How the Future of Education May Develop Online

Two of the focuses of my blog are General Education and Technology. While the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic/Crisis has created tremendous uncertainty for human health and our ways of life in general, it has also called into question the long-term education landscape. It’s been speculated that education will now move towards an increased digital paradigm. The following guest post is entitled, How the Future of Education May Develop Online.

* * *

We have reached an age where advanced technology has become so deeply rooted in our daily lives and plays a major part in many of the core aspects of society. From recreation to work, everything is an amalgamation of celluloid, pixels, and wires. Another sector that has been steadily seeing its new face in technology is education.

These days, not only is tech integrated into lessons and curriculums, but it has also become a mode of learning in itself and a platform for teaching. From kindergarten to senior high school to post-graduate studies, online study has become the norm for millions of students in the new generation. This may beg the question, “is online schooling the future of education?”

The Virtual Shift

Learning toward different levels of education is available online, and some courses cater to shorter curriculums and specific topics alone. That is because, with the digital system, students have access to a vast library of different media and resources at their fingertips while being able to communicate with teachers and other students remotely.

Being able to share work in real-time and have hands-on activities also hasn’t been removed. Streaming platforms and cloud office applications have removed this limitation from students, no matter where they are as long as they have internet access. Even for those who aren’t in fully online schooling programs, data revealed that physical institutions are holding more and more online classes to cater to distance students. The same study even showed that over half of the students who still study on-campus also have at least one distance class they are taking.

As student sentiment gears toward the virtual space, institutions are also starting to put in resources toward making this work because it can be more cost-efficient and resolves a lot of the issues that come with having to go on-site. Operationally, this is beneficial as location no longer hinders potential enrollees and employees from joining a school. Both instructors and students can work remotely and no longer have to deal with commute issues, making the shift an attractive one in terms of finance and logistics.

Access Online

A major factor that is making online studying more lucrative is its accessibility. Different teaching and learning styles are catered to, and the flexibility in time allows people who have other obligations to be able to pursue an education.

One of the biggest things that also make it accessible is in terms of finances. Because the costs are different, you can often find an institution that offers online courses for a more affordable tuition fee. For this reason, different levels of financial status can still look into reliable schooling that is credited.

It can cater to those who live far, with barriers are removed and culture shock is lessened. For these reasons, it continues to grow each year as more and more individuals flock to the new educational sphere that they can pursue comfortably. With the recent health crisis in full boom, the world has mostly adopted this system and has seen its merits as people must continue to learn and go about their work from home. With all of those factors essentially making everybody shift to digital means, the future may just be up on a screen.

Careers For People Whose Goal Is Maximum Happiness

Two focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. There are many, many aspects to choosing a career and the amount of pay is just one of them. One’s overall level of happiness matters too and probably the most important factor. The following contributed post is entitled, Careers For People Whose Goal Is Maximum Happiness.

* * *

A lot of people go into particular careers for money. But for some, that’s not the driving factor. Happiness is more important.

Commentators often link careers with stress and hardship. But you’d be surprised how many options there are out there that are great for your happiness. Not only do you get paid for doing honest work, but you also enjoy yourself at the same time. How many people do you know can say that?

So what are these elusive careers?

Let’s take a look.

Researcher

Pixabay – CC0 License

Companies and individuals often hire professional researchers to look into a topic and produce a report that they can use to make decisions. Firms, for instance, might hire a freelance professional to investigate a historical document or develop a report on the future of their industry.

For those partaking in these careers, the financial and personal rewards can be enormous. Experienced researchers can earn hundreds of dollars per hour for their work. And many also love what they do, pushing boundaries and discovering new things that people didn’t know before.

Barber

Hairdressers and barbers have always been some of the happiest people. And who can blame them? After you finish barber school, you join a salon and spend all day chatting to customers about their lives. Most professionals learn a considerable amount throughout the day while cutting hair. Plus, there are ample opportunities for progression.

Authors

Becoming an author is a high-risk profession. A lot of people who go into it only earn a modest wage. With that said, you don’t become a writer for the money. You do it for the love of your craft. You go into it in the full knowledge that you probably won’t hit the big time. But that’s okay – you have the freedom to go wherever your creative spirit takes you.

Operating Engineers

Operating engineers are people who pilot vehicles like front-end loaders, bulldozers, and so on. Typically you find them on construction sites, doing all the heavy lifting. What’s more, these guys love their jobs. There is something deeply satisfying about taking control of a large vehicle and bending it to your will.

Psychologists

A lot of people find immense satisfaction in probing the workings of the mind and trying to figure out what makes it tick. Understanding your fellow human being can be a rewarding and exciting career path.

The main work of psychologists today is in diagnosing, characterizing, and treating diseases. In a sense, therefore, it is a kind of medical profession. You’re attempting to uncover psychological issues so that you can fix them.

Photographer

Photographers, like authors and composers, are artists. Their job is to find ways to best capture reality and present their snaps to their clients in a way that thrills them.

Photographers do all sorts of things. It’s not just weddings, but also landscapes, professional portraits, and family photos. Product photography is also growing. Businesses need people who can show off their wares in a flattering light.

Damien Foster discusses playing basketball beyond Buffalo Traditional and the Yale Cup

“I think playing in Buffalo alone prepares you for the world, if you’re lucky enough to be able to grow up in the City of Buffalo!”

This interview is the second part of my interview with Buffalo basketball legend Damien Foster, the other half of the Buffalo Traditional dynamic duo from the 1990s. In part one we discussed his background, and the run he and his teammates went on at Buffalo Traditional High School in the early- to- mid 1990s in Western New York’s city league, the ‘Yale Cup’ and in postseason play. In part two we discussed his basketball career after Buffalo Traditional at the college level. The pictures in this post were shared courtesy of Damien himself and from an archive of Section V and Section VI basketball assembled over the years from issues of the Buffalo News and the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle by my first Coach at Hutch-Tech High School, Dr. Ken Jones.

Anwar Dunbar: So pretty much after your freshman year, you guys had ‘bullseyes’ on your backs (no pun intended). Everyone was looking for Buffalo Traditional, but were there teams you guys looked forward to playing? I know there was a ‘thriller’ against Bennett High School in your junior year. Adrian Baugh (pictured below in blue) posts about that sometimes on Facebook. Did you have that game circled? I know Bennett was supposed to be pretty good that year with players like Mike Carter and Monty Montgomery.

