Inside the Mind of Celeste Francine Jackson

“Tolerance leads to cooperation; cooperation leads to unity, and unity leads to progress.”

–Celeste F. Jackson

A couple of years ago I was having a great time conducting a seminar on personalities and thinking styles. During this interactive seminar I used a few of the students as examples. Out of those students, one young lady in particular stood out and the end of the seminar we started talking.

In order to find out if I was really on my game, she challenged me to identify her thinking style. (That’s what I love about Millenials—they are open to new ideas and very skeptical at the same time so you better be on point when dealing with them.)

She gave me a big smile to signal her approval as I identified the correct thinking quadrant for her and then she told me her name: Celeste Jackson.

An outstanding student with an insatiable desire for knowledge and a strong sense of altruism, Celeste has an inspiring story that could never be captured on her impressive resume. Losing both of ones parents is something that would completely derail many people. But in spite of experiencing extreme personal tragedy at such an early age, she continues to excel.

She attends Duke University. She serves on Duke’s board for the Center for Race Relations and is in the school’s marching band. Celeste has been volunteering with America Reads and she recently participated in humanitarian endeavors over the summer in Uganda as a part of the DukeEngage program.

As part of DukeEngage she tutored primary school students in English and she worked in an HIV/AIDS clinic. There is no doubt that Celeste is a strong example of the power of resilience, determination, and the willingness to serve.

But don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself as you take a stroll inside the mind of Celeste Francine Jackson.

Note: This interview took place Feb. ‘08


IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED…

Explain to me how you ended up at Duke because when I originally looked at your resume it said you were attending Ursinus College [one of the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the U.S.].

When I initially applied to Duke I didn’t get in. But I did get into the University of Virginia. When I went to visit I didn’t like all that much and I didn’t get a lot of financial aid. Since I was from out of state—I’m from Pennsylvania—it ended up being like $40,000 per year. It wasn’t worth that much money to invest into something I didn’t love.

So, I went to Ursinus College where I got a Towers Scholarship which is an academic scholarship for the four years I would’ve been there which covered more than half of the tuition. But it was stepping stone in the process. I re-applied to Duke and got accepted the second time around. And I got a good financial aid package from them so, it worked out really well.

And you’re headed to London next year—The London School of Economics?

Yes. I just got in recently so, I’m very excited about that.

Congratulations! Are you going into economics?

Actually, I’ll be studying government. I want to be a politician. I want to get into the whole Washington, D.C. scene.

You can really learn a lot from people if

you take the time to understand
their diversity.

THE POWER OF DIVERSITY

Why is diversity so important for success in today’s world and how can we do a better job of helping people to embrace it?

I think diversity is so important because we’re in a diverse society and there’s no way to get around it. You can try to live in a bubble, but the people that you’re doing business with—the people that you’re seeing and interacting with on a daily basis are diverse. Everybody has different things to offer.

You can really learn a lot from people if you take the time to understand their diversity because as Americans most of us are immigrants or were brought here by force or we came here to escape some personal or national conflict. And with these differences comes so many points on which we can learn from each other.

People say—and I agree with them—that we are living in a hegemonic system with the United States being at the top. But it’s slowly beginning to change. So, you’re going to see in the next 25 years that countries like China are going to come and begin to be more dominant and as Americans we’re going to have to be able to embrace that. We’ve got to be able to work with people who come from different cultures.


TOLERANCE IS THE KEY

We need to be tolerant. Tolerance doesn’t mean that we have to totally accept, tolerance means that we can respect someone or something that’s different from what we are or different from what we believe. Tolerance leads to cooperation; cooperation leads to unity and unity leads to progress.

In order to make change happen you have to be able to unite people. You have to have people who are willing to work with you. You have to unite them behind a cause and then you can begin working for the betterment of people. But if you don’t have tolerance, people aren’t going to work together and we won’t be able to progress as a country or a community.

Even now, we see that the African-American and Latino communities are fighting it out and having problems in California and here in Durham, North Carolina because people aren’t focusing enough on trying to find that common ground. They don’t necessarily have to like each other but find that common ground and tolerate each other.

The problem isn’t the two cultures; the problem is the environment in which they are living. You have people fighting for scarce resources instead of working together. In a broader sense, if we [the U.S.] cannot work with other countries we are going to have a lot problems keeping our standard of living.

I don’t see education as an obligation.
I see it as a privilege.

CONFUSED ABOUT KNOWLEDGE

I know that you have pretty much been an academic all-star throughout your scholastic career. What are some things that students can do to become better academically?

I think the biggest problem is the way in which we think about education. Understanding the way in which we think about education is fundamental to how each individual will progress academically.

For instance, some students feel like education is an obligation they have to fulfill rather than having a real desire for the acquisition of knowledge. Many students are confused. They don’t know what they want to do so they just follow suit. Their parents tell them, “go to college because you have to” or “finish this because you have to” rather than the students wanting to.

The problem with thinking this way is that you’re going to do the bare minimum to get by. You’re never going to expand your academic drive and I would argue that you will never realize your full potential.

I don’t see education as an obligation. I see it as a privilege. I would say that this has been one of my motivations in life. I am privileged to have the opportunity to come to Duke to acquire knowledge and to understand life from many different perspectives. This privilege, this opportunity has given me the pathway to greater things.

If we can get students to change the way in which they think about education then they can change the way they approach academics.

The biggest questions that I’ve had about

life have been answered by
understanding and
learning from the
people I’m
helping.

BORN TO GIVE BACK

I believe that regardless of your career and passion, giving back should be a part of it. What makes community service and volunteerism so important?

I’ve been doing it since I was a little girl. My mom was a social worker. She worked in Trenton, New Jersey which is a pretty rough area. And there’s always a lot of improvement needed. My dad was a psychologist in New York. He worked for the Children’s Village. So, with my mother and my father we were always out there helping people. We were always doing something.

When I went out with them it made me realize how fortunate I was to have to parents who loved me and to be able to go to a school that I really loved. There are just so many opportunities that I have been given and because I’ve had so much I have so much more to share; so much more to give back.

Even if you don’t have a lot you will be surprised that the little you have is a lot more than someone else has and somebody is really going to appreciate it. I think that the biggest questions that I’ve had about life have been answered by understanding and learning from the people I’m helping.

Everybody has a story to tell and those stories are valuable lessons because you can learn from other people’s mistakes. You can learn from other people’s greatness. You can understand everything about life by understanding people and working with them.

