Could you tell us a little bit more about all the work that you've been doing
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00:00:02.969 --> 00:00:06.973 in the city to help with well-being of all the people in Atlanta?
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00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:07.874 Yeah.
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00:00:07.874 --> 00:00:11.011 You know, mental health is very vital.
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00:00:12.078 --> 00:00:12.779 The health
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00:00:12.779 --> 00:00:16.182 of a individual is extremely important.
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00:00:16.649 --> 00:00:18.284 But also the health of a community.
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00:00:18.284 --> 00:00:22.555 The mental health of a city can be improved, or it could be harmed
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00:00:22.889 --> 00:00:26.426 by environmental factors, by economic
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00:00:26.426 --> 00:00:29.596 factors, by social violence.
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00:00:29.629 --> 00:00:33.733 So we've really invested in people in a way
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00:00:34.034 --> 00:00:37.437 to help them be able to have better mental health.
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00:00:37.470 --> 00:00:41.808 And then also giving them tools on how to resolve challenges that come up.
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00:00:42.142 --> 00:00:44.711 Every day is not going to be rosy and perfect.
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00:00:44.711 --> 00:00:49.049 You may not have every, as a student every teacher might not see you the way
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00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:50.050 you want to be seen.
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00:00:50.050 --> 00:00:53.453 Every classmate may not see you the way you want to be seen.
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00:00:53.853 --> 00:00:58.525 And so being able to say to people it's okay to say that you're not okay.
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00:00:59.125 --> 00:01:02.595 It's also important to give them tools and resources on
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00:01:02.595 --> 00:01:04.264 where they can go to get help.
 21
00:01:04.264 --> 00:01:07.967 There's a nonprofit that we partner with, it's called Silence the Shame.
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00:01:08.668 --> 00:01:11.671 And Silence the Shame is saying that, hey, it's not
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00:01:11.704 --> 00:01:15.975 do not be ashamed to say that something is hurting, something is off.
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00:01:16.409 --> 00:01:17.944 You feel different.
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00:01:17.944 --> 00:01:21.881 Or to say that something around me is causing me
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00:01:22.082 --> 00:01:25.051 harm or concern.
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00:01:25.351 --> 00:01:28.621 There are factors that are affecting my well-being
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00:01:29.022 --> 00:01:31.991 and then allow some professionals
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00:01:31.991 --> 00:01:36.329 and peers comfortably to be able to help you resolve that.
 

My days are spent meeting with community leaders, city teams, and partners to solve challenges across Atlanta—from public safety to housing to youth programs. I work to bring people together, shape policies, and find solutions that improve quality of life. Every decision I make is about helping our city grow while making sure our communities feel supported and heard.

Mayor

There's only one mayor at a time. You should get a more steady job.

