TEAMWORK DAY

We've added a new activity to our Teamwork Day. During the day, while we' re hiking uphill to an inspirational vista, we talk about our passions. then we dream about what career we can have that will allow room for our passions. At the very top of the hill, after thinking about careers and what we want to do with our lives, I ask the class to complete this sentence, "In five years, I am ...." The point of the exercise is to get women thinking about long-term goals and realistic career plans. By saying what they want out loud, they are also enlisting the support of their classmates and Women In Action staff and volunteers in helping them reach those goals.

Here are some of the responses:

• A CPA with my own office
• The director of a homeless services program
• A clothing designer
• A paralegal at a large law firm
• A medical records specialist
• The owner of an automobile garage, specializing in detailed cars
• An office manager so I still have time to spend with my kids

I love doing this exercise because the women are so bold and creative in what they want to do with their lives. At the same time, they are realistic, based on what they like to do and what they do well. I really believe that with support, they can attain the professions they've proclaimed.