I don’t just volunteer because I think it’s something that I have to do. This is something that is very much a part of who I am. I’ve been given so much in life. I’ve had people who helped me so much that it’s the only thing I can think of. I have to give back. I always ask myself, “What more could I do?”

I don’t feel whole if I’m not out there trying to help someone out because if it wasn’t for the help of other people I would not be where I am today. And I always remember that.

I realized that if I don’t make changes
in my life—if I don’t continue to
make goals then I’m
not going to get
anywhere.

WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES

When many people look at your life they see a high achieving, self-motivated, well-spoken young woman who has traveled the world. Your mom was a social worker and your dad was a psychologist. So, people they think that your world is all honky-dory and they don’t realize the challenges you’ve dealt with. Tell me about a challenging experience.

My dad died when I was nine years old. I have three other sisters so there are four of us. At the time one was in college, one was in middle school, and I and my younger sister were in elementary school.

So, it was very difficult for my mom because she had to get two jobs and she worked all the time. She couldn’t spend too much time with us. First, we went to an after school program and then, when we were in middle school, we would just walk home. We learned to be independent very quickly. And we learned that if we had to rely on someone it would have to be ourselves. Our mother couldn’t do it all.

I remember I wanted to leave my school and go to prep school and I talked to my mom about it. She couldn’t afford it. She had four children and there were no favorites in the family. I couldn’t go to that school if my sisters couldn’t go. But once I got accepted into the two schools that I had applied to, my mom got a third job to make it happen for us.

That’s something that I have always appreciated. Watching her work so hard made me work harder because she sacrificed so much for me and my sisters. She’s a social worker and that kind of work is stressful. You don’t get paid as much as you should but, social workers do a lot really important work.

We didn’t get everything we wanted. We got books instead of video games. We weren’t allowed to watch TV all the time. We did go on vacation to Mexico because that was something that my father had loved for us to do and to my mother that was very important.

When I was sixteen my mother got cancer and she passed away as well. That was probably the most difficult thing because my mother and I were very close. She really helped me academically. She was the one who would always say, “It’s okay. If you don’t get the grade you want, it’s okay. You’ll be alright.”

So, then it was kind of like I was on my own. Once my mom died I realized that if I don’t make changes in my life—if I don’t continue to make goals then I’m not going to get anywhere because there’s nobody else out there that can help me at this point.


NEVER ALONE

I went to the Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey. When my mother died they took buses of students to the funeral. There was a sense of community. I still talk to people that lived there that helped me.

Codington also gave me a lot of financial aid which is also something very interesting because the head master made sure that I was able to stay. He made sure that there was money for me to stay at that school. People like Ms. Rossi, my Hall Parent, came together and really helped me out.

So, I can’t say that all of my successes were accomplished on my own. But I can say that the motivation for those successes came from within—knowing that if I wanted something I could get help but, to actually do it would be on me.


I GOT ALL MY SISTERS AND ME

Growing up my parents always told me that your best friends are your sisters. That has been so true. We argued about small things like what to do and where to go next after my mom died but my sisters have really come through for me. My sisters and I have become very close.

If you always motivate yourself
towards something then the
world is your oyster.

SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN

Before I let you go, sum up your philosophy about success in 1-3 sentences.

Well, here are two of my favorite quotes. The first one is by Descartes:

“I would also like it to be known that the little that I have learned up until now is almost nothing in comparison to what I do not know and what I have not given up the hope of coming to know.”

I feel like I embody that quote 100%. It’s saying that there is so much that you can learn, there is so much out there that you don’t know. If you always motivate yourself towards something then the world is your oyster.

The second quote is by Bo Jackson—the athlete, “Set your goals high and don’t stop ‘til you get there. “

You always want be optimistic—realistic, but optimistic. The process of going through the journey is what counts.

Well, I don’t where your journey will take you but if it’s running for public office you’ve got my vote! Thanks for giving us a few minutes of your time.

Thank you very much. I enjoyed it. I would also, like to thank the Verrico’s. We’ve been living with them for about three years.

______________________________________

Hey! Would you like to be featured in Elevate U and possibly on the homepage of The Black Collegian Magazine?

I'm looking for successful student leaders, athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs to interview for a segment of Elevate U called Inside the Mind. If you are interested then email your BRIEF bio, resume, and photo to Al The Inspiration Duncan


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Inside the Mind of Dr. Sherle Boone

"You can live a good life and still be committed to the well-being of other people.”

–Dr. Sherle Boone

It has been said that “You judge a man by the company he keeps.” It’s equally true that you judge a man by the impact he makes on the lives of others. The positive impact of Dr. Sherle Boone, activist scholar and founder of The W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute, will be felt for many generations to come.

Since 1988, Dr. Boone and the faculty at the institute have served 1200 African-American and Latino high school students from predominantly urban districts. The institute is held during the summer at Princeton University and over its twenty-year history, has a staggering 98% college graduation rate. In fact, for the past four years, 100% of the alumni have graduated from college. Compare that to a 51% national average for students completing college.

As the nation’s leading youth empowerment advocate, I’ve worked with hundreds of schools, universities, and youth organizations. Few demonstrate the level of achievement and excellence exhibited at the DuBois Scholars Institute. Dr. Boone is well aware of this and as such, when talking about the students and the faculty he spoke with admiration and respect.

During our 45 minute conversation—which was supposed to be a 10-15 minute interview—I found myself constantly smiling because it’s refreshing to talk to someone who truly cares about our community and our young people.

Mentored by the great Rev. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor, Dr. Boone has been a professor for 33 years. As director of the mayor’s Education Task Force, he served as a senior advisor to Mayor Kenneth Gibson, the first black mayor of Newark, NJ.

Dr. Boone has even worked as a community organizer. (In spite of Gov. Sarah Palin’s recent derogatory comments about community organizers, they are to be lauded and appreciated for the noble work they do.)

Dr. Boone’s new book, “Meanings Beneath the Skin: The Evolutions of African-Americans”, is expected to be published later this year. In the mean time, enjoy some of the highlights from our conversation as you take a peek inside the mind of Dr. Sherle Boone.

“Complex problems are not solved by a single brilliant mind;
complex problems are solved by brilliant minds
working together.”

A WINNING ATTITUDE AND HIGH STANDARDS

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary.

Thank you.

Describe the students in the Institute.