Values

Advocating For Mental Health Awareness As Mayor

How do you merge
 2
00:00:02.936 --> 00:00:06.940 your makeup artistry to your spiritual practice?
 3
00:00:06.973 --> 00:00:09.175 It's all encompassing. It's all one.
 4
00:00:09.175 --> 00:00:13.079 So, for instance, when I get hired to do a wedding,
 5
00:00:14.547 --> 00:00:17.117 they're not only hiring me because I'm going to come
 6
00:00:17.117 --> 00:00:20.153 to your makeup and I'm going to help you, you know, look and feel your best.
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00:00:20.153 --> 00:00:22.055 They're hiring, like my vibe, right?
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00:00:22.055 --> 00:00:24.691 And they're hiring that connection that we have.
 9
00:00:24.691 --> 00:00:28.294 And I feel like I just bring that groundedness,
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00:00:28.294 --> 00:00:30.730 that calm, like everything's all good.
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00:00:30.730 --> 00:00:33.133 It's all going to be okay, especially on the wedding day.
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00:00:33.133 --> 00:00:35.935 There is often a lot going on.
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00:00:35.935 --> 00:00:38.938 We have to make sure that we're showing up grounded
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00:00:39.806 --> 00:00:43.209 because we have to protect our energy just as humans.
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00:00:43.543 --> 00:00:43.810 Right?
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00:00:43.810 --> 00:00:46.813 And so me coming in, like working in these people's
 17
00:00:47.047 --> 00:00:52.047 energetic fields, I have to make sure that I'm staying grounded.
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00:00:52.352 --> 00:00:55.121 And when I, what I'm doing with my spiritual practices,
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00:00:55.121 --> 00:00:58.124 like in the morning when I do my meditation,
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00:00:58.124 --> 00:01:02.028 a little bit of yoga, a little bit of, you know, writing in my gratitude journal,
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00:01:02.262 --> 00:01:06.966 it's helping to keep my vibration high, helping to keep my cup full.
 22
00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:08.768 So it's overflowing.
 23
00:01:08.768 --> 00:01:12.839 So when I show up to a job, whatever it is, whether it's production,
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00:01:13.073 --> 00:01:16.076 a makeup lesson, a special event or a wedding,
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00:01:16.709 --> 00:01:19.212 I'm showing up and I'm giving from that overflow.
 26
00:01:19.212 --> 00:01:22.882 So it's all, it all ends up being, you know,
 27
00:01:23.349 --> 00:01:28.088 this big, all encompassing thing, which is my life.
 28
00:01:28.088 --> 00:01:32.926 So the way I enter, you know, the situation or a room really matters.
 29
00:01:32.926 --> 00:01:36.796 And I think the thing that I've been tapping into the most lately is,
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00:01:37.097 --> 00:01:38.865 how do we keep our cup full?
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00:01:38.865 --> 00:01:40.100 How do I keep my cup full?
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00:01:40.100 --> 00:01:44.337 So I'm able to bring my best and most authentic self?
 

Going to esthetician school is a great start. Then, what I did was research agencies and other makeup artists, drawing inspiration from their websites. I'd also suggest going to shows, conferences, and events to learn and gain exposure.

My days begin with stillness—yoga, prayer, and journaling—so I can show up grounded and full for my clients. Whether I’m doing makeup for a wedding, a photoshoot, or a corporate event, I tailor each look to meet their needs. While doing makeup, I strive to bring calm to high-pressure moments and joy to everyday ones. Because I'm a freelancer, I get to spend a lot of time with my family on days that I don't have a job booked.

Makeup Artist

Integrity & Authenticity

How My Spiritual Practice Influences My Craft

A few things stood out while you were speaking.
 2
00:00:02.002 --> 00:00:06.006 You talked about how, after your time with the Bush administration,
 3
00:00:06.006 --> 00:00:10.777 you felt a sense of that there was a lack of bipartisanship.
 4
00:00:10.777 --> 00:00:12.846 Could you just give, like, your own definition
 5
00:00:12.846 --> 00:00:16.116 of what you believe bipartisanship is?
 6
00:00:16.716 --> 00:00:18.351 You know, the first thing I want to say in response to
 7
00:00:18.351 --> 00:00:20.754 your question is we did a survey of Americans,
 8
00:00:20.754 --> 00:00:23.857 and the question was, how do you self-identify?
 9
00:00:23.890 --> 00:00:26.893 Interestingly, they say family.
 10
00:00:26.926 --> 00:00:29.829 Second is being an American.
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00:00:29.829 --> 00:00:31.664 Third is faith.
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00:00:31.664 --> 00:00:34.234 Fourth is friends and community.
 13
00:00:34.234 --> 00:00:37.237 Fifth is what they do for work.
 14
00:00:38.171 --> 00:00:41.174 The last thing is political affiliation.
 15
00:00:42.042 --> 00:00:46.746 And yet if you turn on the national news it's as though that's all that matters.
 16
00:00:46.746 --> 00:00:51.351 And so the worrisome thing in terms of your question, Caleb, is that
 17
00:00:51.885 --> 00:00:54.554 we've seen this, heightened, you know,
 18
00:00:54.554 --> 00:00:57.791 affective polarization, this emergence of,
 19
00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:00.794 not only difference
 20
00:01:00.794 --> 00:01:04.831 in policy and belief, but like, the other side's the enemy.
 21
00:01:05.698 --> 00:01:09.069 And, hate fueled violence trends are off the charts.
 22
00:01:10.236 --> 00:01:12.505 I heard a recent commencement address
 23
00:01:12.505 --> 00:01:16.476 where the speaker said, his message was talk to people.
 24
00:01:16.876 --> 00:01:20.280 And I thought it was powerful because in my experience,
 25
00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.515 you know, we come with our preconceived notions.
 26
00:01:22.515 --> 00:01:25.952 We have our own backgrounds and lives that inform our views,
 27
00:01:26.352 --> 00:01:28.855 and sometimes they're held really strongly.
 28
00:01:28.855 --> 00:01:31.024 But I think when we open up
 29
00:01:31.024 --> 00:01:35.895 and listen, even to views that we view initially sort of extreme and kind of hear
 30
00:01:35.895 --> 00:01:39.966 their perspective and hear their background, is enlightening.
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00:01:39.966 --> 00:01:42.969 It also sharpens your own view and your own argument.
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00:01:43.169 --> 00:01:46.940 You know, when you hear things that are very different from where you come from.
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00:01:47.273 --> 00:01:51.244 I'm a little less compelled by just civil dialog,
 34
00:01:51.277 --> 00:01:54.247 you know, putting people together to have civil conversations.
 35
00:01:54.914 --> 00:01:58.852 The reason I like large scale national service is that it puts people of
 36
00:01:58.852 --> 00:02:02.689 different beliefs and backgrounds, areas of the country, in a shared experience.
 37
00:02:03.890 --> 00:02:05.358 And when they have that
 38
00:02:05.358 --> 00:02:08.361 shared experience, could be Teach for America,
 39
00:02:08.428 --> 00:02:11.431 could be, you know, working
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00:02:12.098 --> 00:02:13.433 through tribal communities.
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00:02:13.433 --> 00:02:17.570 It could be, you know, working in education or could be working
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00:02:17.570 --> 00:02:20.573 in faith based communities to solve public problems.
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00:02:20.673 --> 00:02:23.643 That, you know, when you're in a foxhole together
 44
00:02:23.643 --> 00:02:26.346 and you've had an experience and you get to know one another
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00:02:26.346 --> 00:02:29.349 in the context of working on a shared problem,
 46
00:02:29.616 --> 00:02:32.619 you tend to have a different view of that person.
 

