You know if you reflect back, you know to your younger self
 2
00:00:02.902 --> 00:00:05.472 and to your future self, what would you tell yourself?
 3
00:00:05.472 --> 00:00:08.208 Like, you know, this is you know, this is how to go through things.
 4
00:00:08.208 --> 00:00:10.844 I don't know if my younger self would have listened, honestly.
 5
00:00:10.844 --> 00:00:14.347 I mean, at this point right now, I think if my younger self could see me,
 6
00:00:15.015 --> 00:00:16.583 they'd be lost for words.
 7
00:00:16.583 --> 00:00:19.953 We were in a pretty dark place, and, you know, it's a long story short, but
 8
00:00:20.487 --> 00:00:24.557 I ended up going straight to, to work after high school because my father
 9
00:00:24.557 --> 00:00:28.728 at the time was disabled, and my mother, had just been incarcerated.
 10
00:00:28.762 --> 00:00:31.731 And you want to talk about depression and not having a direction?
 11
00:00:31.731 --> 00:00:33.500 That's exactly where I was.
 12
00:00:33.500 --> 00:00:34.567 I didn't know what was next.
 13
00:00:34.567 --> 00:00:37.537 And, I was really fearful of what was happening to my family.
 14
00:00:37.537 --> 00:00:39.205 But doors opened.
 15
00:00:39.205 --> 00:00:42.208 The community around me stepped up to support me.
 16
00:00:42.375 --> 00:00:43.576 And I did have a group of people
 17
00:00:43.576 --> 00:00:45.779 who believed in the things that I talked about.
 18
00:00:45.779 --> 00:00:47.580 And I think that's such an important element, right?
 19
00:00:47.580 --> 00:00:48.848 Like your dreams shouldn't
 20
00:00:48.848 --> 00:00:51.851 just be things that people laugh at and change the station on.
 21
00:00:51.851 --> 00:00:53.386 They should they should invest.
 22
00:00:53.386 --> 00:00:56.589 You know, when I said, hey, like, I see myself moving out of Philadelphia
 23
00:00:56.589 --> 00:00:57.924 one day, you know, people
 24
00:00:57.924 --> 00:01:01.261 that ask me, oh, where and what does, your first apartment look like?
 25
00:01:01.728 --> 00:01:05.632 These conversations really help promote the idea that it could happen.
 26
00:01:05.698 --> 00:01:06.533 And so,
 27
00:01:06.533 --> 00:01:10.603 navigating what was going on at home with my family having a big why, right?
 28
00:01:10.603 --> 00:01:14.007 The reason why I was working also helped propel me forward.
 29
00:01:14.174 --> 00:01:15.775 Because again, you got two outcomes, right?
 30
00:01:15.775 --> 00:01:17.977 Things stay the same or they change.
 31
00:01:17.977 --> 00:01:19.712 I needed things to change badly.
 32
00:01:19.712 --> 00:01:21.614 And I needed them to change for my entire family.
 33
00:01:21.614 --> 00:01:25.318 So I told you earlier, you know, you'll go through a bad day and bad days happen.
 34
00:01:25.318 --> 00:01:28.788 But I am a living testament to the idea
 35
00:01:28.788 --> 00:01:31.958 that what's coming is so much better than what's happening right now.
 36
00:01:32.325 --> 00:01:33.860 I can promise you that.
 

In the tech world, you don't necessarily need a college degree. Certifications are a more cost-effective way to build skills and break into tech. However, if you have C-suite aspirations, it may be a good idea to pursue a bachelor's degree and MBA. I recommend taking a moment to map out what exactly it is that you want. Build a vision board. Figure out what you want first and then map the route it takes to get there.

I went into the workforce after high school because my father was disabled and my mother was incarcerated. It was a dark time. I struggled with depression and lacked direction. My faith and the support of my community is what pushed me forward.

Each day, I design learning experiences and partner with Fortune 50–500 companies to help them build equitable, inclusive cultures. I research, develop curricula, and collaborate across teams to ensure our programs open doors for diverse talent.

