The Harraseeket Foundation

12/27/2025

The Harraseeket team regularly hears stories about mentors who changed young people’s lives -- such as at this week's holiday lunch, pictured below. When the stories are shared, listener reactions often include words like “gobsmacked”, “wonderful,” “inspiring,” and “incredible.”

Yet, these stories are not unusual or extraordinary. They are an effect of when a nonjudgmental adult takes a few minutes to help a young person feel like they matter, that they are loved.

Some tell us they waited years, even decades, to realize they were mentored, and then thank their mentor. Maybe you’ve experienced someone telling you that you changed their lives simply by listening and caring about them.

January is National Mentoring Month. We at Harraseeket encourage you not to wait to thank people who listened, who cared, who mentored you. A phone call, an email, a visit. They’ll be gobsmacked.

And please tell us you’re ready to make new stories, and get involved in our Imagining Your Future movement.

To learn more about getting involved, click the link here: https://www.imaginingyourfuture.org/about-volunteering

To learn about donating so we can help support more young people, click here: https://www.harraseeketfoundation.org/donate-today

12/01/2025

This GivingTuesday on December 2, 2025, you can change students’ lives for years to come through your generous donation. The team at The Harraseeket Foundation www.harraseeketfoundation.org/ has the goal of expanding the number of communities that help young students - and we need your help to make this goal a reality.

Please remember us on GivingTuesday and learn about donating here: www.harraseeketfoundation.org/donate-today.

11/23/2025

Make a difference in a student’s lives by spending an hour chatting with high schoolers about their futures through the Imagining Your Future (IYF) program or by donating to support our mission as we approach Giving Tuesday!

If you are interested in volunteering through IYF, click this link: https://harraseeket.app.neoncrm.com/forms/contact-us to let us know you would like to be a volunteer.

If you are interested in donating, click this link: https://www.harraseeketfoundation.org/donate-today to learn more about donating!

11/08/2025

Striving for success - a phrase that both the Harraseeket team and the Imagining Your Future (IYF) program consistently work towards.

We are excited to announce the kickoff of a bigger and better IYF program for the new school year, consisting of over 50 students signing up for regular workshops and more anticipated for our career panels and other events.

In this program, we guide students through a year of discovery - discovering who they are as a person, how they imagine their future, and finally, how to achieve what they imagine.

If you are interested in learning more about joining the volunteer team pictured below to help students in the Herndon/McLean/Arlington, VA area imagine their future, see https://www.imaginingyourfuture.org/ and fill out the interest form linked there.”

10/24/2025

Growing up, did you have someone you were able to lean on and ask questions? Whether you had questions about school, applying to university, or life, having resources like an older sibling, counselor, and mentor available to you is an incredibly reassuring feeling.

Here at The Harraseeket Foundation, we work to ensure that students don’t feel alone. Whether students have been thinking about their futures for a while or just started and would like to talk it out with someone, our Imagining Your Future program is an incredible resource to allow students to begin building out their futures.

For this program to be a success, we need more volunteers like you, with a listening ear and wisdom to share.

To learn more about specifics and our new and improved Imagining Your Future program, read this newsletter: https://harraseeket.app.neoncrm.com/np/viewEmail.jsp?linkId=19496.

We can’t wait to help more students imagine their future! If you would like to learn more about being a resource for students in the Herndon/McLean/Arlington, VA area, please let us know by filling out this form: https://harraseeket.app.neoncrm.com/forms/contact-us to stay connected.

10/08/2025

At The Harraseeket Foundation, our mission is to help students imagine their future. During a two-day workshop organized by our partner Youthcast Media Group, we did just that.

Harraseeket’s Imagining Your Future (IYF) team worked to help 11 students:
📝Identify a goal and set action steps to get there
📝Craft their resumes.
📝Practice professional introductions and elevator pitches.

Over the two days, the students learned hands-on professional skills and gained confidence as they practiced them with a partner.

We can’t wait to help more students imagine their future! If you would love to support students in your community, let us know by filling out this form: https://harraseeket.app.neoncrm.com/forms/contact-us to stay connected!

06/13/2025

At Harraseeket, our volunteers recently led inspiring conversations with 9th and 10th graders in the College Partnership Program (CPP), helping them envision their futures. ✨
From dream jobs to family life, hobbies, and goals; students reflected on what matters most and how college is an essential part of that journey. 💬🎓
We asked:
💡“When you think about your future, what do you dream about?”
💡“If you were to picture your ideal future, what would be some important elements included in the picture?”
💡“To help you frame your thoughts, think about what your future looks like in terms of work life, family life, volunteering, and hobbies and Interests? What obstacles do you face?”
Lets keep encouraging the youth to dream big and plan boldly.

06/05/2025

35 students. 8 inspiring careers. Countless life lessons.

Our recent animated Q&A brought together students and an incredible panel of professionals—actors, lawyers, educators, nonprofit leaders, researchers, government workers, and tech innovators, sharing stories of their experiences, lessons, challenges and powerful advice.
From first jobs to mentors, the students got a front-row seat to real-world wisdom.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known in high school?

05/28/2025

When creativity meets purpose, amazing things happen.

What happens when students come together to explore their strengths and interests? Something amazing.
Thirty-eight 9th and 10th graders, with support from Harraseeket volunteers, explored their personal strengths and interests through engaging group work. They tackled powerful questions like what the world needs from them, and then brought their answers to life using Play-Doh. The results? Pure magic

Here’s what they discussed,

“Given our group’s combined strengths and interests, what is something the world needs from us collectively?”

05/17/2025

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news!!!Harraseeket has been awarded a grant from the
Community Foundation for Northern Virginia!
This incredible support will amplify our impact and help us reach even more lives in meaningful ways. We’re so grateful for this partnership and we can’t wait to share more of our journey with you.
Read all about it here: https://www.harraseeketfoundation.org/news

07/17/2024

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce just featured our work in their Business Podcast! Angela Inzerillo chats with Steve Parker about the impact of our new "Imagining Your Future" program, involving mentoring, workshops and at-work experiences. They also discuss how Northern Virginia employers of all sizes and types, including nonprofits and government employers, can get involved by mentoring, offering at-work experiences (internships, shadowing, part-time work and informational interviews), volunteering and donating to support our cause!

We're thrilled to welcome Steve Parker of the Harraseeket Foundation back to the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce's Business Focus Podcast!👏Listen to our ...