Damien Foster: Well, in our junior year we lost to those guys. I think we took them for granted. I have that tape and I watch that game. I watch a lot of the games. I’ve got all the games starting from my freshman year. We really weren’t focused on that game and we really didn’t have a game plan, so we really didn’t know what to expect. We knew they were good, but we felt like we were going to go in, beat them and take care of business. When the ball went up, those guys were focused! Mike Carter was focused! The infamous ‘spin move’ – everyone kept saying he was spinning to the hole. Mike was a big guy! He was a football player so once he got you on his hip, it was hard to contain him. So that game caught us off guard and it really sparked the rivalry between us and Bennett.

Losing that game in front of all those people – I want to say that there were 5,000 to 6,000 people at Erie Community College’s (ECC) gym at the time, it was very embarrassing. Those guys rubbed it in our faces, and it was one of those things like where you say, ‘Wow.’ They definitely had a bullseye on our calendar for next year. I was absolutely looking forward to that game and I couldn’t wait for it in my senior year. You could tell the difference between our junior and senior year – the focus was just so different. We were locked in my senior year. There was no way they were going to beat us again. Some of their players didn’t care for me – Monty Montgomery didn’t care for me. I didn’t care for him and that was a rivalry. It was what it was, but yes, that game for sure.

I looked forward to playing against Jeremiah Wilkes and Burgard High School (pictured). I also looked forward to playing against Kensington High School, which had Kilroy Jackson and Edmund Battle. You couldn’t just go into Kensington and be soft. Edmund Battle and those guys would talk crap to you and try to intimidate you. Me? I liked it because it got me going and those were the games I looked forward to playing – the big games against guys who talked crap – guys who thought they were tough. It was definitely Kensington, Burgard and Bennett. Those were the teams.

AD: Now, I might not put this in print, but did you and Monty have some kind of run in at a summer league?

DF: No. Monty moved here from California and he was on his California ‘swag’. He talked about how he was going to do this and do that. He looked at us like, ‘Who are these guys?’ I’m looking at him saying, ‘Numbers don’t lie!’ And there were some words that were said over the summer when he first got here. And then when they won the game in my junior year, they really ran with it so that’s kind of what got the fire underneath me for my team.

AD: Well they had a bit of a ‘reckoning’ when postseason play started because they got disqualified in the Class B bracket, while you guys went on to Glens Falls and then back again. Anyway, your best game, was it the final game where you got the MVP or was it something else?

DF: For me I would say it was the state championship final game in my senior year. My shooting percentage was pretty high. I scored more points in other games, but it was just more so the timing of when the points came because it was the state championship. I won the “Most Valuable Player Award” and that was huge.

AD: I also asked Jason this. I asked him about the last shot of games, and he said it was never a concern because your team were usually so far ahead of your opponents (laughing). In terms of the volume of shots, were you always able to find a balance?

DF: You’ve got two ‘A-type’ personalities, two ‘alpha-dogs’ out there – of course you’re going to bump heads a little bit. Me and Jay (pictured with Damien), we were close, so we knew how to work through it. It was never a concern about who would take the last shot because we were both comfortable with whoever shot the ball. If one of us ‘squared up’, both of us had a good chance of the shot going in. We both had great shots, so for me, I never had a problem with him taking the last shot and he never had a problem with me taking the last shot. It was more like just make it and get the win.

Our chemistry was always natural from our playing together at the Boys Club, learning the game together and coming up together. We were cut from the same cloth. Teammates are going to argue. You’re brothers and you’re around each other all the time – the locker room, practice, school. When we were on the court it was a family and it was all about taking care of business.

AD: Of your four years, was one your favorite or did you enjoy them all together?

DF: I enjoyed all four years, but my senior year was my favorite because we won everything. We won the Yale Cup, the states and the federation. It was just a great year. There was a lot of winning and when you’re winning, everybody is happy. You’re being remembered, you’re writing your legacy and you’re winning at the same time. It was my best year, but then you hate for it to come to an end because you know it’s your last year. The years go by so fast.

AD: With your team coming in together, was Jason your closest teammate? Or were you tight with some of the other guys?

DF: LaVar Frasier and I were close, and Damaon White and I were also close. Jason and I came up in the Boys Club and didn’t live too far from each other. I was probably closest with those two guys in my senior year, but again me and LaVar Frasier were close and are still close today (seated to the right below with Jimmy Birden and Adrian Baugh). We talk all the time.

AD: Was there anything you saw during your four years that surprised you? I know one of your teammates got murdered in your freshman year, Cameron Calvin.

DF: That was huge. We’d just won the Wilson Tournament. The bus dropped us off at the school and everyone went their own way. Some parents picked up teammates, while some guys caught the bus. I just remember getting a phone call the next morning from one of my teammates saying, ‘Man did you hear about what happened to Cameron?’ I said, ‘Cameron? Last night?’ They said he got shot and murdered and I couldn’t believe it. I felt like no way.

We were just playing together and it kind of haunted me. Growing up on the eastside you hear stories, but I’ve never experienced it with someone so close to me getting murdered like that. So that was very detrimental to the team and we rallied together and around his parents, his brother and sister. And we all wore No. 41 armbands in remembrance of him. We wore the black bands and with the black socks and we tried to mimic Michigan’s “Fab Five” back in the day. Everybody was doing it. That brought us together even more and we really became family when that happened.

AD: Yes, that was right before you guys played us (laughing). Academics kept a lot of Yale Cup players from playing beyond high school. What kind of student were you when you were at Buffalo Traditional?

DF: I was a B+ student. My grades were pretty good because it was instilled in me early on what a ‘student-athlete’ is supposed to be. My parents didn’t play with my grades. I was just inspired to play the great game of basketball. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to play if my grades slipped, just knowing that alone made me work even harder in the classroom. There was no way I wasn’t going to be eligible to play the game knowing what I had to do to set records. So, I never had a problem with school. I liked going to school.

AD: When did the colleges start recruiting you?

DF: The colleges started recruiting me my sophomore year.

AD: Wow.

DF: I started getting letters every day. It was pretty much from every school and conference in the country except for Duke. Those letters started coming in like crazy. A lot of that had to do with the fact that we were so active during the summer.

