Non-Profits: When I Grow Up Foundation
	Jan/Feb 2007

Can corporate America cultivate the course of a kid’s life? You bet it can! When I Grow Up Foundation’s mentoring program asks nothing more from Colorado’s professional community than to invest your time by providing a career experience for kids ages 10 to 18. The foundation’s one-on-one interaction program links kids with Colorado professionals at their place of work, and the results are already making a big difference.

The mission of this amazing 501(c)3 non profit venture is to give students of all walks of life an early, directed start in helping choose their own career path through mentor-based “career experiences” with Colorado professionals from diverse and contemporary careers.
Denver-based entrepreneur, Dave Hieb, who envisioned the When I Grow Up Foundation (WIGU), cites Thomas L. Friedman’s book The World is Flat as proof that such a program is both timely and relevant. The book reveals a study Friedman conducted between US high schools and international high schools, and Friedman states, “I am terrified for our work force of tomorrow. In math and science, our fourth graders are among the top students in the world. By eighth grade, they’re in the middle of the pack. By 12th grade, U.S. students are scoring near the bottom of all industrialized nations. China graduates twice as many students with bachelor’s degrees as the U.S., and they have six times as many graduates majoring in engineering. In the international competition to have the biggest and best supply of knowledge workers, America is falling behind.”

Dave, a doting dad to son Devin (15) and daughter Darby (11) declares, “I’m watching first hand the process my kids are going through in trying to decide what they want to do when they grow up. I grew up in a medical family and it seemed quite natural to go into medicine. I was in pre-med for two years, and as it turned out, I have a weak stomach and couldn’t handle that career path. I ended up with a degree in electrical & computer engineering and I went off to design computer systems. After years in software and the Internet space, I’m now an investment banker. I’m seeing, at age 41, that a circuitous route develops through life.”

Rapt in the academic and career development of his own kids, Dave’s quixotic concept was conceived by envisioning “how a chief technology officer would make a lasting impact on kids by telling them how important their math studies are. I wish I had had a career experience while I was pondering my career objectives when I was in middle school and high school.”

In less than two years, Dave has taken the dream of WIGU and turned it into a reality. His passion is contagious with students participating in career experiences with mentors who are tops in their fields. Although the concept of the foundation was originally his, Dave shuns the spotlight and gives credence to the numerous mentors that donate their time and support to the youth in the program.

Currently a partner with ClearCreek Partners, a boutique investment bank that specializes in helping emerging and middle market privately-held companies raise capital, Dave is tightly connected with the Denver business community. With three patents to his name and a myriad of business ventures under his belt, Dave leveraged his entrepreneurial background to think globally and act locally. ”I’m able to bring a large network of professionals together who desire to mentor our youth and help them understand the options that exist for future professions. Students need and desire an early start in being directed towards their future and by linking mentors with students, direction can be given to help shape their futures while they’re still school.”

Dave called on fellow entrepreneur Greg Mesch to help WIGU get off the ground. “Greg presented us with a wealth of leadership and startup experience given his international success in company building. He and his wife, Niamh, have three children, so he was on board with the idea from the beginning. We worked together to create a board of directors and a board of advisors that would ultimately help drive the vision forward.”

With a board of directors and advisors in place, Dave called upon the creative genius of Brian McCarthy to build a strong and reputable brand including an interactive web site and related marketing materials. Next came the basis of the career experience program itself, spending a lot of time on process and ease by which the system would be implemented. As Dave puts it, “As this is a 30-year play for me, I had the luxury of time on my side to make prudent, long-term decisions that would serve the organization well over time.”
It took Dave approximately one year to build awareness and gain support for WIGU, and then it was time to search for a program director. He went through an extensive interview process, and settled on Anna Hogberg who had worked as the Post-High School Transition Coordinator at Thornton’s Vantage Point Campus, a high school serving the needs of alternative students in Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

Anna was embarking on her own mentor-based career experience program that she incorporated into the School-to-Career curriculum at Vantage Point. Call it kismet or fate, but it was as if Dave and Anna were destined to join forces through their insatiable desire and united vision to create a platform that would enable kids to get a head start in career development. With a psychology undergrad, a Masters in non-profit administration, and first hand experience helping youth, suffice it to say, Anna was perfect for the job.

