Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to the Blueprint brought to you by Brilliant Pathways. I'm your host, Manny Tejeda.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: In this forward thinking podcast, we explore.
[00:00:09] Speaker A: The evolving challenges and opportunities in preparing students for college and career success, offering expert insights, actionable strategies, and real life stories to help listeners better support young people as they draw their future.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: Welcome back, everyone, to another episode on the Blueprint. We're going to be talking to our friend Shamika, who is a graduate of Whateley Secondary School where she was a CFES scholar. She led the 100% campaign that encouraged every one of her classmates to apply to college. She has developed a passion for giving back to the community.
And as you hear her story, you'll hear a lot more about how she does that today.
Shameka has really developed and giving back has been the thing that she loves doing through her work at cfes. When she was in high school, she not only helped her classmates, but really continued that beyond she was helping students in college as well. So she has a wealth of experience in finance and healthcare. Shemeka is also a valuable resource to students, families, and obviously with her background now in the corporate world, to companies. Whether she's guiding students through scholarship applications or offering advice to companies as they navigate health care, Shamika's model has been centered in teaching.
So, Shemeka, let me welcome you to the Blueprint.
[00:01:40] Speaker C: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: So I know I just shared your introduction, but can you tell us a little bit about your story?
[00:01:47] Speaker C: Yeah. So it goes back to Wadley. In high school, I was a first generation high school student. My family was poor. My mom raised four of us as a single parent. She raised us on welfare and assistance from the government. Thinking about college was not something that we did or talked about in our household and not very much in school either. So when cfes came into the school, it was an opportunity for me to think about college, think about going to college. They talked about all of the obstacles we faced, you know, not having money, being first generation high school students and not letting those stop us from going to college. Right. And so as you mentioned, we started the 100% college acceptance campaign in our high school and it was really just to give all of us a chance to get accepted into a college, whether it was a university, four year or two year. And we did that. We were able to get everyone in acceptance. We were able to, you know, celebrate all of us being high school graduates and also just first generation students getting an opportunity to go to college. And so that was kind of like the highlight of My high school year just being able to break those barriers and get into college.
[00:02:57] Speaker B: That's awesome. And I think for the audience, let me just paint the picture. Over the last 10 years, the college going rate for a first gen student was about 20%. Now we're a much better percentage wise. We're about 38% of all undergraduates are first generation. But I think what's really interesting is, which goes back to a little bit of your story is about while they're going to college, what's helping them stay there. Right. So a most recent study showed that about 41% of first gen students seriously consider leaving school. And I think you talked a little bit about some of the barriers in high school, but I'm assuming this continues. But it's kind of that financial stability, right?
[00:03:41] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely.
[00:03:41] Speaker B: Anybody who can guide you at home, especially if you choose to go away. So can you tell us a little bit about first, where you went to college? How far was that, how was that process like as you were looking and navigating through, through your options?
[00:03:58] Speaker C: For me, I went to St. John's University is right in Queens. I grew up in Harlem, so it was just a train ride away. And I think that decision was largely based on whether I could afford to leave. I needed to be in a space where I would be able to take the train home if I needed to write, if I needed to get food or, you know, if I didn't have money, like I needed to be able to just be able to take that train ride and go back home. And I think a lot of students who come from first generation high schools really struggle with the financial aspect of being able to go out of state versus staying home. And it definitely carries out throughout that because still I didn't have anyone in my family who could guide me on a loan. How do I take a, a loan? How much of the loan do I take out? Right. How fast for works?
So it was very difficult to kind of navigate even still in college. And I struggled. I struggled a lot. I definitely thought about dropping out. I think that the, the reasons why I stayed were all of the things that I learned from cfes. The perseverance, the determination, all of those things that they taught us really helped me to kind of navigate those troubled waters and kind of like push my way through.
[00:05:07] Speaker B: I think that that's so important, you know, because you understand the challenges being there and you're still saying I can push. You have a network of support to say, a lot of people go through this. The difference is they make the choice to continue.
[00:05:24] Speaker C: Right.
[00:05:24] Speaker B: I think those are things coupled with those essential skills that really kind of make that difference. So that you feel more confident in the decision you want.
[00:05:34] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: It doesn't mean you know all the answers. Right. It's more about, you know, you have the tools, just got to know how to deploy them.
[00:05:41] Speaker C: Yeah. Because I still. I still feel now throughout my educational journey, I'm still learning things. Right. It's never a time where I feel like I know everything and I'm like, smooth sailing. I do feel like there are times where I'm still learning and I'm still growing and I'm still figuring things out. But because of those essential skills that I learned very early on in high school with cfes, and I'm able to kind of like, sit down, gather myself, think about what my options are, and kind of work through them versus just walking away.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: That's awesome. So I know you didn't just do your time at St. John's your four years. What else did you do?
[00:06:22] Speaker C: So I got my degree in accounting at St. John's I eventually went back to school. I got an MBA in corporate and business finance, and now I am studying for my Ph.D. in educational leadership.
[00:06:36] Speaker B: That's awesome. So you clearly figured out a way how to figure out your path on how to pay for college, how to stay in college, and how to continue.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: Degrees on your.
[00:06:50] Speaker B: On your letterboard. Right. So can you share a little bit about your own path in terms of those are the things you. You chose. But in terms of careers, what else have you done?