Well, the students in the institute are different. We have a very different population from the general population in that our students are selected because they have demonstrated what we consider to be a winning attitude characterized by very high levels of academic achievement. They have also demonstrated a sustained interest in involvement in leadership roles in their communities as well as within their schools.

In addition to that, the overall GPA is a 3.1 in top tier institutions. This year we have two African-American males going to Stanford. Currently we have six of our graduates at Princeton. We’ve had a Rhodes Scholar, a Fulbright Scholar, and more than 30 members of Phi Beta Kappa. We have at least one MD and there maybe more. We have several who are practicing law. And since 1996 more than one third of our students have come from Newark [New Jersey] and other urban communities.


THREE GREAT MINDS, ONE GREAT CURRICULUM

Are the same techniques and principles that you used when you established the institute still effective with today’s students?

Absolutely. They are very similar, but we have refined what we do. We started off with very high academic standards. For example, since we began back in 1988, all of the students that have enrolled in DuBois have been given college level instruction.

Three of the major minds of the previous century provided the conceptual frame work that allowed for me to structure the curriculum and make judgments about the selection process. Those individuals are: W.E.B. DuBois and his ideas concerning the Talented Tenth.

Next, is Jean Piaget, the Swiss psychologist who offered us a theory on the development of thinking and thought. One of the things that he proposed is that by the time a child reaches what we consider to be adolescence he or she has all the cognitive equipment needed to think as an adult. With that being said, children as early 14 years old should have the ability to receive college level instruction and do college level work.

Finally, there is Erik Erikson’s theory of self-development. Our curriculum requires courses that lend themselves to the kids gaining a deeper understanding of self. For example, all kids are required to take African-American History and Cultural Practices. The thinking behind that was guided by the writings of Erik Erikson.

During the years of adolescence, kids have a lot of questions concerning “who am I?” and they struggle with identity issues so we try to help bring some closure to that. So, what’s unique about the institute is that it brings together these three major theories in ways that compliment each other. This is perhaps the only project of its kind. Our success record is astounding to say the least.

“We have been managing poverty, but not
eliminating poverty.”

THE END OF POVERTY

Is the mission of the institute to promote high achievement?

Actually, that’s not the mission it’s the by-product. Our mission is to produce a cadre of leaders in the African-American and Latino communities. This is based upon DuBois’ notion that the most effective leadership will come from your best and brightest minds. So, we’re developing a cadre of leaders that will engage in the process of trying to eliminate poverty and racism in our society.

Since the Great Society programs that Lyndon Johnson put in place, there has never been a major effort to really eliminate poverty. We have been managing poverty but not eliminating poverty. Poverty is obviously a serious issue among people of African-American descent. For the most part, the problem has been ignored to such a degree that is has become increasingly more complex to understand and unravel the complexities of poverty. So, you cannot make distinctions between the causes and the effect.

Just as we need brilliant minds to solve medical problems such as age and cancer, we need brilliant minds working together to help us unravel and eliminate poverty in our society. What we are trying to do is develop a cohort of brilliant minds and instill in them a sense of duty to give back to our people.

We want to help them recognize that complex problems are not solved by a single brilliant mind; complex problems are solved by brilliant minds working together in such a way that they are intrigued by the complexities of the task and will sustain their interest in the task as a result of these complexities.


COMMUNITY BEFORE SELF

The level of leadership you are talking about requires an extraordinary amount of self-discipline and it comes with a great deal of responsibility. How is the DuBois Scholars Institute able to motivate and inspire young people to accept that challenge?

Well, a part of what we try to do, starting at an early age, is instill in them that it is your duty. You don’t have a choice. Add that to the fact that they have to take a course called Ethics and Self-Development. One of the aims of this course is to help them to recognize that self-interest—and you could make the case that we are all guided by some sort of self-interest—does not have to be in competition with collective interest. Self-interest and collective interest can compliment each other.

If you can impact other people’s lives you can almost guarantee that you’re going to be okay. So, what we try to do is help kids define success in terms of the impact of their God given talents on the lives of other people. And of course, we employ on our team, faculty and staff who personify that philosophy. We want the kids to see that you can live a good life and still be committed to the well-being of other people.

So, by tying their desires for achievement, financial success, recognition, or whatever they maybe striving to accomplish, to the ideals of community uplift and enrichment the DuBois Scholars Institute is producing leaders that are not only concerned with personal gain, but are also looking out for our community.

Precisely! And actually, it’s the type of leader that puts the community first and puts himself second.

One of my personal philosophies is: “Service is the prerequisite of greatness.”

Absolutely! You hit the nail on the head.

“It’s just as important to know what you
know as it is to know what
you don’t know.”

BEING AN EFFECTIVE PROFESSOR

What separates effective professors from ineffective professors?

That’s a tough question because often you don’t know if you’ve been effective. It’s hard to determine because when students evaluate faculty members they really evaluate how well they liked the person. They aren’t necessarily evaluating the professor on the basis of the content and the challenge that the professor brings forward. Quite frankly, sometimes there’s an inverse correlation between the effectiveness of the professor and the ratings of the professor. That may be more often the case than not.

An effective professor in my judgment is one that can help to students to recognize and appreciate what they don’t know and arouse students’ motivation to search in order to get to know the unknown. Thus, effective professors instill in students the desire to ask questions and to seek out the answers to those questions as opposed to just sucking up information and regurgitating it.

In the DuBois Scholars Institute we tell the students that what distinguishes a scholar is the desire to know what he doesn’t know and the understanding that the more he gets to know the more he realizes what he doesn’t know.

So as a professor your goal is to be sure that your students not only know the information but that they embody and apply the information.

Precisely! And recognize the limits of what they’re learning. It’s just as important to know what you know as it is to know what you don’t know. So, you have to be able to recognize the limits of any conclusion that you come to. Recognize that rarely do we bring truth to the table. We bring theory more than we bring truth so we have to understand that what we know is really our understanding of the truthfulness of the information we have.

“Rarely do we bring truth to the table.
We bring theory more than
we bring truth.”

LISTEN MORE, READ MORE

Let’s talk about cross-generational communication for a second because that can be very challenging. What are some things that people can do to communicate more effectively with people 25 and younger?

First and foremost, improve your listening skills. We spend far more time talking than listening. We have to train our minds to listen. When I say ‘listen’ I don’t just mean hearing. I mean understanding and thinking about what you are hearing and trying to ensure that you put what you hear and understand in the proper context.

