Around three years ago, I applied to be part of REEO's initial Rising Stars, and so begins my story.

I remember the first REEO meeting. To be honest, I was quite skeptical of what I could gain from REEO, but I did not let this stop me from attending the meeting and learning more about the program. The night, despite my initial thoughts, quickly unfolded to be a dramatic surprise. My attention was captured and I was intrigued by the vision that the program proposed. Although unknowingly at the time, a climatic change was going to challenge and bring about a better future for me - professionally, academically, and personally. To the best of my memory, that night inspired me and sparked a flame that I can only attribute to the fellow ambitious students and the contagious and uplifting aura that Scott, Ann, and Harvey created.

Indeed, REEO taught me incredible lessons and strategies to exemplify my best in my academia and professional encounters. From the critical networking and interview sessions with Tehniya and T from KPMG to the indispensible and constructive personal statement sessions with Bangaly, I gained an exponential wealth of knowledge that I continue to share with my peers who were not part of the program. During fall recruitment and my job search after college, I was able to utilize the plethora of skills that REEO instilled in me. Given this insight and knowledge, I received many compliments on my interview etiquette and how I conveyed myself professionally and personably. Indeed, the network that I maintained through REEO demonstrated to be immensely essential as one of my fellow rising stars, Velma Coronado, proved to be one of my best references. My current employer actually called her to ask about me, and it looks like she sold me well.

One distinct memory I have from REEO was during the end of the program where Ann & Harvey spoke to us about always keeping our hearts close. If my cohort can remember, the moral of the story of the alien-being who made remarks about human kind is that we must let compassion rule, let our actions be genuine, and always lend a hand and give back.

To this day, I have to thank REEO for instilling greater confidence in me and the life-long camaraderie that I have gained. Today, I am a graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a recent addition to Red Bull North America's expanding Human Resources team.

The opportunity to participate in this program has been once in a lifetime. REEO has really opened my eyes to a world I was not properly exposed to. The tools and lessons I have acquired through this esteemed program have taught me everything I could not learn in a classroom and I am so incredibly grateful that I was chosen to be a part of it. I have found usefulness in even the smallest of tips from our REEO staff and mentors. In our opening meeting, Mr. Scott Stimpfel introduced the concept of the “T-Zone.” He explained that something so simple as sitting in the front row or down the middle column makes you stand out from the rest of your classmates. Now, in every one of my classes I sit front and center and to know surprise, I have received great results.

In our highly competitive journey to transfer to a 4-year university, we all seek an edge over fellow applicants. REEO is more than just an extra curricular activity to put on an application. REEO is the gift that keeps on giving, with continuous opportunities to offer. Never have I witnessed a program that teaches students so many important life lessons. From resume writing, to interviewing skills, to networking, REEO has truly acted as catalyst to my overall development as a student and as a future businesswoman. This program gives us the tools we need to face the world and the confidence we need to conquer it.

I moved on to Pasadena City College, and fortunately I got selected into the REEO Rising Stars Program. Being in a community college, I did not have access to opportunities relating to my major. Company recruiters would rarely come onto PCC campus and conduct interviews with the students. Not that I am unconfident in myself, but that is the reality. Thanks to REEO, they helped bring big corporations into community colleges and gave me a chance to talk to the corporations directly and brought me much closer towards my goals.

REEO Rising Stars experience made me realized my strengths and weaknesses. REEO also prepared me not only educationally for the university I will transfer to, but also professionally for the career I will take on in the near future. I am a first generation immigrant; when we first came here, my family does not speak a word of English. Therefore they could not help me at all on my university application process, on how to write my resume, or how to prepare for an interview. So to me, REEO is like another family that supports me educationally and professionally. The mentors from USC provided me the help that I could not have received from any of my family members nor friends. The board members of REEO taught me valuable life lessons that I could never learn from any classroom.

I always believed that chances are for those who come prepared. I didn’t consider myself ready for the professional world. However, after all that REEO have taught me, I know that I am ready now, because they have prepared me well.

The greatest part about REEO is that it brings students from different cultures together to form a family of their own. I now have friends that I can call late at night if I have a doubt regarding my resume, internship, or college. I learned how to shake hands, proper conversation topics, and the importance of having a business card. I have gained so much from REEO that words can’t fully express my gratitude.

Firstly, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all your advice you've given me through REEO. Kobe Bryant's publicist, Catherine Sebring, stressed today how little things like business cards mattered when you want to get to the next level. Surprisingly, I was the only one in the room out of 15-20 people that had a business card and I was so happy that I was able to give it to her while other students were jotting their information down on a piece of notebook paper. She told me that she was so impressed that I had one and to definitely keep in touch with her. It's situations like these when you know you're headed in the right direction. It truly felt so great to impress someone of her caliber, a top individual in the industry who has so many connections! I'm going to send her a thank you e-mail right after I send this one to you.

Thanks again Scott. Your hard-work and advice are appreciated and put me on such a different level in the eyes of professionals. Talk to you soon!

