in municipal and community decision-making. Past events have included donation drives, holiday gift-wrapping for seniors, a field day and a silent disco.
According to Crespo, this was the first professional development day these teens organized. The event was their idea, developed during a brainstorming session that considered what experiences and learning opportunities would be most beneficial to young people in the community.
“Teen Development Day was an invaluable experience, giving practical insights into students’ academic and professional futures,” Crespo told the Courier. “The panel discussion provided real-world advice from industry professionals, while the development workshops helped students gain confidence in networking strategies, and tips on crafting compelling college application essays. Teens left feeling inspired, empowered and excited for the future ahead.”
