Complete this sentence, "If not for MLT..."
I might have been successful, but my life wouldn't have been significant.

Please describe the impact MLT had immediately upon completing your program.
Upon completing the Career Prep program, MLT set me on the direction of Investment Banking, which was the ultimate post-undergrad foundational experience that helped me learn important lessons about myself both personally and professionally. Upon completing the MBA Prep program, MLT armed me with the tools to successfully navigate a personal leadership and development journey at the Johnson School at Cornell University. My coach and cohort opened my eyes to my strengths and weaknesses, and helped me understand how my program would help me take the next step.

How has MLT changed the financial/economic trajectory for you and your family?
By opening my world to careers and opportunities that I wasn't exposed to growing up, MLT has opened doors that I didn't know existed and has enabled me to have financial freedom a lot earlier than I thought I ever would. This freedom provides me with the platform to pursue career choices that are holistic in nature, and best for me and my family.

Has MLT elevated your personal and professional aspirations? If so, please provide an example.
Growing up, I always said I wanted to be a "businessman" but I didn't know what that meant with any level of specificity. Now, I know I want to be a C-level executive with responsibility for leading people, leading business, and leading ideas. As a result of my MLT experiences, I am well on my way to reaching that specific goal.

How has MLT's community helped advance your personal and/or professional happiness?
Sounding boards, reality checks, shoulders to cry on, tough love, and celebrations are just a subset of experiences I have called upon the MLT community for over the last 13 years. This community is both a measuring stick and a guiding light that I continuously come back to and it feeds my soul.

Speak to a challenge MLT helped you overcome and how did that help your trajectory (i.e. confidence that you belong, growth mindset, vulnerability).
My Career Prep coach, Rosalie Schraut, has continued to coach me years after I finished the formal enrollment in the CP program. Whatever path I have tried to pursue in my personal life or career, she has always provided the guidance and direction that helped me build confidence in my abilities. Without her believing in me as a 19 year-old kid and telling me I could have the career I desired—in spite of the world and multiple firms telling me no—I don't think I would have had the courage to take a lot of the subsequent leaps I have taken in my career.

Have you helped advance vulnerable people on their path to economic mobility? If so, how?
Every Christmas, I go back to my high school and speak to students about my career path and lessons I have learned. My goal is to help them on the path of upward economic mobility by exposing them to possibilities and opportunities, like MLT, that I didn't know about when I was in their seats.

Share 2-3 ways you've been able to accelerate your organization's journey toward greater diversity and inclusion.
At General Mills, I was very active in D&I recruiting efforts with MLT, National Black MBA, and Consortium. At Adidas, I have been a founding member of the black employee affinity group, Progressive Soles.

Share your favorite song, movie, or book, and why it appeals to you.
Book - The Alchemist. It teaches us that as much as we search for something, more often than not, what we are searching for is within us all along.

What is your superpower?
Wisdom.

What gives you hope?
When I talk to younger people on the come up and hear their vision and see the passion in their eyes. I know the future is bright because my MLT cohorts and I were the same way not that long ago.