Most of us, as we grow older, don’t listen enough. We also don’t read the right things enough. That narrows the communication between us and kids because we’re not reading and we’re not listening. We tend to become more closed minded because we become less confident in ourselves as we get older if we are not continuing to grow.

In my capacity as a professor I have no choice but to listen. But I think that in general, older adults don’t spend enough time listening to youth. They watch them but they don’t listen.

And let me add something else. Have a willingness to allow people to make mistakes. Giving a second chance, being able allow people to make errors and be comfortable making mistakes and having a willingness to help them work through it. To put it another way, “Keeping hope alive.”

Ha! That’s your Jesse Jackson moment, huh?

Yeah!

“Adults don’t spend enough time listening
to youth. They watch them,
but they don’t listen.”

A GENUINE INTEREST

If you had to choose just one skill as the most important skill for communicating with young people what would it be?

I think it’s honesty and feeling that they can trust you. That may be even more significant than effective listening—being able to trust what a person is saying and knowing he has a genuine interest in you. Most people believe that we are all motivated by self-interest and that carries with it an element of distrust. So, I think that piece is the central piece.

Actually, you couldn’t even have effective listening skills unless you have a genuine interest in someone.

That’s right.


EYE ON THE FUTURE

Where will the institute be in the next twenty years?

Well, it certainly won’t be under my leadership!

Actually, that’s a hard question because things change. A lot of things have changed since DuBois was founded. One of the things that has changed is the meaning and the significance of the concept of race. When we first started out back in 1988 it was clear that the greatest divide in our society was race. The divisiveness between African-Americans was secondary to the divide between us and other ethnic groups.

That has changed a lot over the past decade. In fact, quicker then I had even anticipated to be honest. In my judgment, the greatest crisis that faces us now as African-Americans is classism within our own race.

The divide between the professional class and the “unskilled” class is greater now than it has ever been before. Such that you can really live next door to an urban community and never visit it and never have any interfacing with the black people who are living in an urban setting.

That’s dangerous. That’s scary because their plights and our plights are still connected as a collective. We have to come up with ways in which we can potentially close this gap and insure that we do not become disintegrated as a consequence of becoming much more Americanized.

The institute has to be sensitive to these changes in society and continue to work toward maintaining a sense of community among African-American people as we are allowed to become more American. That is to say that as our Nationalism rises and we become more Americanized we can’t loose sight of our ethnicity. That’s the challenge that faces the institute as I see it twenty years from now.


FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON YOUR STRENGTHS

Sum up your philosophy about motivating and communicating with young people in 1-3 sentences.

Here’s something that guides my thinking and it guided the building of the DuBois Scholars Institute. One of the things that seems so obvious and yet it escapes us is that we need to focus our energies on our strengths. That’s not to say that you ignore the things that are weak within your structure, but the foundation has to be strong.

Thus, when it comes to dealing with our youth we need to spend less time talking about what’s wrong with them and more time talking about what’s right with them. Let’s work with the things that we know they are good at. If I can strengthen the things that you are already good at then that’s going to reduce the significance of the things that you’re not so good at. Do you follow me?

Wholeheartedly. In fact, there’s a book called “Now Discover Your Strengths" that I frequently recommend to people. “Hone your strengths and manage your weaknesses.”

You naturally motivate kids when you work on things that they are good at and when you make them feel good about themselves. They will automatically gravitate to you when you deal with things that they are good at.

I agree with that. I think that sometimes we press our young people so much about what they’re doing wrong that they loose sight of what they are doing right. Dr. Boone thank for a few minutes of your time. Your answers were very insightful and thought provoking.

Thank you!

“When it comes to dealing with our youth
we need to spend less time talking
about what’s wrong with them
and more time talking about
what’s right with them.”

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Inside the Mind of Anthony L. Harris

It is rare to find a student that is as committed to the success of his fellow students as he is to his own success. Most students are boggled down with taking care of the academic and personal challenges that matter most—their own. Anthony L. Harris, however, is an entirely different story.

From his days as a freshman at the University of Louisville in ’01-‘02 to receiving his master’s degree in education in May of ’08, two things consistently remain on Harris’ mind: student success and student retention.

Through program development or the daunting task of being a founding member, Harris has played a crucial role in the success of organizations such as Under Graduate Students Helping to Recruit (USHR), Collegiate 100 (a division of 100 Black Men of America), Think College Now, the Graduate Association for Professionals in Student Affairs (GAPSA), and the Student African-American Brotherhood (SAAB).

I’ll let the man himself tell you more about what’s going on inside the mind of Anthony L. Harris.

Al “The Inspiration” Duncan: One of the things that jumped out at me when I looked at some of your career goals is your desire to serve as Dean of Students at a major four-year public college or university. How did you become so passionate about student success?

Anthony L. Harris: It was because of the people that I had contact with throughout my undergraduate experience and in high school as well. A lot of the professors that I had within my major were very hands on. Even the administrators I came in contact with had a student-first focus.

AD: What do you mean by “hands on”?

AH: They gave me a lot of guidance and mentorship—explaining what to do and not to do. They took a lot of time out of their schedules and became a resource for me.

AD: So their actions made you want to be in a position to do the same for other students?

AH: Yes. As an undergraduate, I was the resident assistant and I worked with the admissions office. One day as I was talking to one of my mentors she suggested that I might want to look at college personnel as a career. So I thought about it and I looked at it and I realized that’s where my passion is. I was always surrounded by younger students that were interested in learning from me. I was like the big brother.

AD: Big Brother Ant, huh?

AH: Right.

"...even though my family—my mother, my aunts, my grandparents, my cousins—told me how important education was, when I got to the university I had to find people who had the same mindset."

AD: So, let’s fast forward to five years from today. Let’s say that you are the Dean of Students at an institution. Give me an example of some of the initiatives that you would put in place to improve student success and retention.

AH: Well, I think that it’s very important to meet students where they are. That’s what we do in SAAB – the Student African-American Brotherhood. It was founded by Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe and his goal is to reach the student that is not really involved on campus. So getting those African-American or Latino brothers, or whoever, involved with something is important because when they have some ownership in the university they are more likely to persist and keep on going until they reach their goals.

AD: True.

AH: So it’s about having good programs, not just the “crayon box” activities, events, and organizations.

AD: Did you call them? “Crayon box” activities?

AH: Right. The crayon box—the basic, typical activities that every college and university has.

AD: That’s pretty funny. So, you want to provide them with some different and refreshing things.

AH: Right!

AD: You just mentioned SAAB—The Student African-American Brotherhood. Is the purpose of that organization to improve African-American male student retention?