Associate Director, Learning & Advisory Services

Adversity

Perseverance

Support & Encouragement

How I Persevered Through Adversity

In your work, are there any
 2
00:00:03.403 --> 00:00:05.638 challenges or things that kind of like,
 3
00:00:05.638 --> 00:00:08.641 makes you like, go back and like, whoa, like this is like,
 4
00:00:08.641 --> 00:00:11.644 should I be here or like, you know, or experiencing anything like that?
 5
00:00:11.911 --> 00:00:16.383 My journey being even at 40, going through as much as I have, it's
 6
00:00:16.383 --> 00:00:21.383 hard for me, honestly, to really look at work challenges as challenges.
 7
00:00:21.421 --> 00:00:23.456 To me it could be an issue, it could be something
 8
00:00:23.456 --> 00:00:25.592 that needs to be solved or something that's going on.
 9
00:00:25.592 --> 00:00:30.463 my brain isn't wired enough for me to not look at the bigger picture and everything
 10
00:00:30.463 --> 00:00:35.035 in those situations and say, how much of this really is a real problem?
 11
00:00:35.035 --> 00:00:38.204 Is something very serious that I need to give so much energy to?
 12
00:00:38.538 --> 00:00:41.941 When I know there's something else that to me, that's way more paramount,
 13
00:00:41.941 --> 00:00:45.045 that really just means a lot more than this IT issue.
 14
00:00:45.145 --> 00:00:46.846 And it's trying to live in that space of just,
 15
00:00:46.846 --> 00:00:48.148 there's always something that's going on.
 16
00:00:48.148 --> 00:00:50.183 It could be worse, it could be catastrophic.
 17
00:00:50.183 --> 00:00:53.286 But the end of the day, I can only control what I can control right?
 18
00:00:53.286 --> 00:00:55.722 I don't control the infrastructure of IT at MIT.
 19
00:00:55.722 --> 00:00:57.857 I don't control the whole networking, I don't.
 20
00:00:57.857 --> 00:00:59.526 So there's only so much that I can do.
 21
00:00:59.526 --> 00:01:01.861 And I'm human. I'm I'm going to make mistakes.
 22
00:01:01.861 --> 00:01:03.029 I'm not going to do everything right.
 23
00:01:03.029 --> 00:01:06.933 So it's just like living in that space of not trying to get overwhelmed,
 24
00:01:07.233 --> 00:01:10.236 over challenges as everybody's going to have them.
 25
00:01:10.437 --> 00:01:11.504 And I don't know if that's just more
 26
00:01:11.504 --> 00:01:13.073 of my experience of being somebody
 27
00:01:13.073 --> 00:01:14.941 who went through a lot of challenges and continues
 28
00:01:14.941 --> 00:01:17.944 to go through a lot of challenges so, I've got a lot of practice
 29
00:01:18.011 --> 00:01:18.878 in dealing with them.
 30
00:01:18.878 --> 00:01:21.081 So it does give me some sense of comfort.
 31
00:01:21.081 --> 00:01:22.749 There's a saying, I remember Tom Hanks said it.
 32
00:01:22.749 --> 00:01:24.517 This too shall pass, right.
 33
00:01:24.584 --> 00:01:27.821 So whatever that challenge is, it shall pass.
 34
00:01:27.887 --> 00:01:30.590 Nothing remains constant, both the highs and the lows.
 35
00:01:30.590 --> 00:01:31.925 So ride the wave.
 36
00:01:31.925 --> 00:01:35.462 You know, it can be a little bumpy sometimes you fall off the surfboard,
 37
00:01:35.462 --> 00:01:36.296 but you know it's all right.
 38
00:01:36.296 --> 00:01:37.864 You know, if you have the opportunity to get back
 39
00:01:37.864 --> 00:01:40.100 up, get back up, and, you know, try again, you know.
 

While I was growing up, my mother battled addiction and I didn’t know my father, so my extended family stepped in to raise me, teaching me resilience and service.

I went to college straight out of high school but I wasn't quite ready for that level of responsibility at that age. I decided to leave college and then reinvest in my education later in life when I was ready.

I made some wrong choices and ended up incarcerated for about a year. It really made me reevaluate my life and focus in on a plan for my future.