AD: Well, that was also before social media. Was that before or after you guys started playing big-time AAU or was it just word of mouth?

DF: It was after the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) stuff because you must remember that we started it after my freshman year. We were in France competing with their professional teams. We beat two of their pro teams, so every summer that was the regimen, AAU basketball and we were traveling. Mickey Walker was our Head Coach out of Syracuse, and it was called the “USDBL” which stood for the “Upstate Developmental Basketball League”. That was huge. Just being at the ABCD Camp, you’re playing in front of head coaches. Everybody was going to the Nike Camp, but ABCD was where it was at. You had all the head coaches in the stands and you’re playing against hundreds of other kids. That clearly helped with all the college recruiting and the letters, just getting your name out there and competing.

Don’t get me wrong. Here you’re doing good in the city, but you’ve got to play AAU ball. And like you said there was no Facebook, none of that internet stuff. This was real stuff. You had to be who you said you were (laughing)! You had to go out and prove yourself, drop some numbers and beat somebody.

AD: You initially went to Boston College, right?

DF: Yes, I signed my letter of intent for Boston College in 1996. We had a great team in my freshman year, and we won the Big East Championship.

AD: So, you were playing under Head Coach, Jim O’Brien. I’d gotten one of the Athlon Big East preseason books that year and remember seeing your picture. You were on the team with Danya Abrams right? – Keenan Jordan and those guys. Was James ‘Scoonie’ Penn on that team too?

DF: Yes, Scoonie Penn was on that team. That was my point guard! That was my boy!

AD: What made you choose Boston College and what did you major in?

DF: I wanted to play in the Big East Conference. Dave Spiller was an assistant at the time on Coach O’ Brien’s staff. He was from Buffalo. I also met Danya Abrams at an AAU tournament. I majored in Communications.

AD: Did you stay at Boston College?

DF: I stayed at Boston College for two years and left after my second year. Jim O’ Brien left after my freshman year and went to Ohio State – he left on bad terms with the university. Danya Abrams, Keenan Jourdan and Stephen Thomas – all those guys were seniors when I was a freshman. We had a lot of seniors on that team, and Coach O’ Brien was trying to bring in some players to get it going. These guys he was trying to bring in were from Boston and were good guards and good players. They passed their SATs and everything, and the school ‘shut them down’. They basically told them that their high school curricula weren’t good enough. That was the second time they did that to O’ Brien’s recruits, so he was fed up with it. To make a long story short, he left the university and sued them. He took Scoonie Penn with him to Ohio State.

AD: Yes, I remember him leaving and Scoonie Penn transferring, but not all the legal stuff.

DF: He asked me if I wanted to go. I didn’t want to go because I played very limited minutes in my freshman year because we had so many seniors. I didn’t want to go and sit out a year. Everyone was leaving and I stayed.

Al Skinner came in from Rhode Island. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with Dr. J and all those guys. When he came in it was so late in the recruiting period. Everyone had signed their recruiting letters. He brought in about four guys who I think were going to Division II schools. There were five of us left from the previous year’s team. Antonio Granger and Dwayne Woodward were getting ready to be seniors and I was in my sophomore year. We also had Kostas Maglos who was from Greece. That five who were there was who started. It was my sophomore year and I remember we were in the Maui Invitational Tournament, because I ran into Duke’s Elton Brand in Hawaii and we talked about that game from my junior year (laughing) (see part one of this interview).

We were getting ready to match up with Arizona which was No. 1 in the country with Mike Bibby at the time. They’d just won the championship. Right before the game was going to start, Al Skinner came up to me and said, ‘Hey I’m going to start Kenny Harley in front of you this game. Just be ready to come off the bench and play!’ It was a last-minute change, so I said, ‘Wow, okay whatever.’ The game came and he never put me in the game at all (laughing). So, then everyone was wondering what was going on with me. You go from starting to not playing at all. I had no explanation and had to figure out what was going on.

From that point on it seemed like this guy just didn’t want to play me. I couldn’t understand it and I had to figure out what was going on. I figured Jim O’ Brien was suing the university and I was caught up in the mix. I was O’ Brien’s youngest recruit and the other guys were getting ready to graduate. I wasn’t Skinner’s recruit – I understand how the game goes. I realized that it was probably time for me to go. I sat down and talked to him after the season and we just weren’t getting anywhere. In terms of transferring, it was between Duquesne and Marquette, the University at Buffalo (UB) and Canisius. UB had just gone into a new conference that year.

The only reason I came home and went to UB was because I needed to get somewhere where I’d play immediately because I’d lost the time. So, I get to UB, sit out my first year and the next year I’m ready to go. I shook the rust off a little bit. I think I had 38 points against Manhattan. That was the game before the big North Carolina game. We had North Carolina at home. And then the same thing happens. There was just a whole bunch of nonsense going on behind the scenes with the team and the coach at the time, Coach Cohane.

AD: Tim Cohane, yes, I remember him.

DF: Some of the guys on the team didn’t like Cohane. He was a military guy and he kept it real. He’d let you know if he liked you or if he didn’t. I respected that about him. If you don’t want to play me, let me know so I can go someplace else. He just had that aura about him and some of the guys on the team didn’t really care for that. Believe it or not we had a talented team at UB. There were a couple of guys from New York City who came down with Coach Rock Eisenberg. He was helping Coach Cohane. Things basically went ‘left’. The players on the team said if Coach Cohane wasn’t fired before the North Carolina game, they weren’t playing. They were going to boycott that game.

AD: Wow.

DF: It was just beyond crazy to me and I didn’t know what was going on. They had an NCAA investigation going on at the time and they were investigating Coach Cohane about being in the gym. In the offseason, coaches are not allowed in the gym. They were trying to get down to the bottom of it regarding players seeing him in the gym. The NCAA sent its investigators to interrogate us. They brought us into these small rooms one by one to see if our stories matched up. I’d never seen Coach Cohane in the gym because I was too busy playing basketball. The other players’ stories didn’t go like that. They were making up stuff saying, ‘Yes, we saw him in the gym!’

There were only three of us who said we didn’t see him in the gym, and the NCAA came back and said, ‘We’re going to give you 24 hours to recant your story because it’s not lining up with the rest of the team! Basically, if you don’t change it, you could lose your scholarship!’ They said we could go to jail. They were really trying to intimidate us and extort information out of us. So, they interviewed me for a second time. I never changed my story and to make a long story short, the players boycotted the game and they ended up firing Coach Cohane before the game. They brought Reggie in right before the North Carolina game. He came in and that was a whole other story. So, I basically went through four college coaches in four years.