AH: Yes. That’s exactly what the purpose of SAAB is.

AD: Well, speaking of young brothers, what is going on with young African-American males today? We are constantly bombarded with negative reports and statistics via the media, but I know plenty of young brothers like you who are making it happen. What I would like to know is: how can we produce more young men like you?

AH: I think it primarily has a lot to do with the statistics that they’re using. For instance, you always hear that there are more African-American males in the prison system than in the classroom…in higher education. But whole reality is you have to look at the age range they usually use: 18-51. Within that age group there are more males in the prison system but if you only look at the college age males then it’s better than what they put out there.

AD: Hmmm…

AH: Young males are not really being sought out. Like, I’m not Greek [in a fraternity], but I have a lot of friends who are Greek and I think the Greek system is great. But it’s not for everyone and on most campuses if you’re not Greek you’re not really involved. You know? The Greek members are the ones who are typically the leaders. But with my experiences there were not a lot of Black Greek organizations consistently on campus so there were a lot of opportunities for others to take leadership roles.

AD: Oh. I understand what you mean. You’re saying that there needs to be more types of organizations that are reaching young African-American males and providing them with leadership opportunities because those that aren’t interested in Greek life are falling between the cracks.

AH: Right, right!

"It comes down to dedication and support. You have to be willing to do the work and you have to have people around who are really willing to do the work."

AD: Did you help start SAAB?

AH: I helped bring it to my campus. One of the new faculty members who graduated from the program and his mentor asked around 11 black males on campus to help get it started at the University of Louisville and I was one of them. Lawrence was part of that as well.

AD: Lawrence Watkins, founder of Great Black Speakers?

AH: Yes. So, all of us spearheaded the efforts to get more black males involved on campus. SAAB has been there since the fall of ’05. It’s a collective effort. There’s a leader, but everyone has an important role. It’s a place where students can come voice their concerns, share their frustrations, and actually do something on campus. It’s a support group and it has different components. We promote community service, health and wellness, economics…it’s black males holding each other in a positive light and showing support for one another.

AD: That sounds like it’s a powerful program. Weren’t you also one of the founding members of USHR—Undergraduate Students Helping to Recruit?

AH: Yes.

AD: Is that another mentoring program?

AH: Yes.

AD: Well, obviously you’re serious about mentoring. Why is it so important for someone to have a mentor?

AH: A lot of times, first-time college students don’t have that guide, that person to look at who can show them what they need to do. USHR, for example, is a program designed to mentor to high school seniors. We want to help them before they even get to college so that when they get there they’ll have a familiar face—a big brother or big sister—to go to. They can say “hey, I’m taking these classes. What do you suggest?” And then we can help them with their transition period.

AD: What about the personal impact mentoring has had on you?

AH: Mentoring for me was…well…I was the first person in my family to go to college.

AD: So, you were a first generation to college student.

AH: Yes. So, for me even though my family—my mother, my aunts, my grandparents, my cousins—told me how important education was, when I got to the university I had to find people who had the same mindset.

AD: How did you do that? Because that’s one of the most important things—finding people who have the same mindset as you. Finding people who want to be successful like you is paramount to success, but so many students end up in the wrong crowd. So, how do you find people that are success-minded like you?

AH: It was some trial and error, but luckily for me I had a good network of people that I came from high school with. And we all stayed connected for the most part. You know, as time goes by people move on, but when I got on campus the people I connected with in admissions nurtured and supported me. They saw what I was capable of but it was still some trial and error.

AD: But obviously you didn’t give up. You kept looking until you found the right people.

AH: Right.

"I was always surrounded by younger students that were interested in learning from me. I was like the big brother."

AD: Let’s back track a little bit and talk some more about you becoming the Dean of Students. I believe that’s going to happen for you. One question I get from a lot of students is “What should I do when I’m having trouble with a professor?” So, as the Dean of Students if a student came to you and they were having a problem with a professor how would you handle it?

AH: The first thing I would ask them is whether or not they talked to the professor. A lot of times students come to faculty members or administrators because they don’t know how to talk to professors. They don’t know how to bridge that gap, but they have to at least try to talk to that professor or maybe someone in the department. You have to address the issue. There a so many times when the professor doesn’t even know that there’s a problem to begin with.

AD: That’s true. A student has to make sure that the professor is aware of the problem. Is it safe to say that even if a professor seems a little bit intimidating nine times out of ten he or she really does want to help?

AH: Yes, for the most part. Some professors aren’t “people” people, but there’s normally an avenue that you can take to talk that person. And you have to before you come to an administrator. If you try and things aren’t working out then you come to an administrator, the department head, or dean. You have to give the professor a chance to take care of it.

AD: That’s the truth. Earlier we talked about how you were instrumental in helping to start two organizations on campus. Many students are looking to be leaders or pioneers and start organizations. What are some important keys for starting a student organization?

AH: It comes down to dedication and support. You have to be willing to do the work and you have to have people around who are really willing to do the work. Starting an organization is not the easiest thing in the world to do. There’s a lot of paperwork and steps to go through so you have to have people that are really in it to win it and are determined to get stuff accomplished. Two or three people are not enough because most universities require more than three people to start an organization on campus. Without enough people you’ll just start an organization one year and the next year it’s gone. You need people that are there for the long haul.

AD: Anthony, I want to thank you for a few minutes of your time and for the valuable insight. It’s easy to tell that student success is of the utmost importance to you. You’ll make a great Dean of Students.

AH: Thank you. I have had a great time!

______________________________________

Hey Students! Would you like to be featured in Elevate U and on the homepage of The Black Collegian Magazine?

I'm looking for successful student leaders and student entrepreneurs to interview for a segment of Elevate U called Inside the Mind. If you are interested then email your BRIEF bio, resume, and photo to Al @ Al The Inspiration Duncan

Related Articles:

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How to Find a Mentor

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Inside the Mind of Ulysses W. Burley III

Inside the Mind of Alicia English

I spend a lot of time challenging young people; challenging them to grow; challenging them to elevate their thinking. Recently, a young lady turned the tables on me.

I was just beginning a session on the power of networking when Alicia English—a senior marketing major at Alabama A&M University and President of Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity, Inc.—walked in. All of the students were paired up and were preparing to play my networking game.

As the students began to play I introduced myself to Alicia and told her what the other students were doing. She was eager to play but she didn’t have a partner. So what does she do? She walks right up to the front of the room and says, “I’m your partner, Mr. Duncan. Let’s see how well you do at your own game.”

