Personal Discovery • Purpose • Growth
Their Future Isn't Something to Predict. It's Something to Discover.
The Becoming Project · Discover who you're capable of becoming.
Personalized mentoring that helps high school students, college students, and young adults understand their strengths, explore meaningful possibilities, and develop the confidence to navigate their futures.
Fenwick "Fen" How, Founder & Mentor
Who it's for
High school students, college students & young adults
How we meet
Online anywhere, or in person in the Houston / Magnolia area
Signature experience
4 core sessions over about 4 weeks
First step
A relaxed 30-minute parent conversation
The Question Behind the Questions
So Many Possibilities. So Little Clarity.
Young people are asked to choose a major, a school, a first job, sometimes a whole direction, before they've had the chance to understand themselves. The options look endless and the stakes look high.
None of these questions mean something is wrong. Uncertainty at this stage is normal, and it's useful. It's the space where real exploration happens.
What helps is a trusted, experienced voice from outside the family and the classroom. Someone who listens closely and asks better questions. They don't hand down answers. They help a young person see their own patterns clearly enough to choose for themselves.
- 01What should I study?
- 02What am I naturally good at?
- 03What kind of work would I actually enjoy?
- 04Am I choosing this path for myself, or for someone else?
- 05Which careers are AI-proof?
- 06What opportunities haven't I considered?
- 07How do I know I'm making the right decision?
AI and the Future of Work
What Should I Choose That's AI-Proof?
AI isn't a future event. It's already changing which jobs exist, what they pay, and how people get started in them. A college decision made today plays out over the next forty years. The question isn't whether AI will touch your student's career. It's whether their choice will still hold up when it does.
What we're already seeing
The first rung of the ladder is moving
Routine entry-level work in writing, coding, analysis, and customer support is increasingly handled by AI. Many of the jobs that used to teach new graduates the ropes are shrinking or changing shape.
Knowing facts is cheap. Judgment isn't.
When anyone can get an instant answer, value shifts to the people who decide what to do with it, own the outcome, and earn the trust of the people affected.
Physical and human work is holding up
Work that happens in the real world, like skilled trades, patient care, emergency response, and field engineering, is proving far harder to automate than work done entirely on a screen.
Skills expire faster
Tools and job descriptions are changing in years, not decades. The most valuable thing a young person can build is the ability to keep learning and adapt without starting over.
How to future-proof the decision
- 1Judge the tasks, not the titleLook at what people in a career actually do all day, and how much of it AI can already do.
- 2Follow demand that needs peopleFavor fields where clients need a real person present, trusted, or accountable.
- 3Build skills that travelCommunication, leadership, problem-solving, and hands-on expertise carry across industries and outlast any single tool.
- 4Keep a pivot pathChoose a primary direction and an adjacent backup that shares the same strengths, so change becomes an option, not a crisis.
- 5Protect the investmentBefore committing years of tuition, test the path with real conversations, shadowing, and an honest look at where it's heading.
The future-proof test we apply to every option
- 1Does it require physical presence or hands-on skill?
- 2Do people need to trust a human to do it?
- 3Does someone have to be accountable, licensed, or in charge?
- 4Is AI likely to replace this work, or just change how it's done?
“Nothing is completely AI-proof. But some choices are a lot smarter than others.”
As a technology executive and through The Aperture Method, I watch AI reshape companies, industries, and job descriptions in real time. I bring that front-row view of where work is heading to every student's decision.
The Discovery Methodology
A More Complete Picture of Who They Are.
We look through four lenses. Each one reveals something the others miss, and together they turn vague impressions into something a young person can actually work with.
Personality
How do you naturally think, communicate, respond to challenges, and approach the world?
Example toolBig Five personality framework
Interests
What kinds of activities, environments, and challenges genuinely engage you?
Example toolO*NET Interest Profiler
Aptitudes
What abilities may come naturally to you, including strengths you haven't recognized yet?
Example toolYouScience Discovery
Strengths
How can your strongest patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving become practical advantages?
Example toolCliftonStrengths
Assessments offer insight, not verdicts. They start a conversation, and the conversation is where the value is.
Tools are chosen for each student's needs and stage. Not every student uses every tool.
Some third-party assessments carry their own fees or access requirements, which are always discussed in advance. The Becoming Project is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by any assessment provider.
The Becoming Philosophy
The Goal Isn't to Tell Them Who to Be.
It's to help them discover who they're capable of becoming.
The student owns their choices and their future, start to finish. Mentoring works when it builds a young person's judgment, not their dependence on someone else's.
My role is to
- Ask meaningful questions
- Introduce useful discovery tools
- Help interpret what the insights mean
- Challenge assumptions, constructively
- Connect interests and strengths to real opportunities
- Encourage independent thinking
- Help turn ideas into action
“You're the expert on you. My job is to ask good questions, help you connect the dots, and keep things moving.”
Fen How
“Who you are is not simply who you've been. It's who you're becoming.”
Self-awareness precedes direction.
