APAPA Youths Meet with Dale Carnegie
All Photos by APAPA Volunteer
In the area of professional development and self-improvement courses, Dale Carnegie has been a big name for the past 100 years. Dale Carnegie’s millions of graduates included Lee Iacocca, Lyndon B. Johnson, Chuck Norris, Joe DiMaggio, Warren Buffett, and many more. So when the Austin Chapter of Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA*) announced a 3-day Dale Carnegie leadership training class for APAPA Youths** back in November 2019, the total of 30 seats was filled up within a couple of days, no doubt helped by enthusiastic parents.
The training class was to be held at Dale Carnegie Training of Austin (DCTA), a local franchise of the Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., from Jan. 2 - 4, 2020. A couple of APAPA Youths parents had taken the training class through their companies, and felt the training would be very helpful to APAPA Youths. These parents connected with the COO of DCTA, Mr. Zhen Wu. And Mr. Wu happily agreed that DCTA would tailor and provide a 3-day training course free of charge, a significant contribution to APAPA Austin, as their training typically costs more than $1000 per person.
On a bright morning of the second day of the new year, 30 high school youths showed up in DCTA’s training facility in Round Rock, many of them a bit tired and weary from the long Holiday break. They also did not know exactly what was in store for them.
They were met with two cheerful young trainers, Chris and Shelby Wright. Chris and Shelby are a married couple and have been conducting Dale Carnegie training as certified trainers in the Austin area for a few years. Chris was interested in becoming a certified trainer while still in high school and passed all requirements except for a Bachelor’s Degree. He went off to college in Belton, TX, majoring in communications and music. While there, he met with Shelby, who was also interested in music and education. After graduation, they both joined DCTA and got married, and have been happily training C-suit clients, managers, Ph.D.s, engineers and many others in the Austin metro area ever since. They love what they do, and maintained that they are not the conventional instructors; rather, they consider themselves trainers who guide their clients through long-established and tested courses designed with the principles and methodologies of Dale Carnegie. A bit like a priest and the Bible: the priest does not teach the Bible; rather, he leads his audience through the teachings of the Bible itself. It is then not surprising that Chris is pursuing a Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry in his spare time.
Build Greater Self-Confidence Strengthen People Skills Enhance Communication Skills Develop Leadership Skills Reduce Stress and Improve Attitude
Imbedded in the course are Dale Carnegie’s principles that you can't really change other people, but you can change your own reaction to them; and that when you are genuinely interested in other people, and think from their perspectives, you can easily develop long-lasting friendship and be a leader in everything you do. Quite intuitive stuff, according to several students I interviewed afterwards, but still a good freshener and reminder.
The training is structured into interactive sessions, break-out discussions, group projects and presentations, all aimed at encouraging active participation, personal reflections and team work. At many points during the course, students had to dig deep into their personal experiences, and find the clarity and courage to share with their peers. As this was typically done in smaller group settings, guidance from the trainer and encouragement from groupmates are essential in putting students at ease to share these moments and reflections. And in turn, these were the most memorable points that many students will remember and cherish for a long time.
At the end of the training, many students shared that even though this was a short training that covered a lot of materials, they intend to apply what they have learned into daily practice, and particularly to some of the stress points in the typical teenager life, such as relationships with their parents and siblings, and with friends in school. Many agreed that this course taught them how to break out of their comfort zones, and be more understanding and appreciative in their social interactions. They have learned that leadership is not just about leading, but more about understanding what others think and need. In the end, when you are more empathetic towards other people, and genuinely listen to them, you get more of what you want.
From the parents’ perspective, many believe that this kind of training is great for their kids in gaining confidence in public speaking, in fostering empathy, and in having meaningful social interactions. These definitely will help break the stereotypes associated with Asian American students, that they are typically shy and quiet, that they are usually followers rather than leaders. And the added benefits to the parents, myself included, are that they would take the same approaches in the most important relationship in their young life: the relationship with us. Genuine interest in our stories and our perspectives, and conscious effort in moderating their reactions to us. I, for one, couldn’t ask for more out of this course.
*APAPA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring, engaging and empowering the Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities in public and civic affairs;
**APAPA Youths is a sub-organization by and for API high school students interested in public affairs.
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关于俄州亚太联盟公众号
俄州亚太联盟公众号是APAPA Ohio在俄亥俄华人协会(OCAA)的支持下办的公众号，旨在为俄亥俄的亚裔群体、尤其是华人群体提供一个分享、交流、互助的平台，宣传APAPA Ohio 、OCAA和其他亚裔团体的活动，促进亚裔社区对美国社会、政治、文化、体育、艺术、教育、法律等的了解。APAPA的全名是Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (美国亚太联盟)，是在美国联邦政府注册的501(c)(3)非营利组织。网址：APAPA.org
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