Volunteer Leads Interview Skills Workshop for High School Students in Florida

Dec 2

Today, volunteer Reagan Fournier hosted a mentorship workshop for 50 high school juniors and seniors at Take Stock in Children of Broward County, Florida (TSIC)!

Founded in 1995, TSIC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization utilizing education to help low-income and at-risk students escape the vicious cycles of poverty. TSIC serves over 8,000 students, each of whom maintain an unweighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8, qualify for government aid programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and have a total household income of less than $71,050 per year. All students receive a volunteer mentor, college success coach, need-based scholarship, and college transition and retention assistance.

Reagan focused on interview skills and strategies—which are heavily connected to public speaking. Reagan began his in-depth presentation by explaining what an interview is. He then covered how to prepare for an interview, conduct proper research, manage nerves, make a strong first impression, and connect with the interviewer. Following the lecture component, students participated in “mock interviews” with one another. They put their learnings into practice in a low-stakes environment and received personalized coaching from Reagan, complete with examples and personal anecdotes.

The workshop was run under the auspices of Beyond Debate, an initiative emphasizing the transferable skills of debate. Based on responses collected through the post-program survey, the results were energizing. Students left with increased clarity, practical strategies, improved self-awareness, and a polished set of tools to help them shine in any high-stakes conversation. Their reflections underscored the initiative’s ultimate goal: while Eloquence Academy is a debate organization, we aim to prepare our students for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact.

We are grateful to the TSIC team and Partnerships Program Coordinators Amanda Arana, Jacquline Flur, and Amanda Frey and are proud of what their students accomplished.