URI Annual Career Day, Ben Navarro

It was 1984 and I was sitting exactly where you’re sitting today. I was a senior here at the university and I was worrying a lot about where the heck I was going to find my first job and mostly it felt like I was “Dancin’ in the Dark.”

Before I jump in to the meat of the presentation, I’m hoping you all saw the initial slide that was up here. Research shows that the majority of the people spend the bulk of their time either somewhere in the future or somewhere in the past. So I’m going to ask today that we all try to stay present and stay here with each other in this room. Hopefully, with that in mind, we’ll get something pretty fun out of it.

I want to start out by leveling with each of you. You may have read a bio about me which says all kinds of nice things and I know because I wrote it. But I’m going to tell you a little bit about my college days which you may find enlightening. I’ve got a couple of slides here, little known facts about my college days at URI.

Most of my professors would have had a tough time picking me out of a line-up but they all knew my dog Sherman who often came to class with me and I was so fond of that I eventually named my company after him. How about that? These are all true, by the way.

Number two, I was thoroughly convinced by job waiting tables at the 108 House, which was an established restaurant in Wakefield, Rhode Island, constituted a summer internship. I went interviewing and people were, “Well, tell me about your experience, you know, money center banks. What kind of places did you work?” Well, I was five times a week at the 108 House, all right? I did learn some of the most important skills in life in that job, actually.

After receiving a dream job offer from a Money Center Bank my senior year, I had pretty much run out of money at that point..

Probably my favorite one: I had a good friend in high school who was the valedictorian. He was president of the class, voted Most Likely to Succeed, and went on to an Ivy League College. I did not do any of those things. Why do I put that slide up here? I’m not a huge fan of pedigree. Most of the folks that I’ve come across that have led really interesting lives – they have their own stories and they’re not classic stories that you might expect from people that have accomplished so much. So I’m a big believer in making your own story. Go here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/363947213622325292/

Meeting Street Academy – Our Story

Your world is as wide as you make it. I know, for I used to abide in the narrowest nest in the corner, my wings pressing close to my side. But now I am a story that is yet to be told, a blank page, a new day, with a future that’s bright and full of endless possibilities. Do you remember? I am a force, full of wonder, curiosity, combustible potential. Give me wings and I will assault the sky.

The idea that your educational opportunity would be determined by where you’re born, by your zip code, to me, its really unfair, its un-American. And so, we’re going to do what we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Well, first and foremost, Meeting Street Academy serves under-resourced children and families that want the best education that they can get and don’t necessarily have access to.

MSA is just a place where families have a chance.

The parents who bring their kids to this school know that they’re setting them up for success. Not just in elementary school or middle school, but for a lifetime.

A Godsend. It’s not just an academy or a school. It’s like a community. It’s a place where my son doesn’t just feel like he’s coming, and doing some things, and then going home. It’s like it’s a part of his life.

They need to be given the resources, and the right teachers, and the right environment, and have support from their families.

You get teachers that show up to work every day realizing that the parents are involved, the administrators support them, and they have the time to do one thing: teach that kid.

Throughout the day they’re engaged in fascinating learning projects as well as really challenging, rigorous work. And around all of that work is the social-emotional learning component that really serves kids.

Every single child can learn. No matter the circumstance, no matter what they have gone through before, that every single student can learn, and that they should have the opportunity to learn to the best of their ability.

Just the confidence and the understanding that there is so much to learn in the outside world is something you learn here. And now we go, and it’s an exploration everywhere we go. So it’s been really, really good to see him blossom and open up and find his own way through things now.

The kids at MSA, gosh, they’re special. There’s just something different about them. They’re wonderful, beautiful children and I think they know that they are at a very special school.

Oh, it’s the best place in the world to be.

Knowing that he’s here and loved and taught and cared for - it’s just a relief and I can’t sing enough praises about it.

It’s got to be sustained and it’s got to go on. But if you don’t do it at this age, it’s going to be too late. This is ground zero.

Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul. This is my nest. Where I’m offered love, protection, nourishment, and hope. To have these things - is to have wings. And when I unfurl them and assault the sky, you will know, I am a force, full of wonder, curiosity, achievement, tempered with empathy, measured with self-control, and with an army of knowledge at my disposal. I will be a citizen of, and for the world. Gracious. Giving back what was given to me. Combustible achievement. Sparked with hope, it will light the path in front of me. A flame. I can burn forever.

