Her desire to be an entrepreneur, and her passion to give back to the community and it’s youth are what has kept State Farm Agent Grace Robinson going in the Pittsburgh area for more than three decades.
On June 13 at The Rivers Club, her work, along with several others, was honored at a celebration banquet hosted by Tomorrow’s Future Inc. The theme was “Release the Passion of Youth Development.”
The evening included the presentation of its scholarship winners and its Champion of the Future Awards, given to several individuals who work with youth through the organization. Honorees were: Joel Simmons of PNC Bank; Yolonda Kirby of State Farm; Kurt Mamon of State Farm; Erroline Williams of Duquesne University; Attorney Thelma Spells of Spells Law Offices, P.C.; Doris Carson Williams of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania; Vicki Gromley-Schoedel of State Farm; Nadine Thompson and Jennifer Johnson-Nazareth, both State Farm agents; Valley View Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Paul Hennigan of Point Park University.
In May, Robinson celebrated 32 years of being in the insurance industry. But it was after 10 years of achieving success in the industry that Robinson decided she wanted to give back. It was then she founded Tomorrow’s Future Inc., a nonprofit mentoring, entrepreneurial and job training program for youths in grades nine through 12.
The organization’s mission is to equip young people with the communication and employment skills needed to compete in today’s marketplace.
“On my 10th anniversary, after enjoying a certain measure of success, I knew I wanted to give back. (It was then) I found my life’s work and my life’s work is actually my passion for helping our youth,” Robinson said. “It’s so motivating to get up everyday, knowing you’re impacting someone else’s life in a positive way.”
Tomorrow’s Future facilitates workshops taught by professionals who are experts in their particular field, provides networking opportunities and gives students their first exposure to a professional work environment while gaining valuable training and experiences. Students participate in career days, job shadowing events and so much more. Also, students are offered internship opportunities, Robinson said, at her Baum Boulevard office, in Shadyside.
“Just being a part of the community, I looked at some of the things we should help our youth in, and that was presentation, and just loving themselves and who they are. So many of our youth have low self-esteem. A lot of youth would come into the program, they’d hardly speak their name, they’d say it so low.”
Since its inception, Robinson said Tomorrow’s Future has assisted more than 400 youths and gave out 60 scholarships. Also, every year, students receive a stipend for their participation in the program.
“You see people now doing the kind of prototype we’re doing. We knew early on that we needed to help our youth,” Robinson said. “We have such a great need. I knock on doors that perhaps they would not have gotten into. I knew what I had to do to make it and my desire was to help others.”
Robinson said her advice to young people with an entrepreneurial spirit is to have a true passion for helping others, be creative and know that “you have the ability to succeed at whatever they want to do.”
While Robinson said she has attained many of her goals professionally, when it comes to working with Tomorrow’s Future, her work is not yet completed.
“My goal is to see more and more young students become successful and to be a catalyst in their success.” She said a lot of people do not give today’s youth credit, but that there are plenty of youth that are driven, and have a desire and willingness to achieve; they just need a mentor and a chance.
Her motto is “Dare to dream because dreams are always a possibility.”
(For more information on Tomorrow’s Future, visit www.tomorrowsfutureinc.com)
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