We asked some of the brightest folks from within the community to reflect back on their days in school and to share with us a story of when they learned a particularly important or impactful lesson. We’ve shared highlights below.\

Valarie Kirkbride

I’ve learned many lessons throughout my journey, but I’d like to highlight four that I believe have been instrumental in the success of Kirkbrides over the past 20 years. These lessons fall into four key categories: management, growth and success, marketing, and customer service. Positive Leadership is Essential. Read more>>

Marquita Broussard

I had the opportunity to learn many important lessons from elementary, high school, college and my recent entrepreneurship course that has been a part of the journey to my roadmap for success.

Elementary school pillars were based on being the best we could be and treating individuals with kindness and respect.

My high school teacher challenged me for the better to be a leader and don’t be shy of the light you have to shine. Read more>>

Clint Ford

Ironically, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in school actually had nothing to do with classes or curricula. It was the lesson of adaptability, being able to pivot as a creative. At Middle Tennessee State University I had already gotten my feet wet as a music producer, but I was only just getting started as a photographer. I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and I had to embrace challenges in certain areas that would help me grow as a creator in the grand scheme of things. One challenge in particular was shooting video. During college, I initially only wanted to do photography. I didn’t realize it back then, but I was definitely limiting myself. It wasn’t until a close friend of mine called me out on it, knowing that I had the potential to be great in that line of work just off of seeing me grow as a photographer. Read more>>

Hailey Love

During my sophomore year of college, my understanding of what it meant to be a leader was shaped by my experience as the Co-President of the Black Business Undergraduate Society at the University of Michigan. I was selected for the role alongside Brett Sherwood, who would go on to be one of my good friends and my favorite person that I have ever worked with. The Black Business Undergraduate Society (BBUS) is an organization with more than one hundred members at any given point and has longstanding relationships with many leading companies across industries. I became apart of a lineage of BBUS presidents who had all worked to move the organization forward during their time at the university. We leveraged our relationship with companies and our internal skillsets to connect students with job opportunities, develop our members professionally, and build community among the Black students in the Ross School of Business. In that role I learned many lessons. Read more>>