The White Plains Youth Bureau was and continues to be a quintessential part of the community. It serves as a gathering spot, where students can have place for comfort and guidance for everyone. I can reflect on my 14th birthday when my parents informed me that I was now of age and could get my working papers for my first real job. Admittedly, I was nervous and excited at the same time. Both of my parents had such a presence in the White Plains community, and I knew I had a lot to live up to, because I never wanted to disappoint them. I remember that summer I participated in an entrepreneurship program. My internship involved me working at a local cellphone and electronics store and having to work on administrative tasks during the summer. Additionally, I had the opportunity to visit local corporate businesses and work on developing a business plan.

After that summer, I continued to intern through various organizations in the community and ultimately finished high school and continued on to Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. I graduated and pursued a career in technology and consulting at Accenture, a global Fortune Global 500 company. I’m currently a Technology executive at Accenture in our Oracle practice. In addition, I support our HBCU Diversity Recruiting Team as the Spelman College and Dual-Degree Campus Champion for the Atlanta University Center Consortium, the Girls Who Code program lead in Atlanta. Looking back, I truly appreciate how the Youth Bureau helped equip me with the confidence to lead; continuously push myself to grow and how my roles helped me develop others to enter the workforce. Congratulations on this pivotal anniversary!