What You'll Learn

Learn the skills businesses hire for.

Adriana's Foundation offers a free, scholarship-based career development program for students who want a strong career and may not have the resources for a traditional university path. Students apply, complete the program, and are connected to employers for placement.

Apply for Your Free Scholarship

It costs you nothing to apply. Takes 3 minutes.

Program at a Glance

A scholarship-based program preparing students for strong careers

  • 12 Weeks
  • 2 Sessions per week
  • 4 Hours per session
  • 108 Total hours

  1. Phase 1 · Weeks 1–3

    Professional Development

    Communication, etiquette, productivity, public speaking

    Students become Confident and professional

  2. Phase 2 · Weeks 4–9

    Sales and Marketing

    Customer research, the 6-step sales system, 7 ways to generate clients

    Students become Valuable to any business

  3. Phase 3 · Weeks 10–12

    Leadership

    5 Levels of Leadership, accountability, decision making

    Students become Positioned for advancement

  4. Final Stage · Final

    Specialty Training

    Resume and interview training, plus a hands-on specialty week

    Students become Job-ready, with real experience

Phase 1

Professional Development

Weeks 1–3

Why this matters

Many candidates lose opportunities before they get a chance to show their ability. They struggle to present themselves, communicate clearly, or speak with confidence. This phase builds that foundation. Students learn to engage with owners and hiring managers professionally, because employers hire people who are prepared and sound ready.

Week 1: Expectations and Communication

Objective Understand what is expected in this program and in any workplace.

What we cover

  • Program expectations, responsibilities, and accountability (failure to meet requirements can result in loss of placement)
  • Icebreakers and relationship building. The cohort becomes a close community.
  • Workplace etiquette: how to conduct yourself with coworkers, leaders, and clients
  • Verbal communication: one-on-one, in groups, and virtually (Zoom, Teams)
  • Written communication: professional emails and text messages

Activities

Introductions, partner conversations, email and text writing practice

Outcome

Students present themselves as professionals from day one.

Week 2: Productivity and Presentation Foundations

Objective Produce results, not just stay busy.

What we cover

  • Organization, time management, and energy management
  • Setting priorities and focusing on high-value tasks
  • Four presentation settings: one-on-one, virtual, small group, and large group or networking

Activities

Build a weekly plan and practice each presentation setting

Outcome

Students manage their time well and are prepared to speak in any setting.

Week 3: Public Speaking, Networking, and Storytelling

Objective Communicate with confidence in front of others.

What we cover

  • A proven presentation structure, from a 2-minute pitch to a full hour
  • Strong openings and closings
  • Networking: starting conversations and building connections
  • Storytelling as a tool for influence and memorability

Activities

Each student builds a presentation and delivers it at the end of the week

Outcome

Students can enter a room, engage people, and make a lasting impression.

Phase 2

Sales and Marketing

Weeks 4–9

Why this matters

Every business depends on customers. Understanding how businesses attract and win customers makes a candidate valuable anywhere. Students learn to tell an employer, “Here is how I can help your business grow.” Every business is a people business, and students are trained to connect with people.

Week 4: Sales and Marketing Fundamentals

Objective Understand how businesses sell and get noticed.

What we cover

  • The psychology behind buying decisions
  • Low-ticket vs high-ticket sales
  • Phone sales vs in-person sales
  • Marketing channels: traditional, digital, TV and radio, and social media

Activities

Group discussions and short exercises on each channel

Outcome

Students speak the language of sales and marketing.

Week 5: Target Market and Customer Needs

Objective Identify who a business serves and what those customers need.

What we cover

  • Defining the ideal customer: age, goals, interests, and challenges
  • Identifying pain points
  • Researching a company through its website, offers, and social media
  • Evaluating whether a company is reaching the right audience

Activities

Select a company of interest, research its customers, and present findings

Outcome

Students can research any company before an interview and speak directly to its market.

Weeks 6–7: The 6-Step Sales System

Objective Master a structured sales process that applies to any business.

What we cover

  1. Greeting: introduce yourself, state your purpose, and name who you represent
  2. Discovery: ask the right questions so the customer does 70–80% of the talking
  3. Gift of interruption: restate what you heard to confirm understanding
  4. Amplify: emphasize what matters most to the customer to create urgency
  5. Ask: “Can I show you the solution?”
  6. Share options: present the solution, its value, and the price

Activities

Role plays, scripts, and live practice by phone and in person

Outcome

Students can lead a complete sales conversation with confidence.

Weeks 8–9: 7 Ways to Generate Clients

Objective Understand every way a business generates leads and where students can add value.

What we cover

  1. Reach outs: calls, texts, emails, DMs, and door knocking. Top performers take the initiative.
  2. Paid ads: fast exposure, effective only with a strong follow-up system
  3. Strategic partnerships: collaborate with businesses that share your audience without competing
  4. Content: build authority and trust through consistent, valuable content
  5. Networking and events: build relationships where your customers gather
  6. Stages: speaking at events builds instant authority
  7. Referrals: ask satisfied clients for introductions
  • Also covered: what a CRM is and how businesses use it to follow up and close
  • Also covered: identifying individual strengths to guide specialty selection

Activities

Build a plan using each of the 7 methods for a real business

Outcome

Students can explain exactly how they would help an employer attract customers.

Phase 3

Leadership

Weeks 10–12

Why this matters

Leaders earn promotions, higher pay, and greater opportunity. Leadership does not require a title. This phase teaches students to influence others, hold people accountable, and make sound decisions. The bigger the problems a person solves, the more valuable they become.

Week 10: The 5 Levels of Leadership

Objective Understand what leadership is and what it is not.

What we cover

  • The 5 Levels of Leadership (John Maxwell)
  • Building influence with others
  • Applying the levels with classmates, with the goal of reaching Level 5 with each one

Activities

Group exercises that put each level into practice

Outcome

Students lead through influence, not authority.

Week 11: Accountability and Conflict Resolution

Objective Keep teams on track while maintaining strong relationships.

What we cover

  • Holding others accountable
  • Delegation
  • Addressing issues respectfully and directly
  • Documentation and formal write-ups

Activities

Role plays of difficult conversations and partner practice

Outcome

Students address problems calmly and keep projects moving.

Week 12: Decision Making and Problem Solving

Objective Make sound decisions without waiting to be told.

What we cover

  • Decisions guided by mission, vision, and core values
  • Knowing when to decide and when to escalate
  • Solving problems: bigger problems solved means greater value to the company

Activities

Work through real scenarios and explain the reasoning behind each decision

Outcome

Students make confident decisions and can defend them, which builds trust and earns advancement.

Final Stage · Job Preparation

Specialty Training

Why this matters This final stage prepares students for the job search and gives them real experience to show employers.

Session 4h: Resume and Interview Training

Objective Prepare to earn interviews and win offers.

What we cover

  • Building a resume that earns interviews
  • Presenting and answering questions with confidence
  • Interviewing the interviewer to find the right fit

Activities

Resume building and interview practice

Outcome

More interviews and more options.

Week 8h: Specialty Week

Objective Gain real, hands-on experience in one chosen area.

What we cover

  • Choose one track: Sales, Marketing, or Leadership
  • Two 4-hour sessions of hands-on work with a real team at Adriana's Insurance
  • Real projects: phone and in-person sales, social media, or team leadership

Activities

Applied work alongside a real team

Outcome

Students can say in an interview, “I worked alongside a real team on real projects.”

Adriana's Foundation Scholarship Program

Your free scholarship is 3 minutes away.

Tell us about you. See if you qualify.

Apply for Your Free Scholarship

It costs you nothing to apply.