I spend my days helping faculty solve their tech issues at MIT. Each day is different. One moment I’m walking an older faculty member through the basics, the next I’m guiding a young professional through complex systems. I love making people feel supported, helping them navigate fast-changing technology, and ensuring they leave our interactions more confident and capable.

IT Support Engineer

Dealing With Challenges At Work

So what are some of the challenges, you know, that some of your students face
 2
00:00:03.403 --> 00:00:06.506 when they're, when they want to get into the employment market?
 3
00:00:06.506 --> 00:00:08.041 And how do you prepare them for that?
 4
00:00:08.041 --> 00:00:11.644 That is difficult because it's one of those things
 5
00:00:11.644 --> 00:00:14.481 where you feel as though you've prepared as much as you can,
 6
00:00:14.481 --> 00:00:17.217 but then you go into a job market that's ever changing.
 7
00:00:17.217 --> 00:00:21.021 You go into a job market where it feels like the goalpost keeps moving, right.
 8
00:00:21.021 --> 00:00:23.757 You get the certification and you're applying for entry level.
 9
00:00:23.757 --> 00:00:26.426 But now they want 5 or 6 years of experience.
 10
00:00:26.426 --> 00:00:28.695 So it's a lot of uncertainty.
 11
00:00:28.695 --> 00:00:32.665 But what I tell my learners all the time is that showing up
 12
00:00:32.665 --> 00:00:34.401 as your authentic self, right?
 13
00:00:34.401 --> 00:00:37.570 Allowing yourself to take time to figure out what your values are
 14
00:00:37.570 --> 00:00:40.874 so you know where you see yourself going and then keep going
 15
00:00:40.874 --> 00:00:42.208 until you get that yes.
 16
00:00:42.208 --> 00:00:44.644 There will be a lot of no's before you get to that yes,
 17
00:00:44.644 --> 00:00:49.315 but the goal is to stay motivated while you are on the job hunt.
 18
00:00:49.315 --> 00:00:51.584 The job market is tough, but you can be tougher,
 19
00:00:51.584 --> 00:00:54.320 and it's about being consistent and being persistent
 20
00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:56.856 and having an end goal in mind, knowing that, you know,
 21
00:00:56.856 --> 00:01:00.060 I see myself in this position eventually and I'm gonna keep going
 22
00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:02.762 until I get there. So it's definitely difficult.
 23
00:01:02.762 --> 00:01:06.833 But offering encouragement as much as I can as a coach
 24
00:01:06.833 --> 00:01:11.833 is how I've been able to assist learners through those very uncertain times.
 

Each day, I coach learners one-on-one to prep for interviews, write and refine resumes, and build confidence. I also lead live trainings and work on engaging content. The classroom is a space where learners feel empowered to pivot careers and show up authentically.