What nerve. But of course, a brother had to represent. So I accepted. Alicia has excellent networking skills. She was great at the game. What about me?

We’ll talk about that in a second. So, let’s find out what’s inside the mind of this powerful young lady.

Al “The Inspiration” Duncan: We had a funny first meeting, huh?

Alicia English: Yeah, that was fun! I had a lot of fun. I walked out of the room and when I came back I didn’t have anybody so I picked you. And you tried to get out of it.

AD: I was teaching.

AE: Yeah, but you can’t ask us to play if you can’t. You can’t teach us to do something that you can’t do. You have to test your own knowledge.

AD: True. That’s why I stepped up. And I wasn’t perfect, but I beat all the students! I know my stuff.

AE: (Laughter)

AD: One of the first things I noticed about you is how energetic you are and when I asked you about doing this interview you emailed me back and said, “You know what Al, I would love to do it but I’m going to be real busy. This is my senior year. I’m trying to stay as busy as possible. So I’m not sure if I’ll have time.”

AE: Yes, sir, I remember.

AD: So, obviously you love to stay busy, which I find to interesting because so many young people that I meet are trying to get out of work and here you are looking for more ways to pack your schedule. Why? Why is that? Why is it so important for you to stay busy and active?

AE: Well, one thing that Monster’s DLP [Diversity Leadership Program] opened my eyes to is that it’s really competitive out there. The competition is stiff. And I feel like I’m already ten steps behind everybody else. I just did my first summer internship this year.

AD: As a rising senior?!

AE: Yeah, just this past summer.

"Well, I’m just the type that believes that you have to think about somebody else before you think about yourself. It doesn’t make sense to put somebody down just for you to get ahead."

AD: Why?

AE: I was an athlete when I first came to college. For my first two years I spent all of my time, all of my summer in the weight room or on the volleyball court. I really didn’t get a chance to go to conferences and things like that my freshman and sophomore year. My mind was still on sports. So, for my last two years I said I’m going to give that up and I’m going to focus on my career. I’m going to focus and do whatever it takes to reach my career objectives.

AD: Hmmm…

AE: And so I feel like I’m already ten steps behind everybody else. By now it seems like everybody has about three or four internships underneath their belt. Everybody has a lot of experience and so that’s why I’m energetic. I’m a sponge and I stay busy because I feel like while I’m sleeping or just watching TV, somebody else is researching companies…

AD: Right!

AE: …or they’re researching something and they could be going after the same position. Somebody is always trying to take your spot! Somebody is always trying to be the next fresh face in the workforce; trying to be the next big thing.

AD: Right.

AE: So I have the constant mindset that while it’s good to relax every now and then, I need to stay busy with school, work, and learning different techniques and going to conferences on how I can make myself better.

AD: What’s interesting is that you may feel like you’re a little behind in terms of internships but you’re way ahead as far as attitude is concerned. You have great work ethic and that’s priceless.

AE: Thank you.

AD: You’re welcome. You treat life like you would one of your games – you might be behind, but it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. So, how did you develop that attitude? Have you always been like that?

AE: A lot of my attitude developed from sports. Just like you said, never give up. Keep going ‘til the whistle blows; even after the whistle blows. You never know what an extra inch or an extra tidbit—a little more push—might do to get you ahead. So, I’m working on the weekends because you never know how much that extra little bit could get you ahead. It could set you apart.

AD: True.

AE: And a lot of my attitude comes from my organization [Phi Beta Lambda]. We teach you not to count yourself out. You have something that they [employers] want. You just have to make it known.

AD: So these days, for you, it’s time to get down to business.

AE: Yes, sir.

AD: Well, speaking of business, your organization is literally all about business. You’re the president of Phi Beta Lambda which is a business fraternity, right?

AE: Yes, sir. It’s a nationally known fraternity that comes out of FBLA which is short for Future Business Leaders of America.

AD: That’s a high school program, right?

AE: Yes. FBLA was first and then they created college and professional versions. That’s where Phi Beta Lambda comes in.

AD: What’s the difference between a business fraternity and a social fraternity?

AE: Basically, a social fraternity or sorority is gender specific, you know male or female, but you have people with all types of majors. My fraternity is strictly for business majors or minors. It’s strictly for enhancing yourself as business leader. We promote workshops and conferences. We give you the techniques you need to become an effective business leader.

AD: What would make a student a good fit for a business fraternity such as Phi Beta Lambda?

AE: Well, from campus to campus each chapter sets its own criteria. In our chapter you have to be a sophomore or above with thirty-one credit hours. We use this standard because we don’t want freshman to join too soon without knowing what they’re getting into. Normally by junior year you know what path you’re going to be on.

AD: True.

AE: You have to have a 2.5 [GPA] or above. After all, academics are important. Even if you don’t have all of the characteristics yet, you have to show some potential for becoming an effective business leader. We’re going to give you the tools. Just show us some passion and dedication about being a business leader. We don’t discriminate. If you’re not sure or don’t know what marketing is, if you don’t know what it’s like in the workplace or don’t know how to dress, then we want to teach you.

"I’ve encountered a lot of my old colleagues and once they graduate they go into the workplace and feel like society owes them something. They owe them this job; they owe them respect. When the reality is nobody owes them anything."

AD: So you want to help people to grow.

AE: Yeah. We want people who have a lot of growing to do. Or even if you’re someone who already knows a lot as long as you’re still willing to grow and be an asset to the organization then we want you to join. Don’t just join to get a t-shirt or just for the name.

AD: So don’t just join to be in the cool club.

AE: Yes, sir. We want people who will represent the organization well. You know, in a business fraternity my brothers and sisters and I all work together and have taken the same classes that new members will be taking and we pass along books and a lot of good info about the classes. And you know books are expensive these days!

AD: True! It sounds like your fraternity takes full advantage of the power of networking.

AE: Oh, yeah.

AD: And it also sounds like you all get your members prepared to handle a lot of the challenges that people will face when they enter the business world. So what are some of the challenges you expect to face? Especially as an African-American woman in the world of business, what do expect to see when you get out there?

AE: From the jump, I expect to have to deal with some of the stereotypical black-woman-black-college-student-you-didn’t-get-a-good-education type of mindsets but that won’t stop me. For some reason, and I don’t know why, too many students graduating from black colleges think that people owe them something. I’ve encountered a lot of my old colleagues and once they graduate they go into the workplace and feel like society owes them something. They owe them this job; they owe them respect. When the reality is nobody owes them anything.

