Prince George’s County Peer Leaders brought their forward thinking to Deloitte’s Impact Day where they prepared for the future ahead alongside Deloitte volunteers.   

On May 29th, 50 students and Peer Leaders from the Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC visited the Deloitte Rossyln office for a unique personal development session. Their focus? Personal branding, which helps students better understand how to advocate for themselves, position their strengths, and build confidence. “I appreciated the Personal Brand part of the event. It helped me to think about who I am and how I can tell that to others in an appealing way,” shared Peer Leader Kaitlyn Gyebi. 

After learning about the power of a personal brand, students got to learn from multiple Deloitte executives about their education and career journeys, offering advice along the way. “The most valuable part of today’s event was learning about how the panelists/consultants navigated their journey to college,” shared one student in attendance. “They didn’t all come from pristine, undisturbed backgrounds, which comforts me in my hunt for a fulfilling career after college.” The students were hanging onto every word. Questions flowed right up until the students had to depart to return to school for dismissal. 

On June 5th, Deloitte celebrated their annual day of service: Impact Day. On Impact Day, Deloitte employees show their dedication to making an impact that matters in their communities by engaging in volunteer opportunities with nonprofits. PeerForward is grateful to be among the nonprofits included!  

This year, Deloitte’s Impact Day in partnership with PeerForward took place at Suitland High School in Maryland where 115 rising seniors, including Peer Leaders, were joined by Deloitte employees and PeerForward Coaches. Things kicked off with a few icebreakers amongst all attendees, bringing up the energy and setting the tone for the rest of the day.  

The first session was Financial Literacy 101, facilitated by one of the Deloitte Academy representatives. This session helps students learn the importance of accurately assessing their income and budgeting accordingly. “Seeing these students walk through each of these steps was really rewarding,” shared one Deloitte volunteer. “By the end of it, I felt like they had a better understanding of how far a certain income can go and also what kind of give and take there is when it comes to budgeting.” 

Next up was Build Your Own College; a collaborative activity that helps students discover their personal wants and needs in a post-secondary institution while also exploring how the application process works. During this exercise, students are tasked with imagining and creating their dream school. This includes picking a name, mascot, location, and majors offered, amongst other criteria. After crafting their ideal college and creating an infographic with the information, a group share-out ensued in which students had the opportunity to assess what they value in a school compared to their peers. 

Once lunch time came around, it was time for speed networking with the Deloitte representatives. This time allowed the students to speak with the volunteers as they discussed college life, choosing majors, budgeting, and life after college.  

As Impact Day came to a close, the students said their final farewells before returning to class. Thanks to the dedication and support of the Deloitte volunteers, our Peer Leaders were able to enjoy a fun and informative experience they will not soon forget.  

Thank you, Deloitte, for inviting our students to a personal development session and for choosing to spend your Impact Day with PeerForward! We appreciate your dedication to uplifting our Peer Leaders!