Pay It Forward

I'm one of the lucky ones. My job gives me more than a paycheck. I'll admit, that sounds a bit cliché. But really, it gives me an outlet to do more than I imagined. It probably goes without saying that I enjoy the work I do, as a Media Relations manager at a large global telecommunications company my work involves all types of interesting projects that are changing the world. And as a self proclaimed people person, I thoroughly enjoy the people I work with who come from a variety of backgrounds and countries across the globe.

Recently, I've had the opportunity and pleasure to work with children because of my job. There are fewer things more precious in life than the smile of a child. To see their success, their happiness, to see them striving is a delight universally understood by most. The reality of a child’s success is that they ARE the future. They are the adults who will be taking on jobs in the workforce, running businesses, operating transportation or machinery to get a job done, and teaching the next generation of children.

The most rewarding project that has come my way in many years is a recent one in my own back yard. Thanks to the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation and through their community outreach grant program, our local office in Calabasas, California has become part of the integral support system for the children at the Guadalupe Community Center (GCC) involved in its Neighborhood Learning Center.

Read the full blog post by Tracy Dupree, Media Relations Manager Alcatel-Lucent USA, here.