While working at a law firm, Sunday night would roll around and I'd start dreading going in to work. I just wasn't built to do it. I figured out what I was meant to be doing, made the switch, and now feel like it's not work at all!

Executive Chairman

Connecting With People Of Differing Perspectives

This is kind of pivoting a little bit I guess going back.
 2
00:00:03.636 --> 00:00:05.772 You've quoted the declaration.
 3
00:00:05.772 --> 00:00:09.809 I was just curious like where your passion for those founding documents comes from
 4
00:00:10.010 --> 00:00:12.545 and what role you see those playing going forward
 5
00:00:12.545 --> 00:00:15.081 especially like for the Next generation?
 6
00:00:15.081 --> 00:00:17.417 How should we be using them to teach?
 7
00:00:17.417 --> 00:00:22.022 I started out my career as a professor at the University of Chicago
 8
00:00:22.789 --> 00:00:25.859 and found myself very early on there with an opportunity
 9
00:00:25.859 --> 00:00:29.229 to help build a night program for low income adults.
 10
00:00:29.362 --> 00:00:33.166 And our goal for this program was that the night students
 11
00:00:33.166 --> 00:00:37.070 should have the same caliber of education as the day students were getting.
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00:00:37.070 --> 00:00:39.973 These were folks who sometimes hadn't finished a high school degree.
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00:00:39.973 --> 00:00:43.043 They had fallen out of the educational system in some form.
 14
00:00:43.043 --> 00:00:46.346 The question of how we were going to give them the same caliber of education
 15
00:00:46.346 --> 00:00:49.783 as we were delivering at the end of Chicago was complex.
 16
00:00:49.949 --> 00:00:52.118 We decided that the solution would be
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00:00:52.118 --> 00:00:55.555 that we wouldn't compromise at all on the quality of the material
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00:00:55.688 --> 00:00:59.559 but we would compromise on the length of what we asked them to read.
 19
00:01:00.160 --> 00:01:03.329 And so for that reason and only that reason I started
 20
00:01:03.329 --> 00:01:06.166 teaching the Declaration of Independence.
 21
00:01:06.166 --> 00:01:07.700 Because it's really short.
 22
00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:12.700 And I had the most extraordinary teaching experience of my career because it just,
 23
00:01:13.373 --> 00:01:17.510 the declaration tells a story of people who look around the world.
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00:01:17.877 --> 00:01:20.613 They name the limits and the problems.
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00:01:20.613 --> 00:01:21.214 And then they said
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00:01:21.214 --> 00:01:22.582 we're going to change that because we're going
 27
00:01:22.582 --> 00:01:25.151 to put ourselves on a new path and they declare what they're going to do
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00:01:25.151 --> 00:01:27.987 and they commit themselves to each other to take that work forward.
 29
00:01:27.987 --> 00:01:31.024 In other words it's just a basic story and really short
 30
00:01:31.024 --> 00:01:34.294 form of human agency and people who want to change their lives.
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00:01:34.561 --> 00:01:36.930 And all my night students were people in that course
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00:01:36.930 --> 00:01:38.665 because they wanted to change their lives.
 33
00:01:38.965 --> 00:01:42.569 And there reaction to the text and their excitement about it
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00:01:43.136 --> 00:01:46.172 and enthusiasm for it kind of gave the declaration to me.
 35
00:01:46.172 --> 00:01:50.643 And so then for various reasons I wanted to have share that experience with others.
 36
00:01:50.677 --> 00:01:54.647 I wrote a book about the declaration and the end result is that I have now
 37
00:01:54.647 --> 00:01:58.885 been thinking about the Declaration of Independence for 25 years.
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00:01:59.586 --> 00:02:02.489 So I will tell you what I've learned about it
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00:02:02.489 --> 00:02:06.226 is that it is the most extraordinary teaching text available.
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00:02:06.593 --> 00:02:10.130 If you put it inside yourself and spend 25 years ruminating on it.
 41
00:02:10.864 --> 00:02:12.332 It's powerful stuff.
 