Before deciding where to go, understand how you think, what motivates you, what energizes you, and where your strengths lie.
Discovery creates possibilities.
Many young adults have capabilities and interests they haven't recognized yet. You can't choose a path you can't see.
Good decisions are learned.
Weighing options, understanding tradeoffs, and moving through uncertainty is a skill. Like any skill, it can be practiced.
Character matters as much as capability.
Integrity, humility, accountability, discipline, curiosity, and compassion shape the life a person builds.
Becoming is a lifelong process.
A mentoring engagement can set a direction. Growth keeps going as life changes.
The Mentoring Journey
A Structured Process. A Personal Journey.
Every engagement follows a deliberate arc, and the pace is always set around the student's school, work, exams, and life.
Step 1 of 6
The Conversation
Understand where they are today.
A relaxed introductory discussion about the student's current situation, the questions on their mind, their goals, and their interests. There's no pressure and no test. We just want to understand the starting point.
Typically includes
- Introductory kickoff (about 30 minutes)
- Current situation & questions
- Expectations & next steps
A typical core discovery experience includes a 30-minute kickoff, four sessions of about 60 minutes, independent exercises between sessions, and follow-through afterward. This is an example, not a fixed formula. Every engagement is shaped around the individual.
The Signature Experience
The Discovery Journey
A personalized introduction to self-discovery, direction, and growth.
4
Core mentoring sessions
~4
Weeks, typical discovery period
1
Personalized action plan
Includes an introductory conversation, selected assessments, guided reflection, career exploration, a personal game plan, and opportunities for follow-through.
Many families continue with ongoing mentorship after the Discovery Journey. That's always a choice, never an expectation.
What Students Take Away
More Than Advice. A Foundation for What's Next.
A deeper understanding of their personality, interests, and motivations
Greater awareness of their natural aptitudes and strengths
Educational and career directions genuinely worth exploring
More confidence talking about their strengths and goals
A personalized one-page action plan
Practical next steps, and someone to help them follow through
Greater confidence making independent decisions
A foundation for continued personal growth
Where it fits, a plan may include informational interviews, professional introductions, or follow-up with academic advisors. Introductions depend on fit and availability. We don't promise career outcomes or admissions decisions. The goal is a student who knows themselves well enough to pursue the right ones.
Industry Advisors
Real Conversations With People Who've Done the Work.
Exploring a path is one thing. Talking with someone who has lived it is another. Where it fits a student's plan, The Becoming Project draws on a trusted circle of experienced professionals who are willing to share honest, first-hand perspective on their fields.
Military & Aviation
Mike Smith
Former U.S. Navy Captain · F-14 Tomcat Aviator
Service, leadership under pressure, aviation, and the many paths a military career can open, from the academies and ROTC to life after service.
Technology
Tom Bonola
Former Chief Technology Officer, Hewlett-Packard
What a career in technology is really like, how the industry is changing with AI, and the skills that keep technologists valuable.
Medicine
Dr. Sandra How
Physician
The realities and rewards of medicine, the long road through training, and the many roles across healthcare, one of the most AI-resilient fields.
Entrepreneurship
Fen How
Founder & former CEO · $2.5B+ in energy transactions
Starting and scaling companies, taking smart risks, leading teams, and building something of your own.
Advisor conversations are arranged when they fit a student's goals and depend on availability. For students under 18, parents are informed and involved. The network continues to grow.
Character & the Road Ahead
A Successful Life Is Built on More Than Talent.
Alongside the discovery work, each engagement draws on the 15 Principles for the Road Ahead, a personal-development philosophy I've written down over years of professional experience, personal growth, mistakes, and the lessons that came with them.
“Your abilities may open doors. Your character helps determine what you do once you walk through them.”
My own faith shapes how I think about character, and for families who want it, the principles can include faith-based reflections. That is always optional. The Becoming Project welcomes students and families of every background and belief.
A selection of the themes
15 Principles for the Road Ahead
- 01Integrity & Honesty
- 02Humility
- 03Accountability
- 04Discipline
- 05Resilience
- 06Compassion
- 07Clear Communication
- 08Curiosity
- 09Adaptability
- 10Collaboration
The complete principles are shared within each engagement
Meet Fen
Experience Worth Sharing. A Future Worth Investing In.