Professional Development Manager

Integrity & Authenticity

Advice For Students Entering The Workforce

Within your business like,
 2
00:00:02.102 --> 00:00:05.839 I know you'd have like rough days, you said like it wasn't always, like, booming.
 3
00:00:06.206 --> 00:00:08.842 How'd you like, push through and actually like,
 4
00:00:08.842 --> 00:00:10.977 motivate yourself to keep going?
 5
00:00:10.977 --> 00:00:13.313 Prayer.
 6
00:00:13.313 --> 00:00:17.017 Prayer and I had this little sign from One Spark,
 7
00:00:17.117 --> 00:00:19.919 it was an event in Jacksonville that, you know, I participated in.
 8
00:00:19.919 --> 00:00:24.090 And this, this one marketing person she was there trying to get money for her
 9
00:00:24.090 --> 00:00:27.927 business just starting a marketing firm, and she had this little plaque
 10
00:00:27.927 --> 00:00:29.229 that she would give out
 11
00:00:29.229 --> 00:00:32.632 to a lot of the other entrepreneurs that were also participating.
 12
00:00:33.033 --> 00:00:37.437 And I kept that in, right near the cash register in my spa.
 13
00:00:37.737 --> 00:00:40.006 And It said, remember why you started.
 14
00:00:40.006 --> 00:00:42.909 So on those most difficult days it was that and
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00:00:42.909 --> 00:00:46.379 and to answer your question definitely as a black woman and even today
 16
00:00:46.379 --> 00:00:49.916 as you know I look at market research and just the numbers all the time.
 17
00:00:50.083 --> 00:00:53.253 Still less than 3% of black businesses
 18
00:00:53.253 --> 00:00:57.891 get investors, and make it to, you know, that next level mid level.
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00:00:57.891 --> 00:00:59.225 Some don't even make it to the top.
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00:00:59.225 --> 00:01:01.895 I just knew that there was a space for me.
 21
00:01:01.895 --> 00:01:04.230 But I also knew, to your point it was going to be difficult.
 22
00:01:04.230 --> 00:01:05.298 It's going to be challenging.
 23
00:01:05.298 --> 00:01:06.966 And it's still is somewhat challenging
 24
00:01:06.966 --> 00:01:09.369 because even when I was doing the Sam's Club roadshows,
 25
00:01:09.369 --> 00:01:12.272 I got into Sam's Club at the time that I did
 26
00:01:12.572 --> 00:01:15.575 because the CEO at the time was Rosalind Brewer.
 27
00:01:15.675 --> 00:01:17.944 So it's a black woman. But the timing was right.
 28
00:01:17.944 --> 00:01:22.115 So everything is about timing, And also creating your own opportunity.
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00:01:22.415 --> 00:01:26.252 You know people will say you can't do it but you got to take opposition
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00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:28.121 and make it into an opportunity.
 31
00:01:28.121 --> 00:01:31.891 And when people say you can't do you got show them can.
 32
00:01:32.192 --> 00:01:33.059 There you go.
 

I'd recommend first getting an associate degree in nursing. After gaining some work experience as an RN, consider going back to school to obtain certifications or a business degree because these programs will teach you how to run a business, lead a team, and turn your ideas into a real company.

I had a stroke in 2021. I couldn't walk and ended up losing a lot of my hair. I thank my husband, God, and my health that I survived. After recovering, I rebuilt my health and my business to find success again.

As a healthcare entrepreneur and president, I manage business operations, product distribution, and strategic partnerships. My focus is on marketing, customer relations, and product innovation to expand my brand’s impact.

Founder & President

We won't invest in your company unless you change the company's name.

Trust & Hope

Staying Motivated To Succeed As An Entrepreneur

This sounds like a
 2
00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:03.436 a potentially very stressful job, and you're literally dealing
 3
00:00:03.436 --> 00:00:04.471 with life and death.
 4
00:00:04.471 --> 00:00:07.807 How do you persevere through those failures?
 5
00:00:07.807 --> 00:00:10.010 Or even just the day to day struggles?
 6
00:00:10.010 --> 00:00:11.378 Like, how do you cope with that?
 7
00:00:11.378 --> 00:00:15.115 It's been a long career and there's definitely been times
 8
00:00:15.382 --> 00:00:18.752 where you're, you feel like
 9
00:00:18.752 --> 00:00:21.755 you're heading towards burnout or complacency.
 10
00:00:21.788 --> 00:00:26.788 And to me the best thing for that is to fight to be self-aware.
 11
00:00:26.993 --> 00:00:31.698 Really understand yourself, your body, your situation.
 12
00:00:31.698 --> 00:00:34.734 and find things you want to do along the way
 13
00:00:34.734 --> 00:00:36.936 and don't wait till the end of your career to do things.
 14
00:00:36.936 --> 00:00:39.005 Whether it's some sporting,
 15
00:00:39.005 --> 00:00:42.342 painting, anything that you say, well, this is what I can do
 16
00:00:42.342 --> 00:00:44.811 after my career is over, something that I can continue.
 17
00:00:44.811 --> 00:00:48.615 Take advantage of every single day your off because another thing you really
 18
00:00:48.615 --> 00:00:53.019 crystal clear know, from my job is that you're not guaranteed the next day.
 

To be a flight nurse, you'll need your nursing degree and then you'll need to have five years of level one trauma critical care experience.

After coming into work, briefing with on-duty crews, and checking out the aircraft, we are ready for the unknown, as we never know where we're going and who we're going to take care of during our duty day. I do both inter-facility flights, which are typically flights from a rural ER back to a major hospital, and scene flights, which could be things like car accidents, shootings, stabbings, and falls.