James Bryant Conant University Professor

The Value Of The Declaration Of Independence

You know it's interesting.
 2
00:00:00.867 --> 00:00:05.867 I do think that how we run meetings any kind of group conversation,
 3
00:00:06.439 --> 00:00:07.907 there are a lot of skills
 4
00:00:07.907 --> 00:00:11.378 and tools that go with that that can make for a healthier democracy.
 5
00:00:11.378 --> 00:00:14.547 I mean one of my favorite is just what people call active listening.
 6
00:00:14.681 --> 00:00:15.915 And it's really simple right?
 7
00:00:15.915 --> 00:00:19.419 It's just the question of can you repeat back to somebody
 8
00:00:19.786 --> 00:00:22.355 what they said to you in such a way that they will agree
 9
00:00:22.355 --> 00:00:24.124 yes, that's what I meant to say.
 10
00:00:24.124 --> 00:00:26.192 What I mean by- I'll give you a concrete example.
 11
00:00:26.192 --> 00:00:28.094 I helped co-lead
 12
00:00:28.094 --> 00:00:31.965 a big essentially commission on the future of civic education
 13
00:00:32.132 --> 00:00:35.702 where what we were trying to do is break through polarization.
 14
00:00:36.202 --> 00:00:38.538 And we built across ideological group.
 15
00:00:38.538 --> 00:00:39.372 We came together
 16
00:00:39.372 --> 00:00:43.676 because all of us from really different kind of political positions thought
 17
00:00:43.676 --> 00:00:47.814 kids aren't getting the opportunities they deserve for rich civic learning.
 18
00:00:48.148 --> 00:00:49.849 So that was our shared purpose.
 19
00:00:49.849 --> 00:00:51.217 We were initially six people,
 20
00:00:51.217 --> 00:00:54.621 we were eventually 300 people at every step along the way
 21
00:00:54.621 --> 00:00:58.258 as we built out our group we were always bringing ideological diversity into the group.
 22
00:00:58.258 --> 00:01:00.660 So we always were having things that we had to wrestle with.
 23
00:01:00.660 --> 00:01:04.397 But right in the beginning of the work sort of two weeks and we hit our first
 24
00:01:04.497 --> 00:01:06.332 you know argument where we had to sort of stop
 25
00:01:06.332 --> 00:01:09.035 because we had promised each other we would not paper over disagreements.
 26
00:01:09.035 --> 00:01:09.669 Right.
 27
00:01:09.669 --> 00:01:12.105 So it turned out this is about values right?
 28
00:01:12.105 --> 00:01:13.773 What we had to do is bring to the surface
 29
00:01:13.773 --> 00:01:16.776 what were the values motivating these different positions?
 30
00:01:16.876 --> 00:01:18.678 And once you do that,
 31
00:01:18.678 --> 00:01:21.581 if you stop and ask, what values are motivating everybody.
 32
00:01:21.581 --> 00:01:22.449 Bring those to the surface
 33
00:01:22.449 --> 00:01:25.452 then you can say oh yeah those values make sense now.
 34
00:01:25.552 --> 00:01:27.053 Yeah, yours make sense too, so forth.
 35
00:01:27.053 --> 00:01:28.755 So what is a way that we can
 36
00:01:28.755 --> 00:01:32.559 then communicate the good that comes from the values on both sides?
 37
00:01:32.592 --> 00:01:36.229 And so I think the best kind of democratic negotiations yield
 38
00:01:36.596 --> 00:01:39.666 new solution pathways that weren't visible when you started.
 39
00:01:40.100 --> 00:01:43.136 But the way you make those visible is by starting first
 40
00:01:43.136 --> 00:01:44.971 to ask people to surface their values.
 41
00:01:44.971 --> 00:01:46.473 And then ask the question okay well now
 42
00:01:46.473 --> 00:01:49.609 you know what solution aligns with as much of that
 43
00:01:49.909 --> 00:01:52.645 What shared values that we can spot as possible?
 44
00:01:52.645 --> 00:01:56.382 And I think building the muscle to do that to repeat back and check.
 45
00:01:57.016 --> 00:02:00.653 Is one of the most valuable things there is for healthy democratic practice.
 

Skills

Skills For A Healthy Democracy

What part of your job makes you, like, keep coming back every day?
 2
00:00:04.504 --> 00:00:06.339 I know we speak to, like, bedside nurses.
 3
00:00:06.339 --> 00:00:09.309 It's kind of like I'm hands on. I'm helping people.
 4
00:00:09.309 --> 00:00:10.276 I see a change.
 5
00:00:10.276 --> 00:00:11.044 So I want to know
 6
00:00:11.044 --> 00:00:15.548 what about your job, Is what inspires you and keeps you going every day?
 7
00:00:15.548 --> 00:00:16.282 Yeah, yeah.
 8
00:00:16.282 --> 00:00:19.619 No, no, I did not in-vision truly would have never-
 9
00:00:19.619 --> 00:00:22.622 honestly I was when I became the vice president.
 10
00:00:22.655 --> 00:00:24.758 Like in these positions, you always get people
 11
00:00:24.758 --> 00:00:26.659 who are trying to pull you away and hire
 12
00:00:26.659 --> 00:00:29.362 you get headhunters that are really chase and chase and chase them.
 13
00:00:29.362 --> 00:00:32.766 And so, as a young baby nurse, I was like,
 14
00:00:32.766 --> 00:00:36.036 there's no way I could be that So I was self-defeating myself.
 15
00:00:36.036 --> 00:00:36.469 Right?
 16
00:00:36.469 --> 00:00:39.739 But it was like, there's no way I could be in that position.
 17
00:00:39.739 --> 00:00:41.508 I don't know how they do what they do.
 18
00:00:41.508 --> 00:00:43.109 I think part of that was,
 19
00:00:43.109 --> 00:00:46.146 you know, there's politics that, you know, people say politics.
 20
00:00:46.146 --> 00:00:48.248 And I was like, I don't know politics.
 21
00:00:48.248 --> 00:00:51.051 I only know to be honest and be transparent.
 22
00:00:51.051 --> 00:00:51.951 That's all I know.
 23
00:00:51.951 --> 00:00:56.056 But they're our politics so I was like, no, I don't think I will ever meet that.
 24
00:00:56.056 --> 00:01:00.760 So definitely, you know, looking back, you know, I'm definitely proud of myself.
 25
00:01:00.894 --> 00:01:04.998 And also my mom was a nurse of 40 years, and she's she's no longer living.
 26
00:01:04.998 --> 00:01:09.998 But like, that makes me proud, I think, because I know she would be proud.
 27
00:01:10.236 --> 00:01:12.972 Well, my brothers and sisters tell me to like mom, be so proud of you.
 28
00:01:12.972 --> 00:01:15.375 My cousins, everybody's like, mom would be so proud of you.
 29
00:01:15.375 --> 00:01:19.746 But I yeah, I am proud of myself, knowing that I didn't sacrifice
 30
00:01:20.080 --> 00:01:24.150 anything of my my standards or anything like that to get to my position.
 31
00:01:24.150 --> 00:01:25.618 Maybe that's why it took me so long.
 32
00:01:25.618 --> 00:01:28.288 I don't know. But, you know, there's a plan. God has a plan.
 33
00:01:28.288 --> 00:01:31.257 And I trust and believe in that. And so timing is everything.
 34
00:01:31.257 --> 00:01:34.094 And so it was when it was right for me. It was right for me.
 35
00:01:34.094 --> 00:01:38.698 And I think that how I feel comfortable at my current role is that I know
 36
00:01:38.698 --> 00:01:41.901 I'm surrounded by a group of leaders who have the same type morals
 37
00:01:41.901 --> 00:01:44.571 and are looking to do the right thing for the team.
 38
00:01:44.571 --> 00:01:47.974 And ultimately it all goes to our patients.
 

