Back Home

I have made it back home finally. What a wonderful experience. I have learned a lot and met a great deal of wonderful individuals and I look forward to seeing them very soon. Please enjoy some of the pictures of the events and dynamic speakers that we were able to hear and see. 

 

Mrs. Caldwell on building relationships! Amazing woman!

Freezing and soaking up knowledge

The group

Awa- Program Coordinator

L. Brad...the next elected official in Tallahassee.

Sacy Rodgers from SSA...Financial tools of the trade

Kenyatta Uzzell, CEO of Polihire speaking on being strategic in the market

Ida and I...

Anthony Snipes, Asst. City Manager Austin, Texas- Leadership discussion of the 3P's

ELI Members

Marc Ott, Dynamic City Manager of Austin, Texas

MLK Jr. Monument...amazed and in aww

Roland Martin @ CBC conference

CBC Conference

Magnificence.

Wine down time before departure

Pictures of Mentoring Program Activities

Madam President and Dr. Coleman

Vee and Monique walking and walking... :)

Class is in Session

Laquana, Keron, Ashley,

The men folk-proteges

discussion

Madam President

What are you known for?

I am at the NFBPA mentoring workshop and the central question for today was "What are you known for?"  What kind of brand do you produce for others to see and take notice of that will set you apart from the rest of the pack. Everything we see around us has a symbolic meaning and a deeper representation for us even if we don't realize it. Coca-Cola has its polar bears and Floridian stock holders, Nike has its check and McDonald has its golden arches but what are you known for when people see or refer to you. It was the only question of today that struck a chord for me because as I begin my public service journey I realized that I do not want to build a brand to sell I want to develop a legacy to sustain another generation. What am I known for, where do my weaknesses lie and how can I leverage my strengths to strengthen others. So many people are into the business of selling a brand but as Dr. Coleman said today we first must be into the business of getting to know what is "inside of here" (him pointing to chest).  What kind of stuff are you made of that will lay the foundation for the legacy you want to set? This is the question I asked myself as I combated the idea in my head of the differentiation between brand building and legacy development. I want to be known for all the things that can never be captured on a resume. I want to be known for being a wonderful leader, friend person and an even greater public servant. I want my protege cohort to know me for my passion, resilience and determined spirit. I believe that is more than a brand and an impression, it is a lasting legacy.

Dr. Coleman today spoke today about changing our language in order to change and transform how we think about ourselves and the world around us. A brand is for a commodity, a good in the open market, a business tool for the sell of goods and services. One valuable lesson today that I learned (which I am sure was not the goal) is that my language can be dangerous to my own self perception. It is our rhetoric about ourselves and the rhetoric that we allow others to speak into our lives that becomes our worst enemy. For the longest time, I did perceive myself as a commodity on the auction block going to the highest bidder. I never stopped to think about what I needed from a job, I just went to the interview and "sold" myself. However, as the central question resonated in my spirit, " What am I known for?" I had to take an inventory to find out and discover what I "want" to be known for in the future since I did not feel like I was "known" for much now. I decided I want to be known for a legacy of service and dedication, no brand needed.

Overall very insightful learning from my peers and Dr. Coleman. I look forward to the rest of this journey with them all.

Mr. John Saunder, Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, Dr. Troy Coleman PhD

"Some" of Mentoring Class of 2012-2013!                

First day: the journey

Two day travel on megabus $135 later and one missed bus at 8:00 am it has certainly started off as a journey. I am excited to get to the workshops but the travel alone has been a journey. But you know what they say...its not about the destination but about the journey. I'll check back in at the next check point.

Passion for the People: Life-long Student

What does it take to inspire an impoverished spirit? A spirit devoid of all hope and trust in a system that has continuously failed it. A spirit that has been broken down to its very core by the very vessel that postulates that it is there to help. Frankly, everyday that I go home and have to see the broken spirits of those on the streets, I grapple and fight with this very question because I don't know. I am an academician, a professional student that enjoys learning, which affords me a wealth of knowledge on the problems but sometimes it stops short of meaningful solutions that can deliver. Volumes and volumes of works exist to explore the realm of the social enigma in which perplexes us all as we begin to speculate on what we believe we should do. However, when faced in front of the belly of the beast, staring at broken spirits, the theoretical doctrines disconnect me and put me at a loss. It is at this point that my books cannot reconcile their realities. The reality is that as I embark on this pursuit to be a public servant, I must understand that I will never cease to be a student first, willing to learn and be transformed by the realities and truth of those in which I seek to serve. It is when the public servant believes that she has learned enough about the problem that impairs her ability to be a servant for a meaningful solution to those she seeks to help the most.