Chief Flight Nurse

Interests & Hobbies

Self-Reflection

Persevering In A High Stress Career

How did you scale the project and impact so many people?
 2
00:00:05.005 --> 00:00:07.674 The startup survival rate is super, super low.
 3
00:00:07.674 --> 00:00:09.009 Like, what? Less than 1%.
 4
00:00:09.009 --> 00:00:14.009 I sincerely believe, a lot of entrepreneurs
 5
00:00:14.347 --> 00:00:18.852 have great ideas and often times it's a mental,
 6
00:00:18.852 --> 00:00:22.956 you know, stamina issue where you just can no longer
 7
00:00:23.123 --> 00:00:27.961 sustain the negatives of an entrepreneurial journey
 8
00:00:27.961 --> 00:00:31.998 and too many failures and too much negativity.
 9
00:00:32.232 --> 00:00:32.499 Right.
 10
00:00:32.499 --> 00:00:37.499 But if you persist through all of that consistently trying to find a new angle
 11
00:00:38.605 --> 00:00:43.209 to solve your problem, and I think that's how our organization scaled, right.
 12
00:00:43.309 --> 00:00:47.714 When we were starting in the industry, there are so many incumbents and,
 13
00:00:47.814 --> 00:00:49.182 they're way bigger.
 14
00:00:49.182 --> 00:00:52.619 No one thought we could make it just because, you know, in
 15
00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:56.823 education, change management and, it's hard to start something.
 16
00:00:56.923 --> 00:00:58.391 But, we didn't give up.
 17
00:00:58.391 --> 00:01:01.494 And I think all good things, don't come easily.
 18
00:01:01.661 --> 00:01:01.995 Right.
 19
00:01:01.995 --> 00:01:06.995 And you have to, try your best and try your hardest and be innovative.
 20
00:01:07.300 --> 00:01:10.870 And that's from execution to the way
 21
00:01:10.870 --> 00:01:14.607 you think about the problem and not just to live up to a status quo.
 22
00:01:14.941 --> 00:01:18.078 And how do you see the future of schooling,
 23
00:01:18.278 --> 00:01:21.414 like with the growth of AI, for instance?
 24
00:01:21.948 --> 00:01:26.219 How do you plan to implement that and change maybe change I don't know.
 25
00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:26.619 Yeah.
 26
00:01:26.619 --> 00:01:29.289 We actually started using AI long time ago.
 27
00:01:29.289 --> 00:01:33.526 We care about productivity because we believe if we run our organization
 28
00:01:33.793 --> 00:01:37.564 really, really well, that means we can impact more students
 29
00:01:37.564 --> 00:01:40.967 and support more of our school counselors
 30
00:01:40.967 --> 00:01:44.003 and, our teachers and our CTE coordinators.
 31
00:01:44.003 --> 00:01:46.339 So that's really, really important to us.
 32
00:01:46.339 --> 00:01:48.108 And then the second thing is,
 33
00:01:48.108 --> 00:01:51.578 from an application level, like from a platform level,
 34
00:01:51.845 --> 00:01:56.845 thinking about finding use cases ensuring, can we increase our counselors
 35
00:01:57.217 --> 00:02:01.421 capacity, our students navigation personalization ability.
 36
00:02:01.421 --> 00:02:01.588 Right.
 37
00:02:01.588 --> 00:02:02.755 Those are some of the things
 38
00:02:02.755 --> 00:02:06.359 that we've been implementing and will continue to invest in.
 

To start a company, you need to have a strong passion for the thing you want to create. You also need to have a clear vision for how you're going to achieve the goal. And finally, you need to possess the skills to accomplish each step along the way.

No two days look the same. I bounce between leading strategy, problem-solving across departments, and advocating for our mission. I work closely with districts and volunteer in schools, helping students see their futures. It’s demanding, but I love tackling big challenges and building tools that empower others.

