Opportunities for our youth
By Dr. Selim Erhan, TLT Editor | TLT From the Editor July 2026
We can help them think about their future with unbiased examples.
It is summer, a time to enjoy outdoor activities and travel, engage in outdoor projects and spend more time with our kids. Soon it will be school time, and family members will go back to their individual responsibilities. So, summer is a precious time that we can use to bond with our children and understand what they would like to do in the future. It is a big undertaking for them as they don’t have much information to build their dreams on. I think we can help with information on various professions and especially our jobs. We can help them think about their future with unbiased examples. We can maybe even remind them they have huge potential and can fulfill their dreams if they focus. There is so much information nowadays about the power of focus and planning, but I am sure it will help them to also hear it from their parents and older siblings. Of course, their focus may change with time, but if we can instill self-confidence and let them believe they can reach their goals, if they trust themselves, that power will not change. They can apply it to whichever area they choose.
I recently was involved in helping shape a panel with high school students. I gave them the general subject and asked them to prepare their speeches based on their own findings, thoughts, experiences and hopes. The outcome was far beyond my expectations. Once they had collected the material, I helped them tailor the presentations to the audience, practice talking while targeting delivering the message and making sure the message was understood rather than just throwing it out there. After the program I asked what impressed them most, and they said that being trusted to do the presentation and the belief we had in them had empowered them so much that they wanted to continue similar programs, encourage their friends to join and become mentors for newcomers.
I believe trusting them is quite different than giving them a project or assigning chores. What I saw in my experience was that trust opens their own desire to achieve, elevating them to a level next to older, more experienced people. In turn they gladly open themselves to benefiting from our experiences.
I believe this new level of motivation and bonding will make them eager to learn about our experiences and our goals in our professions, and this interest may strengthen their desire to apply scientific, disciplined approaches we all have benefited through our careers.
Another series of favorable interactions can be built with high school and university teachers. We can help build a bridge between academia and real-life examples, helping students to channel their abilities toward applications that are dear to them. Maybe we can even volunteer to talk in their classes so they can see that it is not an unknown world that is waiting for them, but one that is filled by people they know well—a world that will not happen to them, but one they can shape with their work, imagination and their dreams and receive help during the way.
Dr. Selim Erhan is president of Erbur Solutions in Trout Valley, Ill. You can reach him at selim.erhan@outlook.com.