AD: Wow.

DF: And it hurt me a little bit.

AD: Well, yes, it hurts most players because you don’t have that continuity, and the new coach has a new way of doing things, and he’s probably going to bring in some of his own players. So, who was the last coach?

DF: Reggie Witherspoon (pictured).

AD: I have one last question about Al Skinner. Was he basically trying to ‘clean house’ and wipe the slate clean?

DF: Basically. He brought in his own players and they were nowhere near my level skill-wise. You have a certain time period where you sign with Division I schools and then you have a time period where you can sign with Division II schools. These guys signed with Division II schools and at the last minute, he brought them with him to Boston College. It was one of those things where some of the players were asking me, ‘Yo. Why are you sitting down? Why are you not playing?’ When you’ve got your teammates asking those questions, something isn’t right. So, I guess it was just a political thing.

He just didn’t want to play me. I just wasn’t his recruit. I didn’t understand it, but I had to understand how that political game was being played. Again, O’ Brien was suing the university and I was his recruit. He was at war with Boston College and I was still there. It was the same thing at UB. Cohane sued UB and the NCAA. We recently lost the lawsuit against the NCAA a few years back. My name is on affidavits and all kinds of crap. What they did to him wasn’t right. It was crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that. The NCAA is an institution and you’re not going to win against them (laughing). I think Jerry Tarkanian, “Tark the Shark” from UNLV, he had a lawsuit against them too. No one wins against them (laughing).

AD: Well, that’s interesting. I never knew all of that happened. I remember Jim O’ Brien going to Ohio State and Scoonie Penn following him to Columbus. And then they had Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd in the backcourt, but I never knew all of that happened and –.

DF: In hindsight, looking back maybe I should’ve left because it would’ve been me, Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd. I thought I was making the right decision by staying and –.

AD: Well, you also think that when you’re going to a school, you’re going to be there for the next four years playing for that particular coach for the entire time and –.

DF: Oh yeah, absolutely. That’s the reason you sign up and that’s why you’re there – because of that coaching staff. You say, ‘I’m here for four years with you guys!’. That’s not always the case. I had four different coaches in four years (laughing). That was crazy.

AD: Did you finish at UB?

DF: Yes, I finished at UB.

AD: Did your team ever come close to winning the conference tournament and making the NCAA Tournament?

DF: Not at UB. Like I said, we had a very talented team, and when that coaching change happened that was Reggie’s first run with a Division I school, so he was learning. He was learning how to maneuver and practice, and it just wasn’t there for him at that time. He couldn’t relate to players and players didn’t like him. I’d known Reggie since I was in the seventh grade.

He had an AAU team called ‘Ace’. Ryan Cochrane played on his team and I think Jason played a couple of times with his team. Reggie was a workaholic. He was going to work you, and if you didn’t have that mindset to come to work and be ready to run, you might get a little frustrated. A lot of the players didn’t know that about him, so they didn’t know what they were in for.

They got Cohane out and now they’ve got Reggie, and he’s running them like dogs – even before he introduced himself to them. They didn’t take that too well. It definitely rubbed off on the court in terms of winning. We weren’t on the same page, so we won some games, but no tournaments. When I was at Boston College in the NCAA Tournament, we went out to Utah and lost in the second round. We also went to the Big East Championship in my freshman year – I’ve got a championship ring from that. But Reggie literally went from coaching at ECC to coaching us at UB in the North Carolina game.

AD: Wow.

DF: And we were beating North Carolina. We were winning in the first half.

AD: Who was on that team?

DF: In addition to me, we had Lou Campbell, Theory Harris, Davis Lawrence, Maliso Libomi, who was from France and we had Nikolai Alexeev and Alexei Vasiliev (our point guard) who were from Russia. We had a talented team. We could’ve beaten North Carolina. Reggie decided to play everybody on the bench down to the last man. The rotation just wasn’t there. Again, you’re not coaching at ECC anymore, you’re coaching at a Division I school. I was blown away by some of the stuff that I saw, but it was a learning experience. If you let it some of it would deter you.

AD: Was that one of Antawn Jamison’s North Carolina teams? Or was that one of Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood’s team?

DF: We played against Joseph Forte in my senior year. We played them twice.

AD: Was it Ed Cota’s senior season?

DF: Yes, it was Ed Cota’s North Carolina team.

AD: What did you do after college? Did you play any professional basketball like Jason or Tim Winn?

DF: I had a tryout with Cleveland. They told me to come up for free agency camp. I came up. They took too many players in the draft, so they cancelled the camp (laughing). I also got an offer from Israel. I want to say that Trevor Ruffin was over there playing at the time. I got with an agent and signed, and it was just bad over there at the time with the wars and the fighting over the land. I want to say that Trevor was on his way back – I think he was literally at the embassy. I just didn’t feel like the money was worth it – what I was signing for at the time, so I didn’t go over to Israel and I started doing real estate from there.

AD: Damien, it sounds like you guys were relentless with your development. For any youngster who wants to play basketball, what would you tell them?

DF: The game has evolved so much since I played. These guys have got all the tools available to them – a lot of stuff. They have online tutorials, videos – when I was –.

AD: They have trainers like Jason (Rowe).

DF: Yes, they’ve got personal trainers and they’ve got a lot of stuff that’s available to them. My advice to the youth is to just develop a good work habit. Develop great work habits all season and away from the court. Work on your game every day and you’ve just got to push yourself. You’ve got to practice and play when nobody else is. That’s just how it goes. I believe in the old-fashioned road work, so you get up in the morning at 5 am. At 6 am you’re running while the air is thin – you get your laps in. You’re putting up 500 shots a day. At the Boys Club, we would shoot at least 500 a day. You just have to work and build your confidence. Confidence is the key! Basketball is about confidence! Just be relentless and make up your mind about your goals. Set goals and if you work to achieve your goals daily, you’ll be fine. You’ll be good!

AD: You and Jason made it beyond Buffalo Traditional and the Yale Cup. There were a lot of players who didn’t make it though. In terms of facilities and budget, the Yale Cup underfunded and a lot of players didn’t make it to the next level. Do you have any thoughts on the old Yale Cup? You guys won most of the time (laughing), but do you have any thoughts looking back on how the league could’ve been better?