AD: Amen, sista. Amen.

AE: It’s every man for himself.

AD: Or woman.

AE: Yeah. And on top of facing the stereotypical attitudes, I’m also facing an even bigger hurdle because I’m going into sports. I want to go into major league baseball. I want to go into a field where there aren’t a lot of African-Americans or women in general. I love baseball. When I was young my family took me to a lot of the games and what bothers me is that we’ll wear the hats and jerseys but when it comes to going to the games nobody’s there to support our athletes. So, I want to work in major league baseball to bring a different type of marketing and awareness to the African-American community in terms of supporting our athletes.

AD: That’s a big challenge and of course you can handle it.

AE: Yes, sir.

AD: Well, since you’re in the mood for challenges let’s step into another world where women face a lot of challenges: Hip-Hop. There’s a lot of controversy around the way women are portrayed in a lot of Hip-Hop. Is it just business or is there more to it?

AE: Everything is business regardless of what it is. People are out to make money. They’re going to do anything to make money. However, in my opinion if you have to make money by downgrading or disrespecting somebody else that totally goes against my morals and beliefs. You wouldn’t put you mother or daughter…you wouldn’t put anybody in your family on that kind of stage so why would put other women out there?

AD: I hope not. But that’s not true for everybody.

AE: Well, I’m just the type that believes that you have to think about somebody else before you think about yourself. It doesn’t make sense to put somebody down just for you to get ahead. In the end you’re not really getting anywhere.

AD: True. In the words of James Baldwin: “Whoever debases others is debasing himself.”

AE: Yeah, so it’s business, it’s Hip-Hop and they’re making money but you know on the other hand, it’s not what you’re called it’s what you answer to. You have to set the standards of what you’re going to accept for yourself. Yeah...wrong is wrong but everybody doesn’t think like me.

AD: Yeah, and everybody doesn’t have that positive attitude like you. In fact, as we wrap things up, give me one or two things that anybody could do to develop that kind of attitude; that determined, never-give-up-never-quit type of attitude.

AE: A person said something one day that really hit home with me. “You were born an original so don’t live like a copy.” When I heard that it made so much sense to me.

AD: I noticed that’s how you sign your emails.

AE: I’ve heard it two ways actually. I’ve also heard it in Romans 12:2 which basically says don’t go with the flow. Don’t fall into the customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

AD: Woo! That’s what I’m talking about! On that note I’m going to say that you are definitely an original and thanks for giving us a few minutes of your time. We’ll be looking for great things from you in the very near future.

AE: Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun with this interview.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

Congratulations Alicia!

Since I conducted this interview with Alicia back in Oct. 2007 she has started working for the Huntsville Stars—a minor league baseball team in Huntsville, Alabama—as an Account Executive. Her job is to ensure that groups and new clients have an outstanding experience at the stadium. She is well on her way to achieving her career goals.

___________________________________

Hey Students! Would you like to be featured in Elevate U and on the homepage of The Black Collegian Magazine?

I'm looking for successful student leaders and student entrepreneurs to interview for a segment of Elevate U called Inside the Mind. If you are interested then email your BRIEF bio, resume, and photo to Al @ Al The Inspiration Duncan

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Dr. Rani Whitfield "The Hip-Hop Doc"

Inside the Mind Of Ulysses W. Burley III

As I was going through the hundreds of email from students in my inbox I noticed one from Ulysses W. Burley III. His bio and curriculum vitae were so nice I had to read them twice! His incredible passion and work ethic were clearly evident as I read his amazing and truly inspiring story.

Ulysses is a medical doctoral candidate at Northwestern and Rush Universities of Chicago. He attended Morehouse College as a Packard Science Scholar (a full scholarship) and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. He has at least a dozen medical terms on his C.V. that I have no idea how to pronounce. Ha!

Ulysses has accrued over seven years of cancer research experience, contributing to a compliment of research projects with two major first author publications as well as two co-authorships and guess what? He’s only 24 years old.

‘Nuff said. Let’s find out what else is inside the mind of Ulysses W. Burley III.

Al “The Inspiration” Duncan: After reading over all of the info that you sent me, I’ve got to ask: How did you become so passionate about cancer research and awareness?

Ulysses W. Burley III: It was kind of a gift and a curse. When I was eight years old my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctors gave her six months to live. At the time I knew I wanted to be a doctor—an orthopedic doctor. You know, when you’re eight years old you don’t really know what that means.

AD: Right.

UWB: So, being a doctor was always of interest but it became a reality when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through the grace of God she definitely lived longer than six months. She went on to live for two more years.

AD: Hmmm…That is a blessing.

UWB: We lost her when I was ten. I had a strong father; a strong support group around me to take care of my sister and me. It really brought to life the saying “it takes a village to raise a child” because that is indeed what I had surrounding me.

Even at the age of ten it became apparent to me what I was going to have to do to intervene as far as cancer goes. Eventually, I went on to apply to a specialty high school for the health profession in Houston. Being accepted was a blessing because a lot of students don’t have access to schools like that. But Houston does pretty well in terms of specialty high schools.

I was exposed to the clinic, the hospital, and we had rotations. We even came dressed appropriately in lab coats and scrubs. So I was exposed to the science and medical field—my future—very, very early.

AD: So, although you always dreamed of becoming a doctor, it was your mother’s passing that gave you that laser beam focus on reaching your goal.

UWB: Definitely. I have my blinders on.

AD: Did you lose your Grandmother to cancer as well?

UWB: I did and this was my mother’s mother, but I didn’t lose her until later on. She passed when I was a freshman in college.

AD: Aw, man.

UWB: Yeah. And that was a lot more recent. Cancer is definitely a disease that runs rampant through out my family. My grandfather—my mother’s father—he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and his sister is a breast cancer survivor. I’ve developed a mentality of: I gotta get it before it gets me. Or hey, I’ve gotta get it before it gets my younger sister. That’s been the driving force behind everything I’ve been able to accomplish.

AD: Man, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. That’s a lot of weight for a young guy to carry on his shoulders.

UWB: I think so and it made me grow up fast; it made me a little heavy hearted. My attitude changed about things. I was a more serious person.

AD: Well, dag, bruh. Did you still have a chance to enjoy your childhood?

UWB: Oh, definitely, definitely. I was able to balance well but, you know, when it came down to academics and school and things of that nature, there were no games.

