Mayor Costas met with the youth of the Nexus program Monday, June 21, at City Hall. He spoke with them on how to become a successful person, highlighting three areas that lead to success, in relationships and in the community.
The first topic he touched on was “Building Healthy Relationships.” “You can’t get anywhere without someone’s help,” he told the students, as community is all about relationships. It takes skill to have good relationships and can lead to better friends, reaching goals, and becoming an effective leader. Mayor Costas then asked the students what skills they thought were needed to develop healthy relationships; trust, loyalty, and honesty were some of the traits they came up with. He then talked about putting more into a relationship than taking out, referring to relationships as an Emotional Bank Account to give a tangible metaphor for the kids. “Life is a series of relationships. They open and close doors.”
The second topic Mayor Costas addressed was “Living in Community.” Costas related community to playing a game: you have to know, respect, and follow the rules if you want to be part of the game. Otherwise chaos will ensue. Working and living with others is also important. “We need each other. Life is a team sport.”
The last topic discussed was “Investing in Yourself.” The mayor encouraged the students to build value in themselves, taking their schoolwork seriously to receive success in life. He also encouraged exercise and having hobbies. “The potential in this room is incredible,” Costas ended, “I expect great things out of you guys.”
The Nexus program provides opportunity for students in 8th – 12th grades. A program supported by those in the community, Nexus offers students the chance to participate in internships, receive educational information from community leaders, receive tutoring, go on field trips, learn about faith, and receive real life perspective to improve their own lives. Nexus is a 6 week program offered during the summer. To learn more about Nexus, click here.