To: Walgreens Corporation
Subject: Youth Achievement Program

Date: 18 March 2010

Our experience in directing the Youth Achievement Program and Irving, Texas was very rewarding. To see the interaction of college mentors with the fifth grade students was truly amazing. The college men mentored the boys and the college women mentored the girls, one on one. It was very interesting to see the good influence of the college students in regards to academics in character. They were excellent role models.

The session began with one hour of mentoring. They work on homework, reading, math and writing. This was followed by 40 minutes of physical exercise in the school gym or outside on the playground, depending on the weather. The session ended with a 20 minute character talk given by us. Following the talk, the boys and girls met in their own groups and discussed the particular character talk of the week.

Each week, the students wrote their own goal for the week in reference to their schoolwork and their personal life. This was done with the guidance of the mentor and was reviewed in the following week. We saw a great improvement and schoolwork, attitude and behavior.

It was a joy to be involved with such a worthwhile program. We are grateful to Walgreens for its financial support and we hope it will continue.
 

Sincerely,
Ray Vales
Retired CFO

Susan Vales
Retired elementary school teacher

Parents of six adult children