FEARLESS ALUMNI ARE THE BEST!
Let me tell you a story…
We started our Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Scholarship Program September 2020 in the middle of the “Covid Shutdowns”. Kat was hearing from people daily through our social media platforms and her email. People needed help! Not because they were trying to cheat the system and get something for free. Because they were choosing between putting food on their tables, after losing their job, and pivoting to a new career path. Those professional pivots were requiring a CSM Certification to even get their resume “looked” at by an HR person.
(Don’t get me started on the archaic HR screening processes. That’s a whole Blog Post on its own!)
We knew there was a middle path between business profits and helping people. We tried a few different things, but the Scholarship Discount Code Program stuck.
We decided from the beginning this program was going to be on the honor system, no applications needed. It’s hard enough for humans to ask or accept help. We were adamant not to require anyone to PROVE they needed it (As I said before, applications are for archaic HR screening processes). I preach adults do not need to be managed. They can self-organize.
"Most people, given the opportunity to make their own choices, will make a wise one."
- Jimi Fosdick
We met a man who redeemed the KINDNESS395 Scholarship Discount Code for our September 30, 2020, CSM Workshop. He was referred to us by a colleague who had taken my CSM Workshop in 2019. This man was laid off during the pandemic. His first email he sent Kat said:
“Yes, I’m interested. And I may be dating myself a bit, but I know who Fearless Fosdick was, from the L’il Abner comic strip waaaaaay back.”
He successfully passed the CSM Exam right after the workshop. Two weeks later he joined a Public Virtual Scrum Trivia we hosted. He won prize #3: A free CSPO Workshop!! He completed that workshop just a few weeks later.
Off and on for the last year he and Kat have exchanged emails.
Today we received a donation from him. He is steadily employed, and he wanted to pay his scholarships forward to someone else. He has donated enough funds to gift one 4-Day Dual Certification (CSM+CSPO) Workshop Registration!!
And because of his amazing, kind spirit, Kat and I will match his donation.
We work on the honor system so between now and November 2 @11:59pm PDT, we will take all the screen names from the social media comments on this post and put them into a hat. Like we said, we are adamant not to require anyone to PROVE they need it. Kat and I only ask TWO things of you:
🙏🏻 Please do not comment if you can afford to pay for a workshop or can be reimbursed by your employer!
🙏🏻 Please do not just post emojis! At least take the time to post words, maybe something thoughtful and positive.
On November 4th, 2021, we will post a video drawing the TWO scholarship recipients. We have three more 4-Day Dual CSM+CSPO Workshops left in 2021 so the winners can pick the dates that work best for their schedules.
#BeFearless #BeKind #KindnessMatters #ThankYouFearlessAlum (you know who you are)
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
…and the winners were…