WIGU is an organization for all kids no matter their social or economic standing, and the excitement intensifies when Anna and Dave unite to proclaim how this program is impacting kids from all walks of life.
“Kids are psyched to discover our web site or learn about our program through their schools,” Dave shares. “They need and want strategically defined perimeters that will point them in the right direction to achieve success in life. We want to offer them a tangible experience to open their eyes. It’s so fulfilling to see how the mentoring program is opening their world to the possibilities.”
Anna enthusiastically jumps in and adds, “It’s amazing to watch how kids light up when they make a connection with a mentor who cares about their future goals and desires. Witnessing the reactions and hearing the positive feedback from kids, parents and mentors, is what drives the success of the program. Through the career experiences, WIGU is able to provide the kids with valuable resources to help guide them on the right path to reach their career goal.”
We live in unbelievable times when schools are becoming battlegrounds. We’re all victims of scathing schoolyard violence, but it’s the kids who are paying a toll as their lives are being shattered during their pursuit towards their education. As a society we must unite to enforce that there is a future for our children. Stoic skepticism concerning the culture of today’s kids must be abolished. Consumption can consume us from the corporate level down to the daily lifestyle of family living. Today’s kids and our society are doing so much that’s positive, and Americans should mandate that the media take notice.

Dave Hieb’s dream has become a reality through a nonprofit entity that provides hope for the present and a firm foundation for the future. John D. Rockefeller Jr. proclaimed, ‘Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.’ John F. Kennedy decreed, ‘For of those to whom much is given, much is required.’ When I Grow Up is more than an opportunity to mentor, it provides the privilege of giving back.

Mentoring makes a difference to Curtis Metzger
Vantage Point School senior, Curtis Metzger, has a charisma that is captivating. He has a zest for life that shines through in a countenance that perhaps conceals a life that hasn’t been too easy. The past, however, is just that, and Curtis is benchmarking his young life with ambitions to “help other people, be my own boss, do my own thing and make some money.” With an entrepreneur’s dream in his heart, and a head that’s seeking knowledge and advice, Curtis is taking full advantage of the opportunities that prevail at Vantage Point School and the Career Experience through When I Grow Up Foundation.

“Without WIGU, I’d be very confused about what I want to do with my life as an adult. Anna Hogberg’s helped me transition my life. She motivated me to get a job, and she’s showed me the difference between having a job and having a career. She’s challenged me to do more with my life than be satisfied in just getting a paycheck. She’s listened to my interests, helped me improve my people skills and worked with me on being more patient. I was narrow minded when it came to my future, but now I want to go to college, and through the WIGU program I know what direction I should go to achieve my goals. This program’s help me to see I have an opportunity for a good future, and through my mentoring experience with Chris Onan, I know what path I need to take to make my dreams come true.”

Meet the mentors
When I Grow Up Foundation has a database of diverse and devoted mentors that represent an array of careers. From business to medical, academic, trades-people and other host of other professionals, all participate by sharing their time, talents, knowledge and experiences with middle school and high school students who are seeking their career aspirations. These mentors avail themselves trough WIGU’s Career Experience. The following are a few who represent the vast array of WIGU mentors:

Rita Agarwal, M.D., Pediatric Anesthesia, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Children’s Hospital: Rita heard about WIGU’s mentoring program through long time friend and Denver dentist, Lynelle Zabel. “During my annual dental check up with Lynelle, she was telling me about the fun she had being a mentor, and her enthusiasm for the program made me want to get involved. I recently completed my first Career Experience with Rachelle Fleischman, who is 16 and attends Arvada West High School. I received permission from my employer, Children’s Hospital, for Rachelle to enter the operating room to watch surgical cases, and be with me throughout the day. She arrived at 8:30AM and we went into the Interventional Radiology Suit where we viewed x-ray images and radiologic films. In the operating room, Rachelle was attired in scrubs, hat and shoe covers, and joined in the OR conversation on the enzyme pyruvatdehydrogenase, which she is studying in her AP biology class. She observed four surgical cases, completely, and was by my side in recovery as the children awakened, and she watched how each patient handled their anxiety and pain. From the surgeons to the recovery room staff and everyone else who interacted with Rachelle, they enjoyed having her there and we were all impress with her easygoing manner, interest in our work and watching us with absolutely no disruption.”

Brian Boney, Attorney at Law: Brian’s had an amazing professional life, starting with a seven year stint as a newspaper reporter to being a high school teacher for eight years. Now, in his second year as an attorney, Brian credits his eclectic career paths to cultivating a cutting edge career as an attorney legal services include family law, criminal defense, estate planing, probate administration, dispute mediation and immigration cases. “As a former teacher, I know how important it is to support kids as they seek out their futures, and to hold them accountable so they achieve their goals. Some kids don’t think they’ll ever get a decent chance in life, and they know doors aren’t easily opened for them. As a former high school teacher, I know that education is the ticket for what you want to do and who you want to be in life. I was honored to mentor four minority students, and they had the opportunity to go into the courtroom with me as I represented three clients, all siblings, who are 6, 7 and 9 years old. The question before the court was who should have custody of these kids, their grandmother or their mother. The entire process fascinated the students I mentored, and they knew my job impacted the future of the kids who are my clients. It’s a good feeling being a mentor, and you make a difference in their lives.”

Gwen Gadd, DVM: Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital Intern Medical Director: Gwen’s devotion to WIGU’s mentor program has been a monthly commitment. “I love working with kids, and in the past three months I’ve been thrilled to mentor three kids, and I plan to mentor more often than once a month. The mentoring program helps middle school and high school students focus early on their studies so they are prepared when they enter college. Kids love playing with dogs and cats, and they connect with what vets do when they watch us work with animals to help them feel better. It’s a privilege to share my profession as a veterinarian, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Barry Hamilton, CEO and Founder of Red Canyon Software: Garrett Davis, a Vantage Point High School student, enjoys computers and video games. His Career Experience, through Red Canyon Software, enabled Garret to take one giant leap from the controls of his at-home PC into the satellite command center at Lockheed Martin. “Our company is very passionate about exploring the heavens, and we have an urgency to build that passion into today’s youth,” explains Barry. “Garrett came into our downtown Denver offices, on the day of his Career Experience, for an overview of our company. After an initial introduction to our company, I took him to Lockheed Martin so he could view live pictures from Mars and watch satellites being built from the viewing bay.” Red Canyon Software has written, tested and integrated over 200,000 lines of code for 10 NASA missions, and their expertise is utilized in satellite communications. “Space is cool,” Barry enlightens, “and we’re finding more and more engineering degrees are going to foreigners. If this trend doesn’t turn around, the United States will be in trouble in our own space exploration. I’m thrilled to mentor students and nurture their passions, and the Career Experience through WIGU is the perfect outlet for our company to connect with students.” Red Canyon Software proclaims their mission is to ‘create technology that benefits mankind,’ and no doubt their zeal to see students excited about the endless possibilities that await them will literally take them to the moon and beyond.

Chris Onan, Principal of Appian Ventures: As a venture capitalist, Chris works with entrepreneurial management teams who help sharpen the product definition and enhance the marketing and financial strategies of their clients. After hearing the WIGU concept, Chris wasted no time getting involved, and claims, “Mentoring gives kids the opportunity to experience different aspects of a profession that interests them.” Chris had his first experience as a mentor to Curtis Metzger, a senior from Vantage Point High School, and he shares, “Being a mentor was more fun than I expected. Curtis had his act together. He has a thirst for knowledge and he was enthusiastic, engaged and enjoyed his day in the life of a venture capitalist. Being a mentor gives kids an insight and a vision towards their futures. It’s a fun program and I encourage the business community to get involved. It’s amazing to watch young people engage themselves in our professions.”