Robert Andrews
CommunityWorks
Denver, CO USA
"All of the tough things that you go through only make you stronger for what you’re pursuing."
Career Roadmap
Robert's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Entrepreneurship, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Psychology, General
Hastings College
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a President & CEO:
Bachelor's Degree: Psychology, General
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Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
As a child, my dream was to play football in college and get drafted to the NFL.
2.
Both my mother and father struggled with illnesses during my middle and high school years—I focused on academics and football as an outlet.
3.
I had a coach who encouraged the team to pick up trash in an empty lot as a way to give back to the community, which actually felt very fulfilling to me.
4.
After also feeling that same fulfillment from fundraising to buy new jerseys for our football team, I started thinking that I might want to pursue a career in some sort of public service field.
5.
I went to Hastings College and studied psychology—I also played football throughout college.
6.
After graduating, I signed a contract to play football in Canada for the Calgary Stampeders—I eventually realized that football wasn’t something I felt fulfilled dedicating my life to, so I quit.
7.
I spent some time working in the community and on projects like the 2008 Obama campaign and knew that this type of work was what I wanted to dedicate myself to.
8.
I’m currently the president and CEO of CommunityWorks, a non-profit social enterprise focused on empowering low-income individuals to enter the workforce and create economic security.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
It's not going to work. You're not going to make it.
How I responded:
There will always be people who doubt your background, goals, or ideas. Anything you go through only makes you stronger. Those who pursue things and haven't faced much adversity will have a tougher time than those who do face adversity. Adversity forces you to make a decision: keep moving forward or go back the other way. Always remember that no matter what you face in your pursuit, you're farther than when you started. So why turn around and go back? Success requires you to keep moving forward.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My mother battled cancer while I was growing up and she passed away when I was 16 years old. I tried to focus on academics and football as an outlet. I also rely on my faith to help get me through tough times.