[00:07:01] Speaker C: Most of the things that I've done has been in healthcare, finance. So just helping businesses grow, pretty much how to grow your collections, how to get patients, things of that area. But I've always felt that most of what I was doing is teaching, and I've always had a passion for teaching. So giving back to my community, taking everything that I learned in college and bringing it back to my community, and I just felt like that wasn't enough. So going back to get my PhD, the thing that I needed to kind of really, really help my community and come back with information and the knowledge that could definitely set some change.
So right now, in the midst of doing my dissertation, I'm working as a special education teacher in second grade.
So I'm teaching. I'm trying to really figure out where I want to end up after I get my PhD, but I know that it deals with teaching. I'm just not quite sure at what degree.
[00:07:51] Speaker B: That's awesome. I'm so excited to hear more about obviously your teaching and what comes after you're done because you're so close to the finish line. Right?
[00:08:01] Speaker C: I'm so close.
[00:08:02] Speaker B: So I think you mentioned something that I think it's really important. It's. It's having that mindset of always be open to learning more. And I think obviously your, your trajectory shows that very well. And so my, I guess my question to you is how do you share that knowledge with others in your life?
[00:08:23] Speaker C: I've really been drawn to my community just because growing up in that area, I noticed that there were a lot students like me who coming from first generation families and then also just going back, having my nephew graduate from high school and just be lost in the college system.
So for me it's kind of been like, what are the things in my area that I see that are failing? And I see that education is a huge area where the community is just failing. So I want to be able to take everything that I learned and bring it back to my community. So often on Saturdays I do this cell phones for seniors. So pretty much any senior who does not know how to use a cell phone, they come to the center and I teach them how to use a cell phone. And it's just for like emergency purposes. You know, if you need to call someone because you fell, you want to know how to use your cell phone, Right. So I'm just looking at those trouble areas in the community and getting that knowledge and bringing it back. My education is just the way for me to help deliver it, if that makes sense.
[00:09:23] Speaker B: Absolutely. What do you feel like has set you apart to be able to be on this success journey?
[00:09:30] Speaker C: I have to attribute it all to CFVs now in brilliant pathways because I felt that definitely in high school I was not going to go to college. It was something that I was not thinking about at all. I wanted to get a job, finish high school, get my diploma, get a job and help my mom take care of the bills. Right. So college was definitely not something that was on the list.
And when cfes came into the school and they told us like, you can actually go to college, right? You can actually make a career. You guys are smart enough to do it. You don't worry about the financial aspect, right? That really changed something in me. Having that network, always having that people that was like a phone call away or email away for advice has been crucial in helping me to navigate some of the things that might have been obstacles. So. So I definitely have to attribute largely all of my success to cfes.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: Well, that's awesome. But, you know, I think you're. You're not giving yourself enough credit for taking action. I think that's one of the things that.
When we're meeting with students and scholars, I think it's important for them to understand the piece on the leadership in. The leadership upon themselves. Right. So like, we can help you get you the tools that you need to be successful. But you have to put that kind of play in motion. Right?
[00:10:52] Speaker C: Yeah. And I think also that's why I've been so successful also in my community and helping to bring some of that educational aspect back into the community. Because I'm a relatable face. People know me from the community, people know my family.
And they see me, you know, getting up every day, going to work or talking to everybody about school.
And so, because I'm so, so relatable, they actually can take my advice and we. And they can actually, you know, make things out of it. Right. And I think that that's one of the reasons why I love going back to the community. Love going back to Wadley. Answering those questions and showing face. Just because they'll see somebody else like them who did it. And it helps them believe that they can do it as well.
[00:11:30] Speaker B: Absolutely. I think that is so important.
[00:11:34] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: So to wrap up, what advice would you give yourself or. Or someone who's helping students kind of figure out their path?
[00:11:44] Speaker C: Yeah. I think that, you know, the biggest piece of advice I would give is to just stay open minded and also persevere. Don't take no's as just a no. Challenge the status quo. I remember my first year of college, I wanted to take a trip to Paris. And you had to be a sophomore in order to do it.
And I was like, well, when I graduate this year, I'm going to be a sophomore, so I should qualify for this trip. And I remember having to take it all the way up the chain before someone actually heard me. But I just think about that time and thinking about giving up on that experience.
And I wouldn't have been happy. So just fighting for what you want and just not believing that where you came from dictates who you'll be.
[00:12:30] Speaker B: Absolutely. What a great story. And I'm glad you keep pushing to do these things. I think it's so important, obviously to have a lot of self awareness about where you are and where you want to be. And understanding that that path, you know, you control your. The effort that you put in and that would lead you to that destination. It's not just about, you know, getting to Parish, right, is the. It's the journey that took you there in putting that perseverance, agility into motion to really make that happen.
[00:13:02] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:13:03] Speaker B: Well, Shamika, this has been awesome. I know you have other commitments coming up shortly, and we, you know, applaud the work that you've been doing throughout your. Your career and your education, and we really appreciate you taking the time to chat with us today. For the rest of you, this is just one of the episodes that you'll hear at the Blueprint podcast. As you know, we explore the evolving challenges of college and career readiness and making sure we get students where they want to be in a brilliant pathway. Thank you.
[00:13:39] Speaker C: Thank you, Manny.
[00:13:41] Speaker A: Support for this podcast comes from Brilliant Pathways, an organization that had spent over 30 years helping students make opportunities happen.
Connect with us wherever you get your podcast ass. And thank you for joining us on the Blueprint. I'm Manny Teja, your host, and I'll see you next time.