Founder & CEO

Starting And Scaling A Company Takes Persistence

You've got to have a can't stop won't stop attitude.
 2
00:00:02.669 --> 00:00:05.672 I applied to NASA maybe three or four times
 3
00:00:05.939 --> 00:00:09.275 kind of in my career, you know, as a student trying to get interns,
 4
00:00:09.442 --> 00:00:13.747 for two other postdoc positions, didn't get them. But ironically,
 5
00:00:14.280 --> 00:00:17.684 the one position that I landed at NASA was the one that I didn't apply for.
 6
00:00:17.784 --> 00:00:20.787 So I got my position here at NASA because I sent a cold email.
 7
00:00:20.787 --> 00:00:23.757 So in that interview, I prepared 31 slides
 8
00:00:23.757 --> 00:00:27.727 on all the research that I was doing unfunded by myself solo.
 9
00:00:27.727 --> 00:00:30.330 In that interview, I said, Well, do you want to see some more work?
 10
00:00:30.330 --> 00:00:34.300 I got slides and they said, Yeah, like, okay, cool.
 11
00:00:34.300 --> 00:00:37.170 Well, so we stayed there an extra hour.
 12
00:00:37.170 --> 00:00:39.039 The interview was supposed to last 30 minutes.
 13
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.273 It lasted like an hour and a half.
 14
00:00:40.273 --> 00:00:42.108 And so you've got to be prepared.
 15
00:00:42.108 --> 00:00:44.010 There's always somebody watching you.
 16
00:00:44.010 --> 00:00:46.746 There's always somebody waiting for you to
 17
00:00:46.746 --> 00:00:49.349 to get to a certain level in your confidence,
 18
00:00:49.349 --> 00:00:52.152 to be able to reach out to them, to put yourself out there
 19
00:00:52.152 --> 00:00:53.853 so that they can pull you in right.
 20
00:00:53.853 --> 00:00:57.557 And a lot of the times you don't even know these opportunities exist.
 21
00:00:57.991 --> 00:00:59.993 They're saving them for the right person.
 22
00:00:59.993 --> 00:01:03.229 But that's one of the things you're combining that resiliency
 23
00:01:03.496 --> 00:01:04.998 with preparation, right?
 24
00:01:04.998 --> 00:01:07.000 With confidence, And that can't stop.
 25
00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.102 That can't stop, won't stop attitude.
 26
00:01:09.102 --> 00:01:10.203 You can't lose with that.
 27
00:01:10.203 --> 00:01:14.207 And so I knew one day I would get to NASA.
 28
00:01:14.207 --> 00:01:16.743 And so it's again, it's a full circle moment.
 29
00:01:16.743 --> 00:01:19.212 That's that's what I would say to anybody trying to get to NASA,
 30
00:01:19.212 --> 00:01:20.680 do that math coding.
 31
00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:22.348 Of course, You got to be prepared.
 

In this field, you need to have a "can't stop, won't stop" attitude. I applied to NASA multiple times before I was finally offered a position—and it wasn't even one I applied for! I sent a cold email and went the extra mile to prepare a slide presentation of my work. Be prepared. There's always somebody watching you. A lot of the times, you won't even know an opportunity exists because it's being saved for the right person. You can be the right person. Be confident, persistent, and resilient.

I spend my time diving into the mysteries of black holes as a theoretical astrophysicist at NASA. My work balances cutting-edge research on relativistic jet emissions with mentoring early-career scientists through the Cosmic Pathfinders program. Whether I’m analyzing data, speaking at conferences, or guiding students toward careers in space science, my goal is to expand our understanding of the universe while inspiring the next generation​.