DF: Well, my understanding back in the day is that the Yale Cup didn’t even have the three-point line (laughing). Curtis Aiken (of Bennett) and those guys played when there was no three-point line. You play in some of the gyms in some of these schools and it was like you were playing in a bowling alley –.

AD: Like South Park or Performing Arts (laughing).

DF: With a track above it – yes, South Park. Today it has changed a little bit from that, but the city schools could always use a boost. I hate the fact that they shut Buffalo Traditional down – that’s a whole other thing.

AD: Yes, it’s now Performing Arts.

DF: They’re redoing the gyms in some of the schools. It’s good because our kids need that. They need to have the best stuff. You walk into the suburban schools and they had the best of the best.

AD: Yes, those schools had three large gyms. They had ‘Modified’ teams and Junior Varsity teams at every school, state of the art weight rooms, a track out back. And that’s a testament to how good you guys were to have accomplished what you accomplished without all those things.

DF: Yes, I think it was just coming from where we came from, our backgrounds and just wanting it. We wanted it! I know I did, and I wanted it bad. Just growing up in a single parent home, you want so much for your Mom. It was one of those things where I felt like I was going to do everything. I was going to be the man of the house. I’m going to do everything for my Mom! You deal with what you deal with. You try to make the best out of it, and you try to make it work for you. A lot of our games were played at ECC because of the schools we were going into. Our gym at Buffalo Traditional didn’t have the corner line, and everybody was coming to our games, so they had to be at ECC. You just must push through.

AD: And when those game were at ECC, did they push them to the nighttime?

DF: Yes, they were night games.

AD: That makes a big difference, because most of our games in the Yale Cup were right after school. So, you didn’t have a lot of time to get your head right. In the private and suburban schools, their games were at nighttime. Okay, last question. What did playing at Traditional and in college teach you about life and success?

DF: Ah, man, it’s the perfect parody to life. It teaches you discipline. For me, it taught me that in all your endeavors in life, you must know how to deal with them. You’re going to have to deal with problems in life and just being an athlete, it makes you see things differently. I’ll put it that way. You know how to deal with certain things when life gets hard. Life starts being overbearing or overplaying you, so you sort of have to go ‘back door’. It’s the same thing on the court. Especially playing in Buffalo. I think playing in Buffalo alone prepares you for the world. If you’re lucky enough to be able to grow up in the city of Buffalo –.

AD: Really? I’ve never heard that before (laughing). What do you mean by that?

DF: I think Buffalo gives you the tools to go out into the real world and compete.

AD: Interesting!

DF: You know, it’s just the grime and grit here. Whether it’s the snow, it’s Buffalo. If you can make it here and make a name for yourself, I think you’ll go out in the world and you’re ready! I truly honestly believe that. Buffalo prepares you for everything in the world and you’ll definitely know how to go out and handle yourself. You have no choice. You almost have no choice growing up here. I’m speaking about growing up in the city.

AD: Well, Damien. That’s pretty much all I’ve got. I think I asked Jason this as well, but once you guys got to a certain point, did you focus solely on basketball? No football or other sports?

DF: I was never a two-sport athlete. We talked about football because we played pole to pole. But we talked about it and we didn’t want to get hurt. The basketball season was after football season and we didn’t want to mess that up trying to play football, so that was never my thing. I got asked to play football when I was at Boston College. Matt Hasselback was the quarterback at Boston College at the time and –.

AD: Oh really?

DF: He needed some wide receivers, so he said, ‘Just come out for the team! I need a receiver! You’re tall! You’re fast!’ I’m looking at him and saying, ‘Are you crazy? You want me to play Division I Football?’ If you’re going to do that, you’re going to have to do it from little league (laughing).

AD: That’s right.

DF: That never was my thing. I told Matt that they would tear my little skinny butt up (laughing)! That was interesting. He asked me, but nah, I couldn’t do that.

AD: You said something about being one of the top 50 players in the country, but not ‘All-Western New York’ your junior year. Is that true?

DF: I got an invitation to the ABCD Camp in my junior year. They wrote up an article in the paper saying that I was one of the top 50 juniors in the country (see the caption above). The ABCD Camp was for the top 100 players in the country! I’ve got the letter which Coach Cardinal signed. I’ve still got it in my scrapbook. So, it’s like my junior year I went to ABCD Camp, I was killing the Yale Cup and the numbers were there. I didn’t make the All-Western New York First Team (see picture below). I couldn’t believe it and I said, ‘Wait a minute!’

The rumor was that they couldn’t have an all-black All-Western New York First Team. They weren’t ready for that, so they had to have some white faces on the team. I just didn’t see myself not making the All-Western New York First Team my junior year. I made it in my senior season. But how are you top 50 in the country where you get invited to play with Kobe Bryant and all these guys and you don’t even make the All-Western New York First Team?

AD: Yes, that doesn’t make any sense.

DF: Because if you look at the team my senior year, it’s all-black (laughing). I get it. I totally get though. It’s Buffalo!

AD: What are you doing now?

DF: I’m in real estate on the investment side and I’ve been doing it for the last 12-13 years.

AD: Are you ‘holding’ them or are you flipping them?

DF: I pretty much buy and rent them. I’ll sell if needed, but I’ll buy and rent for the long-term. I sold one last year. I got lucky. I bought when the recession hit so I was able to stack them then. I’m glad that I did because now the Buffalo market is through the roof. My older brother was doing it when I was in high school, so I learned from him and from my other brother in Detroit. That was one of the other reasons I didn’t pursue playing basketball overseas as much. My goal was to get to the NBA. You can make a living playing overseas, but the first house I got paid off for me, so I did that.

To me there’s a fine line in any sport in terms how long you play, and a lot of athletes get caught up chasing it for the rest of their lives. And each athlete is different. It works for some and doesn’t work for others. I didn’t want to be that guy who was chasing it, chasing it, and chasing it and then would have to look around and try to be a regular civilian (laughing). Who is going to hire you at 30 or 40 you know? I saw lots of athletes get caught up that way, and I just never wanted to be that guy. The decision was easy for me, so I just did real estate.

