I want to alert you to a change in Forge’s mailing address so you can update your contact book or addresses accordingly. Forge’s new mailing address is:

707 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. #202
Dayton, OH 45459

… Now for the exciting stuff!

Josh’s Forge Story

I’m thrilled to share with you yet another inspiring testimonial from a Forge graduate. Joshua Newman is a graduate of the most recent Mentorship Academy Class (2018-2019). He’s a brilliant thinker, respected by his peers for his humility and servant-leadership, and really was one of the spiritual anchors of this past year’s cohort.

Here is Josh’s edition of “My Forge Story:”

“Dear Forge Supporters,

I am very thankful for each of you, and I want to let you know that you are witnessing and participating in something truly special with Forge. Justin and Adam could talk to you all day about the impact Forge is having in terms of numbers, but I hope I can give you additional insight into the scope of what is happening by sharing my personal experience.You don’t need me to tell you that public service is an honorable thing, but unfortunately it does not always attract our best and brightest. Just look at some of the leaders of major corporations, government agencies, public offices, and even law firms. We see new examples every week of influential figures caught up in some scandal or saying something insane. Forge is drawing in the best and brightest to be trained and mentored by wise leaders to change this culture. Forge takes in young adults who are in a very formative phase of life. Most students are studying or are recent college grads. Forge communicates to the students that working as doctors, lawyers, preachers, public servants, or corporate executives are indeed noble things and should not be taken lightly. In its process of training and mentoring students, Forge leaders dig deep into the students to ensure that motives are pure and healthy. I don’t have statistical evidence to back up this claim, but I think we can all agree that a large number of corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, executives, and even religious leaders become corrupted because they had poor motives to begin with. They work for money or to harness power or exert undue influence. Forge teaches relentlessly that we should pursue influential careers for only two reasons: to glorify God and to seek the well-being of mankind.

This has been tremendously helpful for me. It has helped me reexamine my motives for why I want to pursue certain careers. Both Forge leaders and students have helped me think through my aspirations and make sure they do not contradict God’s general will.

“So, what are my aspirations? Today, I’m shooting to get a master’s degree and work in banking and somewhere down the line work in financial services regulation. When people typically think of Forge, they think politics. And what I want to do isn’t deeply political, but Forge is still for me. I’m aware that banking and financial regulation may sound like the most boring thing in the world to 99.9% of people, but I can actually have deep conversations on these topics at Forge. And the teaching and mentorship I receive through Forge directly applies to my aspirations. The teachings on integrity and faith in business are critical for my future career.

Also, I have a few business and entrepreneurial ideas I’d like to see come to fruition. There’s a running joke between the Forge students and alumni about the absolutely preposterous volume of startup ideas come from the students and leaders. There have been several occasions where I get a phone call at 6:30 in the morning from another student that just can’t share their idea fast enough! It’s a culture of innovation! And when I think I have a good idea I simply send out a group text or make a phone call to discuss possible obstacles and opportunities. The Forge leaders and students are some of the most creative people I’ve ever met. Where else would I befriend people like that? These are the kinds of young adults Forge trains.

I’m not going to gloss over that I said I want to work in banking. I’m finishing my finance degree in May and I hope to work in banking or similar financial services to hone my analytical skills and learn the regulatory framework. But nearly everyone has a poor view of bankers and financiers. History supports that attitude. Finance is notoriously greedy and can even be predatory. Before Forge, I didn’t want to work in financial services at all because of this culture. Forge taught me the importance and urgency of smart, responsible professionals in every industry and career path. Hearing from think tanks, church pastors and entrepreneurs showed me that it is possible to do work that is both fulfilling and beneficial to society. For me, I’ve learned from leaders about how I can maintain my integrity while still being productive and innovative. So, renewed with this positivity, I opened up my options and found that banking and financial regulation actually appeals to me. My cynicism is still hanging around, but Forge is very optimistic about the future and they are actively creating a prosperous future and this optimism continually rubs off on me. Forge wisely sees these cultural flaws as an opportunity to exact change.

“Forge also serves as an accelerator for careers. It’s astounding to me how educated some of the students are coming into Forge. It’s clear that these students have goals and Forge helps them reach those goals. You’ll hear about some extraordinary examples of how Forge has connected students to professionals in niche areas. These areas range from first amendment lawyering to international relations. Forge has brought several professional opportunities to my attention, one of which I’m pursuing heavily with the assistance of the leaders. Additionally, the mentorship I’ve received as a part of the program directly relates to my desired career path.

I also do want to mention that while the schedules that Forge puts together is rather rigorous, it is tremendously fun! During the Summit in Columbus, trips to D.C. and Israel, most of us would stay up into the late hours of the night joking around, playing games which would inevitably turn into some sort of kangaroo court devolving into a vigorous debate over some obscure theological teaching or philosophical paradox. These are some of the best memories of my life, and I’m glad I can call these people my friends. Most Forge Alumni keep in touch with each other and the leaders. We continually think through trending issues as a group, work out ideas together, and pray for each other. I’m excited with what Forge grads are already doing in journalism, public service, and law, so, the potential scale of Forge’s influence in 5-10-15 years is exciting to think about!“

Give A Special End Of Year Gift:

If you’re inspired by Josh and other Forge alumni testimonials, would you consider making a special year-end gift towards our 2020 student scholarship fund? This will help new young people be able to begin their own transformative experience with Forge.

Thank you for reading this e-newsletter! I hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving. 10-month old Baby Jane discovered pumpkin pie and was quite the fan! 🙂

Sincerely,

Adam Josefczyk

P.S. Help us identity young people like Josh with hearts to impact their culture and world: Recommend an outstanding young person to Forge today!