Maudlin Teen Learns To Enjoy Life's Challenges By Lorando D. Lockhart Tribune-Times Writer
Last year, Michael Abbate might have described himself as someone who thought the world was against him. Today, his attitude has changed. For that, Abbate thanks his parents and Landmark Education.
The Mauldin High School student recently finished a course through Landmark Education that has taught him self-respect and integrity, and has shown him how to succeed in life.
I have changed the way I think. I used to make D's arid P's, but now I make B's and C's. I just used to have this thing in my head that I couldn’t do the work, but I then realized that I could do the work, I just had to push myself to do it," Abbate said.
Abbate, 17, said he was even negative toward his friends, but he has learned to accept people just as they are instead of criticizing them.
Landmark Education's seminars cost $350 per participant. Included with the initial three-day seminar is a 10~week course that shows participants how to reach their potential.
Abbate wasn't necessarily a problem child or a troublemaker, his parents said. The program helped him become more aware of how be treats others and opened a line of communication with his family.
“He went through a phase where he would just have a negative attitude about everything, but the course taught him a thing or two about integrity and how to utilize his strengths to become a leader, Michael Abbate's father, Dominick, said.
For the past year, the Abbate family has made weekly treks to Atlanta to attend the seminars and his father and mother, Molly, are satisfied with their son's progress.
After the initial sessions, Michael Abbate took an advanced course that helped him create a community of peers. The Self Expression Leadership Program helped Abbate realize his leadership capabilities and showed him how to get back to his Forrester Cove neighborhood.
"Initially, Michael wanted to create a nonviolent contract within his school, but it proved to be too large an undertaking at this time, so we downsized it a bit so that he could still get a feel of what it's like to lead," Molly Abbate said.
Abbate decided to put the first project off for a little while and instead created a community party. The party was called “Gathering at the Cove" and Abbate was in charge of the entire production. With the help of residents in his neighborhood; Abbate put together a list of the names and numbers of his neighbors and invited them to his home for the party.
About 50 neighbors attended Abbate's patty and his parents cooked out while children splashed in the pool.
It was definitely a successful project. We got to know all our new neighbors and Michael interacted with all the children. It was a great party,” Molly Abbate said.
Michael Abbate's attitude adjustment has even caught the attention of his employers at Publix Super Market off Woodruff Road where he has worked for the past six months. When the store is busy and short of baggers, Abbate is usually the first person to volunteer his help.
Chris Gillespie, assistant manager at the store said Abbate's attitude has improved since he started.
“Well, all I can say is that Michael is a good employee. I was telling his mother that if Michael can do a good job here working with the public, it will certainly help him in life," Gillespie said.