I recommend following my same educational path through nursing school. Additionally, most nursing organizations have mentorships and I highly encourage getting a mentor. Ask questions and use your resources.

As chief nurse executive, I lead system-wide nursing efforts, shaping care standards across six hospitals and 150+ locations. My days are filled with meetings, walking the halls to connect with nurses, and making sure we’re delivering the safest, most compassionate care. I work closely with teams to implement evidence-based practices, speak at national events, and mentor future leaders—all to ensure every patient is treated with dignity and excellence.

Executive Vice President & Chief Nursing Executive

There’s no way you could be in that position—you don’t know how to do what they do.

Doubt

Finding Success By Staying True To Myself

What advice would you give someone wanting
 2
00:00:02.302 --> 00:00:05.638 to become like a nurse practitioner in psych?
 3
00:00:06.006 --> 00:00:08.441 If you want to be a CRNA shadow a CRNA.
 4
00:00:08.441 --> 00:00:09.776 If you want to be a psych nurse practitioner.
 5
00:00:09.776 --> 00:00:12.078 Shadow a psych nurse practitioner and a psychiatrist.
 6
00:00:12.078 --> 00:00:15.715 See if that's what you want to do outside of what you see for the numbers.
 7
00:00:15.715 --> 00:00:18.151 Because, about me, I was actually going to go to schools
 8
00:00:18.151 --> 00:00:19.719 to be a CRNA because of the numbers.
 9
00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:24.324 And I wanted to have that status and that tax bracket of income
 10
00:00:24.391 --> 00:00:26.426 But after shadowing a CRNA for a few shifts,
 11
00:00:26.426 --> 00:00:28.294 I didn't like being in the OR, I didn't like being cold.
 12
00:00:28.294 --> 00:00:29.562 It was boring.
 13
00:00:29.562 --> 00:00:31.998 A lot of downtime, and I cannot sit still.
 14
00:00:31.998 --> 00:00:33.933 But, honestly, anything you put your mind
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00:00:33.933 --> 00:00:36.269 and your heart to, you can make the money you're looking for.
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00:00:36.269 --> 00:00:39.339 So with anything you have a passion for and you have a goal
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00:00:39.706 --> 00:00:43.076 that you want to accomplish and you want to gain that status,
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00:00:43.076 --> 00:00:45.278 it will come with time and it will come with persistence.
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00:00:45.278 --> 00:00:49.049 So my four pillars about philosophy: consistence, discipline, momentum
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00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:49.883 and resilience.
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00:00:49.883 --> 00:00:53.787 Understanding your, your core values and your foundation and you keep your mind
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00:00:53.787 --> 00:00:55.855 and you set your goals, it'll come to,
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00:00:57.190 --> 00:00:57.791 it comes through.
 

The military was a good path for me. It helped me understand the importance of higher education, building connections, and assistance with education benefits. I recommend joining a medical profession in the Air Force. It's also really beneficial to find a mentor to help guide and support you on your journey.

