On November 10^th, Molly Sargent, a professional trainer and executive coach, led a session that included dinner for the FWA Murry Bergtraum mentees entitled "Professional Impressions for the Smart and Savvy."  Eleven mentors participated with 22 mentees.  The program covered not only proper dining etiquette, but also the importance of first impressions, body language and tone of voice, communications skills and proper business dress.  The interactive program fully engaged all participants, will several mentors reporting that they learned a thing or two as well.

Mentee Miguelina Garcia reports on the program:

It was a late afternoon in mid-November when the Financial Women’s Association mentees learned about the proper way of eating, standing and sitting.  Many young ladies of this era do not know much about how to act in front of others on a professional level or at a dinner.  We were given the chance to learn these techniques and tricks by the one and only Molly Sargent.

Samantha DeMicco, a Murry Bergtraum senior said, “I was delighted to sit through a two-hour course on learning how to act in front of people.  I learned a lot of things and I especially loved the free food.” DeMicco added that out of this presentation she has learned how to stand in a way that shows confidence, and she also has practiced what she learned with her family at the dinner table.

Erika Castellar, another senior mentee as well as student body president, said she “loved how everyone was engaged in conversation and didn’t know that you can start eating food once two people have been served if it is a hot meal.”  Ashley Cerda, a junior mentee, also loved the etiquette class and she tries to follow what she learned even while eating lunch at school.

I sat with my mentor, Mary Anne Liss, Samantha DeMicco and Kerre Lin.  We spoke about proper conversation style.  We took turns answering the questions or responding to what the other person at the table had to say.  It was hard at first to carry a conversation, but a few moments into the conversation it felt as if you were talking to your best friend and everything was all right. 

The FWA girls at Murry Bergtraum thank Ms. Sargent and all the ladies of the FWA who put this together for us.  We learned something more valuable then just eating a meal.  We learned confidence and posture, two things we will carry for years to come.


Miguelina Garcia
Murry Bergtraum HS

Wendy Leibowitz
Leibowitz Marketing Services Inc.