A teacher once told Carlos Ojeda Jr. that he would never hold a high school diploma in his hand.
Today, Ojeda operates a multimillion-dollar company to empower student success by teaching them that “their voice is power.”
Greeley-Evans School District 6 hosted a Career Readiness Conference for high school juniors on Friday at Aims Community College.
Over 200 students registered to develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workplace. Juniors gained guidance, resources and connections through 15 dynamic workshops, an informational panel of industry professionals and Ojeda’s inspirational keynote speech.
Ojeda’s story: Fighting forward
As a young student in Reading, Penn., despite the fact he was fluent in English, Ojeda’s school “labeled” him because he came from a Puerto Rican family. The school placed him in a separate class to teach the language to kids from different countries.
No one asked Ojeda if he could speak English, no one asked if he could do the work his other peers got to do, and no one asked him if he had hopes and dreams. They placed him in a box.
Ojeda’s dad fought to get him into a traditional classroom after he passed a test proving he could do it. The joyous accomplishment came with a lesson from his dad: Never let people take your voice.
“Your voice is your power,” Ojeda said to eager and engaged students Friday morning. “With that voice, you can ask questions. Questions give you answers, answers give you knowledge and knowledge gives you power. The power to change your life, the life of those you love, the community, and if you’re not careful, you can change the world.”
By high school, teachers started to give up on Ojeda, who became quite the troublemaker. One teacher called Ojeda a “piece of garbage” who would never amount to anything. Ojeda said he started to ignore the “great” teachers who tried to guide him in the right direction and only heard the “hate,” the idea that he would not find success.
He again fell victim to labels — shy, unengaged and dumb. In reality, he had an undiagnosed hearing impairment, unknown until the age of 23, that caused him to lose his voice in the classroom. He avoided asking questions and raising his hand.
However, a few inspiring adults in his life believed in him, showed him his options were limitless and pushed him toward his goal of pursuing college. He went on to get a full-ride scholarship to the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and became the first person in his family’s history to attend and graduate from college.
Ojeda then got his master’s degree at 23 from Kutztown University. He then became the youngest and only Latino professor in business at the university by 25. He also served as a small business development center director and started multiple businesses throughout his career.
To reach his potential, he learned not to fight back but to “fight forward.” Now in his 40s, that’s the message he spreads to millions of students every year through CoolSpeak: The Youth Engagement Company.
His story of fighting forward and bringing power to voices seemed to resonate with the high school juniors in a school district where more than 50 languages are spoken in the schools and nearly 70% of students live in poverty.
“Don’t ever, ever, ever let anyone tell you who you are or who you will become,” Ojeda said. “Don’t ever, ever, ever let them define you. You define you.”
Workshops and panels
After Ojeda delivered a pump-up to showcase that students hold the power to fufil their own destinies, the juniors started to prepare for their desired destiny.
Students attended three out of 15 workshops led by education, business and community partners including UCHealth and the University of Northern Colorado. Workshops presented tips for the workforce such as interviewing for jobs, networking, building relationships and resume writing.
Rosa Galindo, senior enrollment coach at Aims Community College, reminded students that the community college, a strong partner of District 6, covers all the postsecondary bases by offering affordable education, guidance toward goals or career training.
“Whether you are considering college, a trade or jumping straight into the workforce, we are here to support you,” Galindo said on behalf of Aims.
In a “Building Bridges” workshop, UCHealth employees highlighted the many starting job opportunities for high school graduates in health care. In Colorado, UCHealth has 36,000 employees in several career pathways, including medical, nutrition, construction, transportation, business and security.
The employer even has a career development opportunity called the Ascend Career Program to help potential employees rise through the ranks by removing financial barriers such as higher education costs.
However, to prepare for any future career, students need to know the power of teamwork, according to the UCHealth presentation. A group of nine students jumped into action to learn teamwork firsthand through an activity to build a tower as high as they could out of marshmallows and popsicle sticks in five minutes.
Greeley-Evans District 6 juniors work on a teamwork activity during a workshop at a Career Readiness Conference on Friday at Aims Community College. (Morgan McKenzie/Staff Reporter)Students left the presentation equipped with the tools needed to work effectively with others, which creates a positive work environment, helps people identify their strengths and drives innovation, according to the presenters.
Other workshops honed in on money management skills and financial aid support to help first-time workers understand their paychecks and to equip future college-goers with scholarships and aid resources.
The conference rounded out with a panel of local industry professionals from JBS; Banner Health; Vestas; and Top-Notch Plumbing, Heating & Air. The panelists provided insight into what they look for in potential employees, workplace expectations and job navigation tips.
“This conference is designed to give you the tools, the insight and the connections to help you make informed decisions about those next steps that are going to be upon you shortly, Galindo said.
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