AD: Okay. So, no time to play, huh?

UWB: No games.

"See, there are a lot of smart people, brother. It’s hard work that’s going to get you over the hump."

AD: What I’ve noticed is, especially in my line of work, so many people have a little bump in the road. And they experience some hardships, trials, and tribulations and use those things as excuses just to lie down; excuses not to do anything in life. But you took this whole thing that happened to you and shaped it into the perfect example of turning tragedy into triumph. What were some of things you did to get through the hurt and pain?

UWB: The night my mother passed—a Sunday morning around 1 or 2AM—I was at my grandparents’ house. My grandfather woke me up and he was crying. I knew what that meant.

My Reverend at the time came to the house, gathered the family around, and said a long prayer. Man, I tell you, when he was done I just felt this sense of relief. I felt like everything was going to be okay. It really helped me to deal with what was happening to me. God touched me right away. He put me in a place of understanding.

AD: Hmmm…

UWB: I also had a wonderful support group. My father was always right there. I kind of have a unique familial situation where my parents’ best friends took us in and did things for us that maybe my father couldn’t do as single parent. They became a second set of parents—surrogate parents. To this day I still call them my folks. And when I say my folks I’m talking about a number of different people, because there were a number of different people who had an equal hand in my growth and development; keeping me on the right road and keeping me positive and focused.

AD: I always wish that more young people had a support group like that. The Reverend dropped a nice prayer on you that night to start you off in the right direction and that reminds me of what my grandmother always said—prayer changes things.

UWB: Yes indeed.

AD: Preston Edwards, Sr.—Founder, CEO, and publisher of the Black Collegian Magazine has recently published a book called “You have Cancer” chronicling the story of how he and three of his friends battled cancer at the same time. The main goal of the book is to promote cancer awareness. Why is there such a lack of cancer awareness among people—especially in the African-American community? It seems like the only time we really care about cancer is when somebody is dying.

UWB: Exactly. It’s really an enigma because cancer is indiscriminate. It affects everybody, but it does affect black people twice as much as anybody else.

AD: Hmmm…

UWB: So the question I ask myself is: “why is this and what are we doing to intervene?” I believe that if you want to change something you need to become a part of it.

AD: Right.

UWB: There aren’t enough African-Americans going into research period, let alone cancer research. 35% of African-Americans who enter into college enter with the intention to major in science and math. After that it’s pretty much equal with other ethnicities except for Asians. It’s 50% for them. But only 13% of African-Americans end up graduating with science and math degrees. Only 3% of us are going to pursue graduate degrees in science and mathematics.

AD: What happens between entering college and receiving a graduate degree?

"I was able to balance well but, you know, when it came down to academics and school and things of that nature, there were no games."

UWB: Well, it’s not the most lucrative career.

AD: What about MD’s?

UWB: I’m talking about the researchers. The things a lot of the doctors bring to patients start off in a scientific research laboratory. Well, a lot of research is dictated by government funding and government funding determines your salary.

For instance, prostate cancer is one of the most funded cancers around. Why? Because Congress is made up of old white men and prostate cancer predominantly affects old white guys. So they pass legislation to fund prostate cancer research. As a matter of fact, this is the first year in the history of cancer research that funding was cut.

AD: George Dub-ya at it again, huh?

UWB: Exactly. But you know, eight of the presidential candidates have survived cancer or had it strike someone in their family. Senator Barak Obama’s mother died of ovarian cancer. McCain survived melanoma, which is a skin cancer. Huckabee’s wife was diagnosed with spinal cancer when she was 19. Hilary Clinton’s mother-in-law died of breast cancer. And more recently there was John Edwards’ wife who was diagnosed with breast cancer and it spread through her bones. Bill Richards said that if he’s elected he’s going to appoint a Cancer Czar as part of his cabinet.

AD: Well, obviously cancer is a major issue in the election just like it’s a major part of your life. Speaking of which, one of the first things I noticed about you is that you are a shining example of positivity in the face of negativity. There’s a lot of concern about the plight of young African-American males. How did you manage to become such a great example at a young age?

UWB: It’s just like you said, “Turning tragedy into triumph”; making the best out of any situation. I wouldn’t call myself an optimist but I am a realist. I fully believe in my capabilities and I know that God gave me the ability to work hard. Just today, I was speaking to a white woman at church. We were meeting for the first time. She’s in divinity school and I told her that I’m in medical school. She said, “Wow. You must really be smart.” I said, “Well, I just work really hard.” She kind of gave me a puzzled look like, “okay.”

AD: (Chukle)

UWB: See, there are a lot of smart people, brother. It’s hard work that’s going to get you over the hump.

AD: That’s right! Work ethic is THE difference.

UWB: That is instilled in me. I have a lot of people behind me. I have a lot of people rooting for me. For me, anything less than great and I would be doing a disservice to all of the people who helped me through my hard times.

"God touched me right away. He put me in a place of understanding."

AD: You are living proof that in spite of all the hurdles young black men are facing, with the right help and guidance, they can shine like anybody else. And as we get ready to wrap this up what one message would like to leave with us?

UWB: Lately, I’ve been a strong advocate of doing what makes you happy. So, I urge collegians and people everywhere to find what makes you happy and do it. I am so passionate about what I do that a lot of these research projects have been volunteer work. I feel like I’ll be in a place to be successful financially and to take care of my family by doing what I love because I do it so well that people will be excited to pay me to do it.

AD: You’re a man after my own heart. I’ve had a few different mentors tell me to find something that you love to do so much that you would do it for free, but you do it so well that people will pay you top dollar.

UWB: Yeah, and the reason I’m saying this is because they call us the “we want everything now” generation.

AD: Delayed gratification is a lost art.

UWB: Yeah. I’ve got buddies of mine that graduated and are making big money on Wall Street, but they aren’t happy. They hate to wake up every day and they hate what they do. I’m just thankful that God revealed my purpose to me early in life and like I said I’ve got my blinders on.

AD: It’s been a blessing to sit down and talk to you for a few minutes, Ulysses.

UWB: Brother, I appreciate you giving me a chance to get my voice out there.

_______________________________________________________

Hey Students! Would you like to be featured in Elevate U and on the homepage of The Black Collegian Magazine?

I'm looking for successful student leaders and student entrepreneurs to interview for a segment of Elevate U called Inside the Mind. If you are interested then email your BRIEF bio, resume, and photo to Al @ Al The Inspiration Duncan

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