TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --
A new training workshop for Tinker youth garnered
attendance from 25 teens, who learned about the skills needed to achieve
successful futures.
Young minds are easily shaped by what is happening around
them, who is around them and what they feed into. Adolescents follow new trends
each week. Family and friends with whom they’re surrounded can play an integral
role; those who encourage them and lift them up, versus those whose influence
can negatively affect their mentality and decision making.
To better equip the younger generation with the tools
necessary to succeed, Meegan Mackay founded Artes pro Vita Academy. Taking it
one step further, as a spouse of a retired veteran, Ms. Mackay seeks out
military families and teens. Athletes cannot rely on their athleticism to
succeed. What if they suffer a career-ending injury, and have failed to prepare
for professional alternatives? The same, Ms. Mackay believes, applies to
military members and families. As sequestration forced many into early
retirement, including her husband, Ms. Mackay described the personal struggle
her family has gone through trying to acquire skills that are marketable
outside the force.
“It has been very, very difficult,” she said. “And it has
helped me realize the importance and purpose of Artes pro Vita Academy.”
“Artes pro Vita” in Latin, translates as “skills for
life,” which Ms. Mackay believes is very suitable. She explains in her
workshops the difference between what is normally taught: hard skills, which
are technical skills that pertain more to one’s capabilities; and soft skills,
which are more internal characteristics. Through her mentorship, Ms. Mackay has
done a little rebranding and places the emphasis on what she calls,
“super-skills.” These super-skills, she said, are a combination of the two, and
really are both needed in order to achieve the dreams we set our minds to.
Multisensory learning is another asset to Ms. Mackay’s
program, as she recognizes that each individual learns differently, be that
audibly, visually or tactically. Tinker teens engaged in various exercises
which comprise a four-part series (L.I.F.E.):
• Look and Listen: through the examination of past
experiences and evaluation of current situations, this stage teaches the skills
required to reflect and gain insight of your future.
• Imagine: gain a better understanding of your strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and obstacles you face.
• Focus: this stage allows you to create a step-by-step
plan, track your progress, assemble your team and reach towards the future.
• Empower: this final element teaches individuals that
personal growth is a victory, but empowering others is a true gift. You are
supplied with the resources and networking opportunities necessary for sharing
personal achievements with others.
For two days, the teens honed leadership and communication
skills, and actively engaged in different interview exercises. A safe zone
where kids could express their dreams, be encouraged to pursue them by their
peers and equip themselves with the necessary tools to achieve them.
Funds allocated from Comprehensive Airman Fitness programs
allowed Artes pro Vita to be offered to the youth of the installation and
Mid-Del schools. School Liaison Officer Julie Franklin said though this is the
first time any program like [Artes pro Vita] has been brought to base, she
hopes it is something that will be implemented annually. In the nature of the
military lifestyle, there will always be new kids coming in, so the program
could continue to capture new kids, as well as mentoring and tailoring things
to certain age demographics and topics.
Ms. Mackay, a former clandestine operative for the CIA,
started this program at Altus Air Force Base and has since expanded her
workshop to the corporate sector, on top of the military.
“One in 12 of the nation’s heroes aren’t getting jobs
because they often lack the soft skills and are only familiar with military
jargon,” Ms. Mackay explained. “I want to teach people what they’ve gained,
rather than what they’ve lost, in order to catapult them forward. Kids and
teens absorb everything. I’m passionate about teaching skills that bleed into
homes so that everyone has what they need to thrive and succeed.”