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A Life List Is Better Than A Bucket List

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 16, 2013 | Comments Off on A Life List Is Better Than A Bucket List

I remember working with a group of youth a few years ago who had been given a school assignment to write their obituary.  How morbid! I remember saying to myself, “Why would you ask teens to think about their deaths instead of their lives”.  Young people surrounded by crime, poverty, and disappointment don’t need to […]

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Mentors, Goal Achievers, Game Changers

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 14, 2013 | Comments Off on Mentors, Goal Achievers, Game Changers

Dictionary.com defines a mentor as a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.  During National Mentoring Month, I want to offer to you that your life is either a cautionary tale or a positive example.  With that being said, you can be a role model or a mentor to someone you may not know personally based on […]

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I Am… And You Are?

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 11, 2013 | Comments Off on I Am… And You Are?

Here we are in the second week of January and most people have already let their New Year’s Resolutions fall by the wayside. According to some statistics about 45% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions and only about 8% of us keep them.  Nearly 25% of resolutions are broken in the first week of the […]

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There Are Many Ways To Be A Mentor

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 9, 2013 | Comments Off on There Are Many Ways To Be A Mentor

    I love my iPhone.  I can listen to music, send emails, record my grocery list, post to social media, take photos and A LOT more on a device that fits in my back pocket. In this technology obsessed culture I know that I’m not the only one that often wonders how I got […]

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What Does Success Mean To You?

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 7, 2013 | Comments Off on What Does Success Mean To You?

Expressing your individuality and challenging social norms can be difficult in a culture that emphasizes conformity and fitting in.  I am writing this blog to challenge you to begin the New Year with a renewed commitment to living life with purpose and pride.  Take some time today to set the tone for how you want […]

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2012 Year In Review

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 4, 2013 | Comments Off on 2012 Year In Review

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have said my good-bye to 2012 and welcomed in 2013 with an expectation of abundance in all areas of my life.  I am grateful to all of the people who helped shape my values, views, and victories.   The one sentence that sums up my 2012 is “leap and the net […]

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Thank You For Sharing Your Foster Care Journey

By Nicki Sanders | Jan 2, 2013 | Comments Off on Thank You For Sharing Your Foster Care Journey

December 2012 was a month of pride and enlightenment at The Teen Toolbox. We hosted our 6th Annual PACK A PURSE™ Drive and collected and distributed 705 purses and other bags filled with personal hygiene items to teen girls in foster care in 17 organizations.   We were also greatly inspired by the seven women […]

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Latrice Ware, Mentor, Advocate, Foster Care Alumni

By Nicki Sanders | Dec 31, 2012 | Comments Off on Latrice Ware, Mentor, Advocate, Foster Care Alumni

Latrice Ware was born and raised in Ohio.  She was in kinship care until age 12 and then went into the foster care system at age 13 after her grandmother had a stroke.  Latrice was placed in three foster homes.  Latrice questioned how a stranger could love a child that wasn’t theirs.  Her foster mother’s […]

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SPOTLIGHT on Jordan W.

By Nicki Sanders | Dec 28, 2012 | Comments Off on SPOTLIGHT on Jordan W.

SPOTLIGHT Teen of the Month Jordan W. December 2012     Jordan W. is a 19 year old college freshman attending McNeese State University in Louisiana on a Division I basketball scholarship.  Jordan began playing basketball during his sophomore year in high school.  Basketball has given him a goal to strive for and a more […]

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