- Founder & CEO, Trifield Exploration & Production: 500,000+ mineral acres, $2.5B+ in acquisitions & divestitures
- Co-Founder & VP of Projects, Circon Energy: international renewable & waste-to-energy development
- Co-Founder, Celerity Energy Advisors: upstream, midstream & private equity advisory
- Founder, The Aperture Method: analytics, AI & strategy for owner-run businesses
- Chief Information Officer, Starfighters International (aerospace & defense)
- Former paramedic, district supervisor & Houston Community College faculty
- B.S.B.A., Project Management, summa cum laude · Six Sigma Green Belt
- Executive MBA candidate, Texas A&M University Mays Business School
Fenwick "Fen" How
Entrepreneur | Energy Executive | Founder, The Aperture Method | Mentor | Texas A&M Executive MBA Candidate
- Asset acquisitions & divestitures led
- $2.5B+
- Asset acquisitions & divestitures led
- Renewable energy projects in development
- ~$2.8B
- Renewable energy projects in development
- Power generation portfolio supported
- 22,000+ MW
- Power generation portfolio supported
- Houston Fire Dept. personnel trained
- 4,000+
- Houston Fire Dept. personnel trained
- B.S.B.A., Project Management
- Summa Cum Laude
- B.S.B.A., Project Management
- Texas A&M Mays Business School, Executive program
- MBA
- Texas A&M Mays Business School, Executive program
I've spent three decades building and leading: as a paramedic and instructor, as founder and CEO of an oil and gas company that led more than $2.5 billion in acquisitions and divestitures, and today as an energy executive developing billions of dollars in renewable projects. I also lead The Aperture Method, where I help businesses use analytics and AI to make better decisions.
Along the way I learned that the hardest decisions are rarely about technical skill. They're about knowing yourself, weighing tradeoffs honestly, and having the character to follow through. I'm a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and The Becoming Project is how I pass that on to the next generation, especially now that AI is changing the choices young people face.
Academic credentials are personal. The Becoming Project is an independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by Texas A&M University.
For Parents
You've Helped Them Get This Far. Let's Help Them Find What's Next.
You know your son or daughter better than anyone. Sometimes, though, a young person hears things differently from someone outside the family. Mentoring adds one more trusted perspective. It never replaces yours. It helps your student take real ownership of their decisions.
Uncertain direction
Unsure about college, a major, or a career, or quietly doubting the path they're already on.
Unclear strengths
Talented in ways they can't yet name, or don't see as strengths at all.
Interests without a path
Real passions, but no clear way to turn them into opportunities.
Confidence & decisions
Hesitant to commit, or worried about choosing wrong.
The move to independence
Ready to take ownership but still building the habits and judgment to do it well.
Parent-led for minors
For students under 18, every engagement begins with a parent or guardian, with appropriate consent and clear agreement on how and when we communicate.
Collaborative & respectful
You'll know the shape of the process. The student's reflections are treated with respect, and we agree in advance what is shared and how.
Clear boundaries
This is mentoring. It complements, and never replaces, parental guidance, school counselors, academic advisors, or licensed mental-health care.
Questions Parents Ask
Good Questions Deserve Clear Answers.
Who is The Becoming Project for?
High school students, college students, and young adults who want more clarity about their strengths, interests, and direction. That includes students who have no idea what's next and students who are quietly second-guessing a path they've already chosen.
How does it start?
With a conversation with you, the parent. We'll talk about where your son or daughter is today and what you're hoping they'll discover, and decide together whether it's a good fit. There's no pressure and no obligation.
Are sessions online or in person?
Either. Sessions can be held by video from anywhere, or in person in the Houston and Magnolia, Texas area. Many students prefer a mix.
How much time does it take?
The signature Discovery Journey typically includes a short kickoff and four sessions of about an hour each over roughly four weeks, plus brief reflection exercises between sessions. The pace is always set around school, work, and exams.
What does it cost?
Investment depends on the engagement and is discussed openly during your introductory conversation, before anything is decided. Some third-party assessments have separate fees, and those are always reviewed with you in advance.
What will I, as the parent, know about the sessions?
We agree on that together at the start. You'll understand the process and the plan, while the student's personal reflections are treated with respect. For students under 18, a parent or guardian is involved from the beginning and gives consent.
Can you help my student choose something AI-proof?
Yes. That's a core part of the process. No career is completely AI-proof, but we run every option a student considers through a future-proof test: Does it need hands-on skill or physical presence? Do people need to trust a human? Does someone have to be accountable or licensed? Is AI likely to replace the work, or just change how it's done? Fen sees AI reshaping industries firsthand as a technology executive, and brings that current perspective to every conversation.
Is this counseling or therapy?
No. This is mentoring and educational guidance. It isn't clinical diagnosis, psychological treatment, or licensed counseling, and it doesn't replace school counselors or academic advisors. If a student would benefit from professional mental-health support, I'll encourage the family to seek it.
Is the program faith-based?
The Becoming Project welcomes families of every background and belief. My personal faith shapes how I think about character, and faith-based reflections are available for families who want them. They are always optional.
Do you guarantee admissions or career outcomes?
No, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. The goal is a young person who understands themselves well enough to make strong decisions and pursue the right opportunities with confidence.
Get Started
Every Meaningful Journey Begins With a Conversation.
“Tell me a little about where your son or daughter is today, and what you're hoping to help them discover. We'll start with a conversation and see whether The Becoming Project is the right fit.”
Fen
- A relaxed, no-pressure first conversation
- Takes less than a minute
- Your information stays private
Online booking is coming soon
In the meantime, send a short message and Fen will reach out personally to find a time.