Making schools work for ‘the kids’

As you may have read recently in this paper, we at Meeting Street Schools are in discussions with Charleston County School District to expand our public/private partnership from a single school, Meeting Street Elementary at Brentwood, to include Edmund A. Burns Elementary School. Contemplating the addition of Burns is logical given the extraordinary results we continue to see at all three of our existing schools serving under-resourced kids. Why does the expansion of our partnership make sense?In four simple words I can explain:

“It’s about the kids.”

Since starting the first Meeting Street school nine years ago, why have we put so much effort, passion, and a significant amount of our own financial resources into developing and constantly fine tuning a model that focuses exclusively on under-resourced children and their families? Because of one simple guiding principle: “It’s about the kids.”

Why did the CCSD board vote to approve our original partnership and agree to strongly consider adding Burns to the mix, despite concerns and pushback from some adults? Because CCSD also believes: “It’s about the kids.”

Make no mistake, the teachers are the heroes of Meeting Street Schools. So why do we need the autonomy to control our staffing plan, including making tough personnel decisions as well as rewarding top performers? Because that’s what it takes to be successful in most any organization, and it’s not about the adults:

“It’s about the kids.”

And let’s not forget that any successful school has involved families behind it. Our families want and deserve to be active participants in their children’s education, but schools haven’t always worked hard enough to make them feel included. Why are the Meeting Street families such enthusiastic participants in our schools, attending quarterly report card conferences, volunteering at our schools, and bringing the house down every Friday at our community celebrations? Because to the families we serve:  “It’s about the kids.”

Why should our community be willing to spend an extra $3,000 per student annually in under-resourced neighborhoods in order to offer a longer school year, an academic-based extended school day, preschool for all three and four year olds, two teachers in every classroom, and extra essential wrap-around services? Because this is what’s needed to give under-resourced kids an equal educational opportunity, and after all:  “It’s about the kids.”

Why should everyone in our community care deeply about this issue? Because if we want an optimistic future we can all agree:  “It’s about the kids.”

Sherman Financial Group bio

Sherman Financial Group LLC (“Sherman”) is a highly experienced and active global investment company with a 15-year track record of unparalleled success during a period of vast market fluctuation.  Sherman Financial Group specializes in the development of innovative solutions that optimize long term value.  Sherman’s track record of successful diversification, risk management, growth and performance has earned it the confidence of regulators, lenders and investors.  Sherman defines the standard for the consumer finance industry and endeavors to exceed the expectations of its stakeholders.

The collective infrastructure of the Sherman Financial Group portfolio companies provides the unique advantage of being a strong operating partner with the ability to transact in all consumer finance, corporate and real estate asset classes.  The combination of Sherman’s operational expertise and specialized servicing platforms has made it a one-stop choice for companies seeking an investor for traditionally hard to service deep value assets.  This unique organizational structure has provided Sherman Financial Group with a solid foundation for consistent investment success.

Sherman, through its affiliated companies, has invested $7B to date and arranged in excess of $3B in financing for portfolio companies. As a privately-held company, Sherman employs a streamlined decision making process and is not constrained by investment timelines and structural restrictions faced by traditional investment funds.  While the ability to act quickly can often be crucial to successful investing, Sherman believes that patience and careful due diligence is an even more important element to success.

Sherman Financial Group subsidiaries and affiliates originate, purchase and service all types of consumer and commercial debt in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.   Sherman’s business strategy is to leverage its intellectual capacity, operational depth and financial resources to originate and service accounts for consumers who are underserved by traditional financial institutions and, at the same time, create value for its stakeholders. Sherman additionally seeks out overlooked, complex and illiquid assets and platforms at the end of their fund life or held by otherwise constrained financial institutions.

Sherman’s affiliates and subsidiaries are engaged in the following business lines:
Direct origination of  credit cards and consumer loans (US, MX, & UK), Servicing of all types of consumer assets (US, MX, CAN & UK), Investment in performing and non-performing consumer debt originated by financial institutions, credit card companies, retailers and others (US, MX, & CAN), in real estate, corporate debt and structured asset purchases (US).

Additionally, Sherman’s strong foundation in consumer and specialty finance has enabled it to regularly evaluate and invest in transaction opportunities outside of its traditional sphere of investing – distressed ABS/MBS, FDIC assisted bank acquisitions, real estate development and bank capitalizations.

Our investment history has included:  Portfolio purchases, De novo start-ups, Whole company acquisitions, Joint ventures, Minority equity investments, Real estate portfolio acquisitions, Senior and subordinated debt acquisition.  

Sherman Financial Group is actively seeking new opportunities and partners that will either complement or expand its current investment portfolio.