AD: Well, I’ll you what Damien. I’m going to transcribe this, but money is something I’m also passionate about. I write about it and I record videos about in on my YouTube channel, Big Discussions76, so if you would like to come on at some point, I’m sure that a lot of the Buffalo folks around the country would be interested in it. And I think it’s something that our people need to get more involved in, the investing side.

DF: Yes, we need more black ownership. Especially in Buffalo.

AD: Well, Damien, thank you again, and I really appreciate your willingness to talk about your life and playing days. Whether you know it or not, you are royalty, at least as far as I’m concerned. What you guys did at Buffalo Traditional was big and in your successes you touched a lot of lives – not just at Buffalo Traditional, but also for the rest of us at the other schools – seeing that those types of things could be done and giving everyone else something to shoot for. It was something for the entire area to be proud of – to say that you were there, and that you played against Damien Foster and Jason Rowe, and the Buffalo Traditional Bulls.

DF: No problem.

The Big Words LLC Newsletter

For the next phase of my writing journey, I’m starting a monthly newsletter for my writing and video content creation company, the Big Words LLC. In it, I plan to share inspirational words, pieces from this blog and my first blog, and select videos from my four YouTube channels. Finally, I will share updates for my book project The Engineers: A Western New York Basketball Story. Your personal information and privacy will be protected. Click this link and register using the sign-up button at the bottom of the announcement. If there is some issue signing up using the link provided, you can also email me at bwllcnl@gmail.com . Best Regards.

Use the Lockdown to Help Expand Your Knowledge, and to Learn and Improve

Three focuses of my blog are Current Events, General Education and Professional Skills/Development. Sometimes there are blessings in disguise. While the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic/Crisis has forced a nationwide lockdown, it has inadvertently created spare time for vast numbers of people. If the time is used wisely to learn new things for example, you can come out of this crisis better off on the other side. The following contributed post is entitled, Use the Lockdown to Help Expand Your Knowledge, and to Learn and Improve.

* * *

During the lockdown, many people are finding themselves off work for the foreseeable future. Now, this can be tough, but it is also a great opportunity to be able to learn more and improve your knowledge and skill set. This is something you are going to need to get right as much as you can, so try to make the most of this moving forward, and come up with ideas that are going to help you in this regard.

You have plenty of free time here, and it is important to make sure you use it as best you can. There are a lot of options you need to consider here, and it makes sense to use this time wisely to work on improving what you know and trying to learn more in the process. So, here are some of the ideas and tips you can use to help you expand your knowledge and improve your life in the process right now.

Picture

Learn a Language

There are a lot of things you can do to help pass the time during this lockdown, and this is something to think about. Learning a new language can do a lot to help you improve your brain power, increase your skills, and give you fresh cultural experiences. There are so many things you can use online, just like this tutorial on how to learn German, to help you learn a new language, and this would be a great way of passing the time during the lockdown process. Make sure you focus on doing as much as possible to learn a new language wholly and enjoy the benefits this can bring.

Find Out New Things

Make sure you do as much as possible to try to find out new things and use the internet as the ultimate resource for this. There is so much information out there, and no matter how obscure it might be, this is a great way of learning about the world and finding out new things. Whether you’re wanting to know about the trend in the lattice energies, or you’re thinking of learning about history once again, there are so many opportunities.

Master Something

It has often been claimed that it takes around 10,000 hours to master something, and this is a good challenge for you. Of course, nobody is expecting you to complete a full 10,000 hours of practice at something right away. However, this is something that you need can certainly make some headway into during the lockdown process. There are a lot of things to think about here, and choosing what you are going to attempt to master is something that deserves some thought and consideration. And you might like to uncover the benefits of using articulated speech as much as possible.

Read More

Reading is something we never seem to do enough of, and this is the perfect opportunity to be able to read more and expand your knowledge in the process. Whether it’s in paperback, hardback, or digital form, the lockdown has certainly freed up enough time to read more and discover new worlds and adventures as a result.

As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your knowledge and boost your skills during the lockdown process. This is something you are going to have to make the most of right now, and it is something you should certainly consider. There are a lot of elements that you are going to need to keep in mind here, and learning and improving can certainly enrich your life in the process.

How To Improve Your Career Prospects

Three focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, General Education and Professional Development/Skills. From the time we start our education to the time we retire, we’re always thinking about our improving our career prospects. Some of this involves formal education while other parts involve the cultivation of things like soft skills and then mentoring as well. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Improve Your Career Prospects.

* * *

There can so easily come a point in which you no longer feel comfortable with the employment that you are able to gain, whether this be down to the lack of responsibility or a low level of challenge that you are currently offered. Luckily, improving your job prospects needn’t be as difficult as you might think, as there are several different simple steps that you can follow which will help you to meet your employment goals in no time at all. So, if you want to find out more, then read on to uncover some of the best top tips and tricks that you can make the most of today!

Image Source – Pexels

Head Back To School

One of the best things that you can do to improve your career is to head back to school to gain some extra qualifications. Doing something like this shows that you are committed to improving yourself, as well as increasing your skills and experience at the same time. There are so many different courses on offer which can fit around every lifestyle, from those which are full time on campus to those which are wholly online offering far more flexibility. Finding the right course for you can allow you to succeed in your quests, as it’s important that you can meet your goals and utilise the opportunity to advance your career. Making the most of your course is simple – ensure that you invest in all of the right equipment and resources such as GMAT prep books and a high quality laptop, and always try to commit yourself wholeheartedly to each project that you complete. The higher the grade you achieve, the higher your chances of gaining a much better job.

Present Yourself Properly

It’s absolutely vital that you are able to present yourself properly whenever you head out to a meeting, interview, or conference, as the first impression that you give off is often the most important contributing factor during any professional event. If you arrive to an interview wearing casual clothes (jeans, untucked shirts, even creased or dirty clothing) you are telling your potential employer that you simply are not taking the experience seriously; whereas making an effort to invest in professional clothing such as a suit with a tie will show that you have put thought into your outfit to give off the best impression. Body language is also a very essential feature, as even the smartest clothing will not cover up a negative aura. You must be confident and hold your head high, rather than slump down and hide yourself – self assurance is a key attribute for those of you who are searching for advanced managerial roles with more responsibility.

Improving your career prospects has never been so simple when you are able to make the most of the top tips and tricks detailed above! Start off by researching some extra qualifications that can fit around your current schedule, and always remember to make an effort to present yourself in a professional and confident manner.

Here are some of the Top Signs that it is Time for a Career Change

Two of the of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. When launching a career, there are instances where we burn out and seek a change of some sort. Many people don’t know how to adjust once that time comes. The following contributed post is entitled, Here are some of the Top Signs that it is Time for a Career Change.

* * *

It’s not always easy to find a new job to say the least, but the whole concept can become even more challenging when you actually want to change the career path you are on. If you aren’t sure if you need to change your career or not, then here are some tips that will help you out.

Body Breakdown

If you feel drained and tired at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day then this would indicate that it is time for you to make a change. You may feel as though all you want to do in the evenings is flop, and that you dread the day ahead. Another sign is if you feel as though you are getting sick more often and that you feel cold all the time. The physical signs of not being happy really are obvious when you know what to look for.

Busy Brain

Everyone gets Sunday blues from time to time, but if you feel as though the whole cycle is just never-ending then this would indicate that now is the time for you to make a change. You may find that your thoughts are exhausting you and that you always wake up in the middle of the night and dread looking at your alarm clock. Believe it or not, this isn’t normal and it is a sign that something needs to change. If you don’t act soon enough then you may find that things only get worse and this is the last thing that you need.

Source: Pexels (CC0 License)

Your Confidence is Suffering

You may even start to wonder if the problem is you. If you feel as though you don’t fit into your place of work then you may feel awkward and even uncomfortable at times. It may even get to the point where you don’t feel as though you are doing as good a job as you could be doing, and over time, this will wear you down. If this sounds like you then you need to make a change, and fast. If you don’t then you may find that things get even worse over time and that you also struggle in the long-term.

Money Issues

You may tell yourself time and time again that if it wasn’t for the money, you would have left by now. Sure, the paycheck might pay the bills and you might even have responsibilities too, but at the end of the day, you also need to make sure that you are concentrating on your own happiness. If you don’t then you may find that you end up being miserable for most of your life. You have to remember that if you do make the decision to go for a new career, you might end up with even more money as a result, so it’s worth exploring your options right now. You don’t even need to tell your boss that you are thinking about leaving either, so just look around and see what is available to you. You can even train for another role if you want. Click here if you want to try and get into a trade.

Don’t Self-Medicate

Self-medicating can include buying more than you need, buying an extra round at the bar or even watching an extra episode of a TV show. It’s a way of making yourself feel better when you just don’t feel like dealing with whatever lies ahead. This is a normal way of dealing with things sometimes, but if you find yourself doing it far more often than you should then this can really be bad for your health. If you want to stop this from happening, then you need to deal with the situation at its source. You need to make sure that you stop finding ways around it and that you also really take the time to find out what is making you so unhappy. If it is your job, then you know what to do.

You Don’t Like to Talk about your Career

Whenever you go to a party, you may dread the question “what do you do?”. This shouldn’t be the case. You should be proud of what you do and you should also be happy to talk about it with other people as well. If you don’t feel as though this is the case, then now would be the time for you to try and make a change if you can. If you do, then you will soon have the confidence you need to feel happier about yourself in general.

Four Questions To Ask Before Changing Your Career

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. Many people get to a point where they want to change their career path. It’s a life altering decision with long-term ramifications that must be well thought out. The following contributed post is entitled, Four Questions To Ask Before Changing Your Career.

* * *

Are you thinking about changing your career path and perhaps pursuing a new role in a completely different sector? Well, then these are the questions that you need to keep in mind. It will help ensure you make the right decision.

Pexels Source CCO License

Should You Go Out On Your Own?

You might want to start by thinking about whether it’s time to cut ties with the job market completely. Instead, you can decide to go out on your own. If you do this – and it’s a big if – then there are benefits. Suddenly, you gain access to any and all your profits. You also don’t need to worry about someone constantly breathing down your neck. It’s an attractive option. However, you need to make sure that you are prepared for the risks. Don’t forget that most new businesses fail and the self-employed are looking at what could be a very risky future economy.

Are You More Stable Sticking With Your Current Position?

You might also want to think about whether it’s better to stand by your current position, whatever that may be. You should look at the economy and the job market right now. Perhaps your current sector or industry is stable. Better yet, it could be growing. If this is the case, then there is absolutely no point in switching gears right now. You have to think about your long term finances when you make a decision like this.

Is there Opportunities Available On The Market

It’s worth looking at the current options on the market. Are there sectors that are wide open? The easiest way to research this is to use a site like jobminister.ca. A tool like this provides you with an easy way to find out if employers are hiring in a particular industry or sector. There might be a talent crisis here and that’s always going to be great news. Or, at least it will be if you are in the right position to swoop in and claim one of the jobs that are currently up for grabs.

Do You Need To Learn New Skills?

That’s why the final question to consider is whether you are already in a situation where you are instantly hirable in a new sector or industry. It’s possible that you’re not and instead, you will need to think about signing up to learn the necessary skills and gain some additional knowledge. Luckily, you can do this online and you’ll be able to take a course in your spare time while you are completing your current job. So, you don’t have to worry about a window where you are learning new skills but not making any money. You can learn more about this possibility on studyonline.ca.

We hope this helps you determine whether switching careers right now is the correct move for you. Don’t forget, no one knows how hard the coronavirus is going to hit the economy. Regardless of whether the lockdowns and quarantines are lifted early or later on in the year, it could be a dicey road for the foreseeable future. So don’t make any rash decisions.

How To Come Back From A Forced Change In Career

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. As some point, there are inevitable changes in our careers. Many workers are not prepared for changes, though they must figure out how to move forward. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Come Back From A Forced Change In Career.

* * *

There are times where we suddenly take a change of course in our career for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s a decision that we make, and sometimes it isn’t. When that change of career is forced upon us, due to a lack of demand for your current role, redundancy, a drop in sales, or something bigger, there are things you can do to help ease into the transition, from one career to another. Here are some ideas from people who have been there before, and ways in which you can prevent the changes impacting you significantly.

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

Try something you enjoy
There may be a franchise out there for you, that you have always wanted to try, having a look at the Franchise Direct, might find the right one that you’ve always been looking for, or there may be a hobby that you currently have that you can turn into a career. There are many big business owners, who will tell you that doing what you enjoy will help you in your success. There is some psychology behind this because we always work harder when we want to, and if we are doing something that we enjoy doing, then we will, of course, want to. But finding out what this does take time, so if you aren’t lucky enough to have time to change your mind, then thinking back about all the roles that you have taken in the past, and which ones you enjoyed the most, may point you in the right direction.

Back to basics
Going back to basics, whether that is starting a course on a new subject, going back to school, or rebooting your existing business, there is a world of opportunity At your feet, and there is plenty that you are able to do in the opportunities you have been given. Going back to basics can actually mean many things, but if there is something that you’ve always wanted to learn, it may be a great opportunity to try now. Taking your time and really discovering what the intentions of your learning is, and making sure that you do your best along the way, will have you coming out the other end feeling great about it. And learning a new skill can boost your career in ways you may never have imagined before.

Stay calm
If you’re changing career isn’t necessarily your choice, then it may be a bit of a shock to your system, and might be a stressful time for you. But nobody is productive whilst they are panicking, so making sure that you have a plan, are keen to ensure that you fix the problems ahead, and do your very best, then there’s no point worrying about anything else. A calm mind is a productive mind, and you will find yourself in a much better position if you look after your mental health through this time.

So even though change isn’t always easy, it can be as good as a rest and may bring opportunities that you could not have imagined before. So taking care that you calmly look at your options, and make the right decisions for you is important.

6 Top Tips For Staying Focused Whilst Studying

A key focus of my blog is General Education. A key to academic success is the ability to study. Some people have problems studying and focusing, particularly in ascending levels of education. The following contributed post is entitled, 6 Top Tips For Staying Focused Whilst Studying.

* * *

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

One of the hardest things about university is knowing how to stay focused while you’re studying. Whether you’re studying for your undergraduate degree or your Master’s you need to be sure you’re staying as focused as you possibly can at all times. Whilst it may be overwhelming at first, there are lots of tips and tricks you can pick up to ensure you’re doing exactly that. From setting yourself mini-deadlines to working in a quiet area, you may be surprised at what you can do to improve your focus. With that in mind, here are 6 top tips for staying focused whilst studying:

– Set Yourself Mini-Deadlines

One of the best ways to ensure you’re staying focused is to set yourself mini-deadlines, as this will give you something to work towards. Whether that means writing a certain amount of words a day or having a certain section of your textbook memorised before a specific date, you need to ensure you’re setting yourself timeframes. If you don’t have these time frames in mind, chances are you’re going to end up doing everything last minute. For a guide to setting yourself personal deadlines, you can visit this site here.

– Work In A Quiet Area

If you struggle to work in crowded areas that are noisy, you may want to think about finding somewhere quiet to go instead. Whether that means sitting in your dorm room or going to the quiet area in the library, it’s important you’re finding an environment you’re comfortable working in.

– Avoid All Distractions

Another great way to ensure you’re staying focused is to avoid as many distractions as you can. Although it can be difficult to avoid everything, you need to try your hardest to say no. From saying no to going out on an evening where you have to study to switching the TV off when you can’t concentrate, distractions are something that should never be welcome For tips and tricks when it comes to avoiding distractions, you can visit this site here.

– Find Out How You Work Best

No matter what subject you’re studying, you need to be sure you’re finding the way in which you work best. Whether you’re studying for a Masters Degree in health administration or an Undergraduate Degree in marketing, finding the way in which you prefer to work will be incredibly beneficial.

– Try Not To Study Too Much

Although this may seem counterproductive, you need to ensure you’re not studying too much. Taking breaks is essential to your health.

– Use Common Productivity Methods

Finally, you may want to consider using productivity methods. From taking a break every 20 minutes to working for an hour at a time, you can try as many as you want until you find the one for you.

Are you looking for some tips and tricks to help you stay focussed whilst you’re studying? What can you do to ensure you’re staying on top of your studies? Did we miss anything? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

Picking Up New Skills for Better Personal and Professional Development

Two key focuses of my blog are General Education and Professional Development/Skills. No matter what your professional training is in, you can never have too many skills. Likewise, you never know where certain skill sets are going to translate for the betterment of your life. The following contributed post is entitled, Picking Up New Skills for Better Personal and Professional Development.

* * *

https://unsplash.com/photos/cYUMaCqMvl

No one should ever stop learning if they want to reach their potential. Learning anything offers a variety of opportunities no matter who you are, and it gives you the chance to explore new ideas and experiences that others – especially those who gave up on learning – could never imagine.

But, there is so much to learn that it’s challenging to decide what to focus on. There are a variety of options to choose from. You can try something creative, you can learn to follow and expect current trends, or you can consider improving on what you are already proficient at. Regardless of what type of learning you indulge in, you can feel confident that it will open a world of opportunity for you.

Do Something Creative

Creativity is something that too many people believe you are just born with. However, anyone who works in the creative industry, or indeed likes to spend their free time flexing their imagination, will tell you that what it really takes is hard work.

Learning to do something creative, whether it’s learning how to draw or paint or mastering the Piano in 21 Days, among a wide range of other adventures, will be a welcome change from the daily monotony of work.

Giving your mind a break from the serious is excellent for your mental health. Furthermore, with enough practice, you may even find yourself with a useful side hustle to take advantage of in retirement.

Predict Trends

Being able to predict trends will allow you to stay ahead of the pack in the business. By anticipating the next big thing, just like the social media giants did with Facebook and the like, you could find yourself pioneering your industry and taking strides that competitors could never dream of.

There will be times where you get ideas and predictions wrong, but you were never supposed to be some Nostradamus-esque magician.

You can use your knowledge of the industry and its history to consider what might come next, and if you put enough work into it, there is plenty of success waiting for you.

Improve On What You Are Already Good At

While it’s useful to learn a new skill, there’s also plenty of benefits from perfecting what you already know. This can apply to anybody, whether you are a snowboarder or a salesperson. There is always more for you to do and learn.

Becoming the leader in your business will set you apart from those who became satisfied with their current skill level. However, if you become comfortable, you also risk becoming complacent.

Continuously striving to be better than one person: yourself is sure to give you a challenge every day, meaning you’ll never get bored and always have someone to compare yourself to.

Thinking of Your Future

It’s vital to think of your future no matter what you do. By opening up your skillset, you give yourself even more potential to succeed in whatever you do. All skills take a lot of hard work and dedication, but if you care about discovering better personal and professional development, you understand that it is worth it.