Theoretical Astrophysicist

Be Prepared And Don’t Quit

I'm really interested in like your perspective,
 2
00:00:02.969 --> 00:00:05.472 especially being a black man in a leadership position, right?
 3
00:00:05.472 --> 00:00:08.274 That comes with its own sort of baggage sometimes,
 4
00:00:08.274 --> 00:00:12.145 but then also having this responsibility for one's community to kind of say like
 5
00:00:13.046 --> 00:00:15.382 people like me typically haven't been in these spaces.
 6
00:00:15.382 --> 00:00:17.350 And so now and there's that extra sort of weight.
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00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:18.418 How do you work through that?
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00:00:18.418 --> 00:00:19.419 And how have you kind of learned
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00:00:19.419 --> 00:00:22.722 throughout your process in your career to kind of deal with things like that?
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00:00:22.956 --> 00:00:24.524 There are two things that I think about.
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00:00:24.524 --> 00:00:26.426 We run the Martin Luther King Day of service.
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00:00:26.426 --> 00:00:28.928 Dr. King said one of the most famous lines about service.
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00:00:28.928 --> 00:00:31.097 Anybody can be great because anybody can serve.
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00:00:31.097 --> 00:00:34.868 And I think when I have tough days, let me talk about the tough days that Dr.
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00:00:34.868 --> 00:00:35.702 King had.
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00:00:35.702 --> 00:00:37.404 When I think about John Lewis,
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00:00:37.404 --> 00:00:40.607 I remember him speaking a few years back before he passed away,
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00:00:40.673 --> 00:00:43.143 and he said, you know, people tell me things aren't getting any better.
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00:00:43.143 --> 00:00:44.511 He's like, you want to look at that footage of me
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00:00:44.511 --> 00:00:47.013 on the bridge with the dogs and the hoses and the police.
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00:00:47.013 --> 00:00:48.114 Things are getting better.
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00:00:48.114 --> 00:00:50.016 This idea that the arc of the moral
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00:00:50.016 --> 00:00:52.419 universe is long, but it bends toward justice is so true.
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00:00:52.419 --> 00:00:54.521 And I've seen that in my own life.
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00:00:54.521 --> 00:00:57.657 I think about Sister Harriet, who Governor Moore just named
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00:00:57.657 --> 00:01:01.027 a one star general posthumously in the Maryland National Guard.
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00:01:01.027 --> 00:01:04.064 I think about my grandmother, who grew up in a little shack
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00:01:04.064 --> 00:01:06.766 where they had to go outside to get water because there was no plumbing.
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00:01:06.766 --> 00:01:09.302 And I got to take her to the Oval Office to meet my boss.
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00:01:09.302 --> 00:01:12.806 And so when when I think about hard days, I look about where we've come from.
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00:01:12.806 --> 00:01:16.376 I look on the shoulders on which I stand, and it makes it a little easier.
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00:01:16.443 --> 00:01:20.413 I would say the other thing is incumbent upon us that are black and brown
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00:01:20.447 --> 00:01:24.050 and women and other folks that didn't expect to get into certain rooms.
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00:01:24.050 --> 00:01:26.386 If you get into a room and there's no one that looks like you,
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00:01:26.386 --> 00:01:27.654 that's somebody else's fault.
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00:01:27.654 --> 00:01:30.457 If you leave that room and there's no one that looks like you, that's your fault.
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00:01:30.457 --> 00:01:33.993 And so we have a responsibility to cultivate pipelines to make sure that
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00:01:33.993 --> 00:01:37.897 the people closest to the pain are closest to the power and are in seats of decision
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00:01:37.897 --> 00:01:40.900 so that they are making decisions about the challenges in their community.
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00:01:41.034 --> 00:01:45.672 And you all know that the data shows up when boardrooms, when c-suites
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00:01:45.672 --> 00:01:49.275 look like America, they actually outperform their peers.
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00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:51.878 And so that's something that I focus on all the time.
 

My path worked out for me but my original goal was to be a journalist. I did a lot of internships and part-time jobs, and learned that I loved working on Capitol Hill and with nonprofits. The most important thing is to have a clear north star of how you want to leave the world a better place. Then get the education, skills, and training you need to achieve your goals. You also have to be willing to course correct, try new things, and always be open to education in formal and informal settings.

I lost a brother to gun violence, which has helped propel my mission to help young Black men. I ended up leading My Brother's Keeper for the Obama administration, where I helped to build safe and supportive communities for boys young men of color.

The best part of my job is spending time with our members, volunteers, grantees, partners, and alumni. In my visits, I often join with Members of Congress to celebrate new investments and to learn what’s working, what’s not, and how we can improve. The rest of my time is spent working with our staff to develop and implement strategic plans, ensuring we are good stewards of taxpayers resources, monitoring our financial and operational reform, forming new partnerships, and reporting on progress.

Perseverance

How I Persevered Through Adversity

How I Persevered Through Adversity

Michael Baldwin Jr.

429 videos on Perseverance: