Shawn Scott is an executive assistant at Chanel, Inc., and she has worked in this position for eight years. Her pursuit of a career in human resources led her to take on HR positions at three companies in the past, including Morgan Stanley, Core Staffing, and Chanel. When she was offered her current position, she took it hoping to build her understanding of how an organization functions and in turn better inform her work in HR in the future.

1. Can you provide a brief overview of your career – positions, companies, etc.? What motivated you to pursue this career path?

Honestly, I’m working on my career that I didn’t know I wanted up to a few years ago.  I have known from a young age I wanted to work in business; wasn’t sure in what capacity, but in the last decade I have discovered it’s Human Resources. My original career path was music business; I wanted to be an A&R executive (find and develop the artist). I didn’t know much about HR when I took a temp assignment with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.  Like most people, I viewed HR as the department that handles the paperwork and difficult employee issues. While working at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, I learned that HR is A&R on a much larger scope. In HR you assist the entire company in recruiting, training and development, compensation, benefits, employee relations and succession planning to name a few functions.  But I detoured a little, and became one of the executive assistants to the Global CEO, of Chanel.  I worked in Chanel’s HR department prior to this position. I always wanted to understand why and how things worked (first-hand) in the organization from the top down, to better understanding the decision-making by the top executives for the company.  So when I got the call, I took the opportunity to get the inside view. I’ve learned a lot and have an improved perspective for Human Resources in the future.

2. Can you provide a brief overview of your education and how it did, or did not, prepare you for your career?

I am one year from completing my bachelor in Business Management at SUNY Empire State College. With years of work experience under my belt, it has helped with my course working.   From a high school point-of-view, my education did and didn’t prepare me for my career.  I attended Park West High School, in Manhattan. Park West was a vocational school that you could study a trade like automotive, and pretty much start working right out of high school. Times were a little different, back then business management and human resources weren’t high school programs.  However, my basic academics provided the necessary foundation to my success in the direction I went right out of high school, but did not focus on the many different career options out there.

3. Could you describe your experience with 4T’s and how it may have benefited you?

My experience with 4T’s has been on a small-scale.  I was one of a few people who had the honor to hear Mr. Bentley’s dream of changing the minds and showing the youth in our community their potential for a brighter future, from the beginning. Knowing someone values your experience and insight, to ask to be a part of they dream is a benefit.  All people want to be part of something, and having the chance to be part of such a wonderful cause and organization has been a privilege, even on a small-scale.

4. Why should someone consider participating in 4T’s programs or learning more about the organization?

4T’s is an organization that will provide a new platform for kids to connect with people who come from a similar background, help them stay on track with their education, future dreams and experiences through some of their toughest years. Like the proverb says: “It take a whole village to raise a child.”  The organization combines education, creativity and career services under one institution, to help kids know how important it is to have a passion, plan, and how to stick with it to achieve the success for their future.  

5. In your own words, why is receiving an education important?

Education is the first exposure we receive for so many things.  It allows us to dream, explore, question, and prepare us for the many different things and fields of employment that exist. It also give us a way to know the history of the world, what we got right, wrong, and can help us make better choices for the future. Education also allows us to know there is more out there in the world than what we see in our day-to-day. 

6. What advice would you give to yourself in high school?

Don’t let your circumstances hold you back, dream big and execute no matter what!

-Hope Swedeen

Please share your reactions to this professional’s experiences.

Christopher Flores is the Manager of Inside Sales at Namely, a platform designed to help companies manage all HR tasks. Mr. Flores strives to achieve success in his career, and he has faced the challenge of finding pursuits that are rewarding to him both financially and personally. He has previously spoken at a 4T’s event, helping to motivate students who are facing similar obstacles to those that he was able to overcome as a student himself. Mr. Flores continues to recognize the importance of education and its capacity to provide students with tools that are necessary if they are to achieve their goals and follow their passions.
Below is an interview with Mr. Flores regarding his experiences in his education and his professional life.

1. Can you provide a brief overview of your career – positions, companies, etc.? What motivated you to pursue this career path? 

I've always had a fascination for money growing up. It's interesting how much we revolve around it, how happy it makes us, and also how scary it is when we don't have it. I was drawn to the idea for owning my own business because I'm competitive and I could make a lot of money. In college, I became a Financial Advisor for a company called Northwestern Mutual. This was a great learning experience, where I set my own schedule, learned sales, and became my own boss. After graduation, I looked for another challenge and became an Account Executive for a company on Wall Street called Frost & Sullivan. Unfortunately there was something missing. Although I was making money and being competitive, I was not passionate about the product I had to sell. Now I'm at Namely, an HR, Payroll, and Benefits company. After my first day on the job, I fell in love with the product and the culture. I knew that was half the battle, and the money would come later. Now my career path has been set in motion, and it's up to me to stay competitive and be successful.