Finding your way in a community college is not as easy as it looks. It takes hard work and dedication. However, from my experience I have learned that there is always someone you can turn to for guidance. Whether it is a professor, a counselor, or a program, they are all there to help.

REEO which is a program that was recommended to me by my school’s counselor provided me with the knowledge that I needed in order to compete at a professional level. Its founder Scott Stimpfel truly cares about helping out students who are going through the same process I went through. Furthermore, REEO equips the students with all the necessary tools to become successful. Whether it is having a professional resume, networking, mock interviews, and internships, REEO can provide students with all of these things plus more. For me, the program has allowed me to view things differently. Before I started the program, I had no idea about any of these things and never really cared about looking or playing the part of a professional. The program has taught me the value of networking. With Scott’s guidance I have been able to build my network that just keeps growing.

REEO is a program that I would recommend to anyone. Not only do you get the knowledge from people you care, but you are also learning from professionals who went through everything we are going through right now. I am very thankful to REEO and I will promote the program because I know everyone can benefit from it.

The REEO Rising Stars Program has been by far the most influential and inspirational program that I have been associated with in my college career. REEO has given me the needed tools to be a successful competitor in today’s business world. Through this program I have learned how to write a concise resume, be confident in my interviewing skills and have learned the details and importance of successful networking.

I consider it a true blessing to have been selected to join this awesome family of friends and mentors. The success of my peers ignites my enthusiasm to reach for the ultimate achievements in my own academic and career choices. Scott Stimpfel is a tireless advocate of the Junior College system, and I believe my experience at PCC was truly enhanced by Scott’s dedication to offering us the opportunities to explore all aspects of the corporate world and see early on what it takes to succeed in today’s competitive job market.

Scott and his dedicated team of mentors shared so many of their own experiences with us to help guide us through the rigorous transfer process and help jumpstart our path into the world of business with confidence. As a transfer student to USC I have had the opportunity to use the skills that REEO has taught me virtually daily in one form or another, and have felt so well prepared when approaching new situations.

My association with the REEO program has truly been an awesome experience, and best of all, Scott and the REEO mentors continue to be there for us whenever we need them. I’m sure I speak for all the REEO members when I say “Thank You for everything!”

I am currently a student at the University of California, San Diego. I joined REEO three years ago.

As I was applying for the program, I was honestly not sure how REEO would benefit me. I was a biology major (now biochemistry and cell biology), and I did not think I would benefit much from this program.

I ate my own words.

Not only did I make many wonderful friends throughout the year, REEO instilled in me immense confidence. I transferred to UC San Diego with a strong background in networking, resume building, and communication, knowing I would be ahead of many, if not most, juniors. I had no problems adjusting to the vigorous UC system. I was ahead of the game. During my first quarter, I was able to secure a job on campus as a lab assistant, in one of the most well known laboratories in the biological sciences department.

Today I am continuing to thrive as I am completing my junior year at UC San Diego, holding principal membership in numerous clubs, outreaching to initiate my own long-lasting organization, taking advantage of any leadership opportunity that comes in my way, and lastly, preparing myself for medical school and NASA’s astronaut program.

Thank you REEO and my fellow cohorts!

I am a proud product of REEO. Not only did REEO develop me as a professional, it built me to be a well-rounded person. As a freshman at a community college, I had no idea what professionalism even meant let alone the importance of a well-drafted resume. As naïve as it may sound, I thought anybody could just enter a community college, transfer to a four-year university, then gets a job when after graduation. For most community college students, transferring to a university is a huge transition. If not well prepared to compete and excel, one can really be just another student in the crowd. REEO taught me the skills I needed to compete with students who’ve been exposed to much more networking opportunities than I have. For example, I could not even begin to count the number of people whose jaws dropped when I presented my business card as a college student. The one thing I really took away from being a part of REEO is the ability to identify opportunities and apply the skills I’ve learned in order to achieve my goals. A craftsman can be presented with dozens of tools but he can’t create anything if he doesn’t know how to use those tools. REEO provided me with these tools and guidance but it was up to me to take full advantage of them, hence the importance of being proactive.

Some prefer analogies, others prefer a specific list. Here’s a list of a few things I picked up as a Rising Star, a Scholar, and Intern, and an Alumna. I learned how to exude confidence by identifying my strengths and weaknesses. I learned how to communicate with professionals of any level. I learned how to network and maintain relationships. I learned how to be a well-rounded person. I learned to make myself stand out in a crowd of tough competition. If this list alone is not enough to explain how beneficial REEO can be, then I must have done something wrong.

REEO’s goal is to empower community college students with the opportunity to transfer to a four-year university, to earn a college degree and to obtain a professional position upon graduation. I am the second person in my extended family to go to college, transferred to one of the best schools for my field, and obtained a credible position with the firm of my choice even before I graduated. I can’t even begin to express my greatest gratitude towards REEO for being the foundation of many of my achievements. I believe I speak for many of my REEO colleagues when I say that we are truly, proud products of REEO.