Tom Lally

Tom Lally is a career-long vocational school teacher who helps his students run ScanWorks, YEA's student business at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Tom began his teaching career as a woodworking instructor and, over time, took charge of the computer shop.

 

When Tom was introduced to YEA in 2005, he was skeptical. He had never seen business people who could work well with students in the classroom. One major challenge is that most of his students are profoundly deaf - meaning they have complete hearing loss. But Tom's skepticism soon disappeared when he saw YEA staff become real partners in the enterprise: "YEA showed a deep commitment to helping the business succeed. They have always been passionate about helping our students discover hidden talents and envision new possibilities for their lives."

 

Tom believes that the YEA model is effective because students are motivated by the strong sense of ownership they develop in running a business. "My students really appreciate the fact that they can run a business themselves. They are so accustomed to having their parents and teachers make decisions for them." Tom also sees that his students are motivated by the financial reward for their efforts. They work hard and enjoy seeing a real return in the form of a paycheck. Tom jokes: "Given how much teens love money, the business ownership model really makes sense!"

 

Tom feels that it is especially hard for poor urban youth to envision themselves as business owners. He grew up in part of the city where neither he nor his friends were exposed to entrepreneurs, and feels this is a real loss: "So many inner-city kids have the drive and creativity but never consider entrepreneurship as an option." Tom has observed that "YEA's model gives students the ‘big picture' as they start to understand that they are making the decisions that all business owners make."

 

Tom has a growing number of success stories of Horace Mann's YEA alumni. Many of them, such as Leonardo Reyes, move on to college or into well paid jobs in the scanning industry and related fields - outcomes most would not have thought possible prior to their YEA experience.

 

Tom's personal investment in the YEA model and in his students is clearly paying off in measurable ways that bring him an immeasurable sense of pride and satisfaction.