2. Can you provide a brief overview of your education and how it did, or did not, prepare you for your career?  

I graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and did my four years at Boston College right after. I owe a lot to Cardinal Hayes for providing me with the tools needed to start a career. Whether it be how to dress, how to be professional, how to speak to others, how to write, it's amazing how all the little things we learned in school come back to our lives every day. I'm happy I went away to college because I learned about being on your own and the need to leverage friends and teachers to be successful. I learned it's tough to get good grades on your own, and a support system like your family or a mentor is necessary.

3. Could you describe your connection to 4T’s?

The President and Founder, Kayode, reached out to me on LinkedIn. We're both alumni of Cardinal Hayes HS, so it was a matter of time that our paths would cross. I was able to speak at one of the events to current students. It was a rewarding experience because I was able to answer questions I had when I was a student. 

4. Why should someone consider learning more about 4T’s? What else can a student do on their own to benefit their education?

4T's is an organization that is down to earth and really wants to help students. I wish I knew about it in high school because it's an avenue where students can learn from those who already went through what they're doing. Students can ask questions and pick someone else's brain outside the classroom, which is motivating. 

A student can also join an extracurricular activity like a sport or club to benefit their education. I think it's important to stay as busy as possible and figure out what you want to do in the long term.

5. In your own words, why is receiving an education important?

Receiving an education is important because it's a stepping stone to start a career. There are tons of opportunities out there in the job marketplace, however, the bare minimum to qualify for the majority is a Bachelor's degree from a 4 year college. An education will also allow you to have meaningful conversations with others, meet new people, and open your mind to new ideas.

6. What advice would you give to yourself in high school?

Stay competitive, keep shooting to be number one in all you do, and trust in yourself and your friends and family. Also, go online, find Kayode, and attend one of the 4T's events. You won't regret it.

-Samantha Phillips and Hope Swedeen


Please share your reactions to this professional's experiences.

Mr. Rodney Thomas, who works in the law enforcement field, is a 4T's alum. As a youth, he greatly contributed to establishing the foundation of the organization as well as its growth. Mr. Thomas believes that 4T's helped him get on the track to entrepreneurship and continues to recognize the importance of education in his life and in the lives of youth today. Below is an interview with Mr. Thomas about his experiences with entrepreneurship and education.

-Samantha Phillips
 
1.      Can you provide a brief overview of your career – positions, companies, etc.? What motivated you to pursue this career path?

I’ve been in law enforcement since 1993. My first law enforcement job was with the New York City Hospital Police working at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. My first arrest was for a guy brandishing a weapon. After that I was hooked. Then in May of 1995 I got a job with the Dept. of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons as Correctional Officer working out of Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan. There I learned how to talk and deal with violent situations without using a weapon.

Then my career took a sudden turn. In 1996 I received an opportunity to work real investigations cases working for the Dept. of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service in Miami Florida as a Federal Officer. I conducted High Risk Escorts of Criminal Illegal Aliens overseas and throughout the United States. I also developed policies and procedures to start a Gang Intelligence Unit working in Miami, Florida. Here I learned so much about a variety of cultures. I loved working and having the ability to actually take bad guys off the streets. 

In 2000 I left law enforcement for personal reasons and returned in 2001 back in NYC working with the Federal Reserve Police conducting dignity Protection for government officials as a Federal Police Officer. I worked Federal Reserve Police until 2008.  I guess I just fell into this career. I actually never wanted anything to do with law enforcement. This is the one career that chose me.

2.      Can you provide a brief overview of your education and how it did, or did not, prepare you for your career? 

I am now pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Psychology. Forensic Psychology for me plays a very important role. I have dealt with so many individuals with different mindsets, from a person who has committed a minor offense to your Felony driven individuals. Knowing the criminal element is so important for me.

3.      Could you describe your experience with 4T’s and how it may have benefited you?

I started with 4T’s back in 1990, brainstorming with Mr. Kayode Bentley in his room back in the Bronx. Kayode brought an idea to me about fashion shows and empowering our youth. I didn’t know anything about fashion nor did I did know how to reach the youth. I was still young myself. Kayode gave me a blue print to follow and the rest is history. He gave me an opportunity to change lives in a positive way.

The benefits I received from 4T’s are I learned how to be an Entrepreneur -- being a business owner is what I learned from Kayode Bentley and 4T’s. 4T’s gave me the ability to start my own business using the skills that I acquired from my law enforcement career.

4.      Why should someone consider participating in 4T’s programs or learning more about the organization?

I would suggest to anyone who is serious about learning how to survive in this world by being able to pursue your dreams that 4T’s is an organization you want to be a part of. 4T’s teaches you how to obtain your dreams and how to conduct yourself. Reaching the youths of today is not easy. 4T’s exudes style, class, finesse, and also True to The Trade.

5.      In your own words, why is receiving an education important?

Getting a proper education is so important today.  It’s needed to excel in corporate America. But at the same time Life experience is paramount to education as well.

6.      What advice would you give to yourself in high school?

I would tell myself, ‘Please stay in school. Get that High School Diploma. It is very important to receive.’ Which I did achieve, and I am proud that I did.

Please share your reactions to these experiences of a 4T's alum.

Philomena Reduzzi began her teaching career in 1986 at a regional college preparatory school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania.  She taught grades 8 through 12 for 15 years.  She then began impacting the lives of students at a nearby public school in 2000.  During the course of her 15 years there, she taught grades 9 through 12, finally settling into 10th grade.  Below is an interview with Mrs. Reduzzi about her experiences in the education field. 

-Samantha Phillips

1. What motivated you to become an educator?

I want to be an educator to share my passion for literature.  Also, I genuinely care about the success of others, and want to help them succeed.  In my opinion, providing knowledge and sharing literature are the most important tools for success in life.  With knowledge, we are able to pursue the many different avenues in life and careers.  What motivates me to be an educator is for the “ah-ha” moment.  It’s that moment where a student makes the connection, and completely understands the lesson I am teaching.

2. Can you share a teaching moment of which you are particularly proud?

Many years ago I had a particular student who thought poetry was useless and made no sense to him. He felt it was a waste of his time. Then, we did a poetry unit; we read poems and discussed them and analyzed them. At the end of the unit, I had the class sit outside with their eyes closed and just listen. They then wrote their own poem based on what they heard and felt. The young man's poem was beautifully written and so very in tune with nature. We talked about the experience, and he said how he had come to view poetry in a totally different way. Those moments stay with a teacher a lifetime.

3. What changes have you seen develop over your career in the education field?

Honestly, there really aren't that many changes besides the focus on a Common Core and preparing the students to pass a standardized test. The way teachers teach and present information basically has stayed the same, just the "names" of the methodology have changed. We have gone from lecture and question and answering to direct instruction, the I do, we do, you do, and the Socratic method. We have gone from thick and thin questioning to the new Bloom's taxonomy and higher order thinking. It's just a change in terminology. We still focus on preparing students for the next level in their education and for the real world.  Also, we now adapt teaching to different student characteristics by using diverse methods of teaching. When I first started teaching, special education was conducted within its own self-contained classroom, and students did not have to score basic or proficient.

4. Have you personally noticed any systematic issues which limit or enhance learning in your classroom?

A few years ago, trying to adapt my teaching style to follow the "style of the month", I struggled to conform and felt I lost my way. I know I lost my passion for sharing the life-lesson literature has to offer. I was trying to conform in order to get my students to pass the standardized test. It just didn't work. My students did no better nor no worse, and the classroom environment lost its excitement.

5. In your own words, why is receiving an education important?

Education really isn't about solving mathematical equations or learning flawless speaking and writing of the language. It's about resourcefulness and problem-solving. Education gives us power and makes us capable of interpreting things rightly and applying the gathered information in real life scenarios.

6. What would you say to a student who has become disengaged with their education?

What I'd really like to say is get a clue...on the inside. Yet, I would ask why. Actually, I would probably badger incessantly, but I might start with..."Why don't you see the need to learn? If you give up on learning now, what will you do in the future? Education is a life-long experience and the second you stop learning, you stop living, truly."

Please share your reactions to these experiences of an educator.

Alysia Sabatine-Phillips has been in the classroom for 28 years teaching Spanish to middle school and high school students in the Poconos in Pennsylvania.  She always dreamed of becoming a teacher because she enjoys working with kids, helping them to learn and to become better people.  She specifically chose to be a Spanish teacher because she believes it is important to teach American students that there are people different from them in the world and how to be more open and accepting of other people.  Below is an interview with Mrs. Sabatine-Phillips about her experiences in the education field.  

-Samantha Phillips

1.      Can you share a teaching moment of which you are particularly proud?

“I remember when Kaitlyn, [a past student of mine,] came up to me to tell me she was going to become a Spanish teacher because of me.  That was a personal moment of accomplishment I recall.  I was also a member of the Diversity Task Force, and we had kids take a pledge for unity to accept others for their differences.  We had probably 800 kids take the pledge.  That’s something I’m proud of that I did outside of the classroom because kids were pledging to accept other people and cultures.”

2.      What changes have you seen develop over your career in the education field?

“A lot more paperwork.  A lot more standardized testing, which takes away from me teaching my subject matter.  Instead, I have to teach to the test.  Another change is evaluating teachers by their students’ progress.  There have also been huge changes in special education. When I first started, there weren’t special needs kids in a regular classroom, but over the years they have been mainstreamed.”

3.      Have you noticed any systematic issues which limit or enhance learning in your classroom?

“I feel less able to discuss Spanish culture relating to religion because of administration.  No Child Left Behind makes me teach more slowly, and I’m not able to help the kids who already get it and could move on.  And again, state testing has taken up a ton of classroom instructional time.”

4.      In your own words, why is receiving an education important?

“It makes you a better person.  Any new piece of knowledge helps you to improve.  It helps you get a job and be in a better environment.  More opportunities open for you.  You gain the ability to help others.”

5.      What would you say to a student who has become disengaged with their education?

“Shape up.  Focus and buckle down because it’s so important because of the reasons I just stated.  If you drop out, you’re not going to get a good job.  You’re more likely to be earning minimum wage, and this could cause you to struggle your whole life.”

Please share your reactions to these experiences of an educator.