I have ADHD but wasn't aware or diagnosed until grad school. This made school pretty difficult, especially because I wasn't utilizing the resources that are there for students with learning disabilities because I didn't know I needed them.

I provide medication management and psychotherapy for clients seeking help with mental health concerns. I treat clients with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD to name a few.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Advice For Those Wanting To Go Into Nursing

When it comes to specifically your work with admissions,
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00:00:04.537 --> 00:00:08.208 what would you say is that factor that you think
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00:00:08.208 --> 00:00:11.644 is most important in, and looking for in a person?
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00:00:11.811 --> 00:00:13.279 I love this question.
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00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.916 I'm so glad that you asked it because it gets at the heart.
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00:00:17.183 --> 00:00:20.020 It is the basis of everything that we do.
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00:00:20.020 --> 00:00:23.623 It shapes the way that we message when we're recruiting.
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00:00:23.923 --> 00:00:27.260 It's based on the values that we derive in admissions
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00:00:27.260 --> 00:00:29.396 and those values, they're very, very clear.
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00:00:29.396 --> 00:00:31.531 And they relate to how we present ourselves.
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00:00:31.531 --> 00:00:35.502 So that as a student looking at Penn, you can imagine what we value
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00:00:35.502 --> 00:00:38.171 and what we care about, but also it's the basis
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00:00:38.171 --> 00:00:40.807 of how we structure our evaluation and selecting students.
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00:00:40.807 --> 00:00:45.807 And so constantly reviewing that and changing our processes to be
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00:00:45.845 --> 00:00:49.883 responsive to the breadth of what students can bring into our applicant pool.
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00:00:49.883 --> 00:00:53.386 So the values that we're working with are sort
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00:00:53.386 --> 00:00:56.489 of collective care, like caring for the individual experience.
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00:00:56.489 --> 00:00:59.225 But also thinking about caring for the whole at large.
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00:00:59.225 --> 00:01:00.693 And then we also look at purpose.
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00:01:00.693 --> 00:01:03.696 And purpose is not a specific passion.
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00:01:03.696 --> 00:01:07.834 The idea of purpose when we're evaluating it is, is the student
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00:01:08.168 --> 00:01:11.771 showing us that they can organize their time around things
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00:01:11.771 --> 00:01:14.841 that matter to them, which means that what matters to you can change.
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00:01:14.908 --> 00:01:18.278 But what you're demonstrating is a disposition toward
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00:01:18.578 --> 00:01:21.347 using your energy to apply it to things
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00:01:21.347 --> 00:01:25.051 that matter and have your attention, and that you can move forward with it.
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00:01:25.051 --> 00:01:26.086 That's purpose.
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00:01:26.086 --> 00:01:29.089 That's the point, because in a community of learners
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00:01:29.189 --> 00:01:30.590 and a community of anything,
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00:01:30.590 --> 00:01:31.958 it's engaging with other people
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00:01:31.958 --> 00:01:35.261 and noticing the positive contributions of other people is really important.
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00:01:35.261 --> 00:01:38.164 And then being able to acknowledge it is also really important. Right?
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00:01:38.164 --> 00:01:42.202 So, that's one of the ways that we think about processes
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00:01:42.635 --> 00:01:46.139 that are changing the norm for what students might otherwise
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00:01:46.139 --> 00:01:49.142 encounter in an application process, and likewise,
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00:01:49.209 --> 00:01:52.312 thinking about access to the application process
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00:01:52.312 --> 00:01:56.449 and how we can evaluate students regardless of their resources.
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00:01:56.449 --> 00:02:00.587 And it's really important to us that that door remain open.
 

2025 SXSW Conference
Interviewed in Austin, TX but works in Philadelphia, PA USA.
advanced-degree

Every day is different but my work routinely consists of a lot of meetings. In a typical day, I may meet with our student leaders. Then I'll meet with our financial aid office to understand and shape our benefits and strategy. I could also be in a meeting with my senior leadership team. I lead a team that manages everything from application reading to nationwide outreach, all aimed at making college more accessible and inclusive. It's fast-paced and very collaborative work.

Values

Advocating For Mental Health Awareness As Mayor

Advocating For Mental Health Awareness As Mayor

Andre Dickens

686 videos on Values: