Propel X MDYHS Club Fair
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROPEL, MDYHS LAUNCHED PROPEL YOUR POTENTIAL, A SCHOOL-WIDE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THEIR STRENGTHS, THINK INTENTIONALLY ABOUT THE SKILLS THEY ARE BUILDING, AND EXPLORE HOW THOSE SKILLS CAN SHAPE THEIR FUTURES.
Rabbi Eli Mansour opened the program with meaningful words about the importance of pursuing a career, taking responsibility for providing for oneself and one’s family, and finding fulfillment in work that you genuinely love.
Thoughtfully moderated by Melanie Kule, the panel brought together four professionals representing very different career paths. Robyn Esses is Director of Marketing at L’Oréal, Abie Sarway of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Joey Cohen of AmTrust Finance & Investment Banking, and Margo Rusinowitz is an OT and co-founder of NY Therapy and Wellness.
Rather than simply hearing about what each panelist does, students gained insight into how they got there. Panelists walked them through real projects and client experiences, reflected on the choices and opportunities that shaped them during high school, and discussed the skills they rely on every day, from teamwork and communication to perseverance and networking.
From there, students headed directly into the MDYHS Club Fair, where the message of the morning took on immediate relevance. Instead of choosing clubs based solely on what sounded fun, students were encouraged to ask themselves, “What interests me? What am I good at? What do I want to get better at?” Every club, activity, leadership role, and experience presents an opportunity to discover and develop a skill.
For our juniors and seniors, the conversation went one step further, connecting the classes they take, activities they choose, and skills they develop to college decisions and potential careers. For seniors in particular, Propel Your Potential serves as an important starting point as they begin preparing for the NEXT Senior Internship Program this May.
NEXT will give seniors the opportunity to spend several weeks immersed in a real professional environment, not simply observing, but learning, contributing, building relationships, and experiencing a potential career path firsthand. As we begin the placement process, students will be challenged to consider many of the same questions raised by the panel. What are my strengths? What do I enjoy? What skills do I want to develop? What industry am I curious to experience for myself? From the clubs they join today to the workplaces they will enter this spring, we want our students to recognize that the experiences they choose now are helping them discover who they are, what they can contribute, and where they might go next.
A special thank you to PROPEL, including Mrs. Gayle Krost, Mrs. Carroll Dweck, and Mrs. Viviane Darwish for the thought and care that went into creating a program that encouraged our students to recognize their strengths, make intentional choices, and begin connecting the skills they develop today to future opportunities. We truly value our partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to inspire and empower our students.
