We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Shenequa Pierre a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Dr. Shenequa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.
Are our schools – our education system – helping all students transition into scholars and leaders? It’s easy to see that that’s not the case. It’s easy to see that there’s no educational equity because not all students are provided with the means they need to reach their full potential, either academically or, just as significant, socially.
How can we create an education system that offers accurate educational equity and brings joy to our children and us?
We can prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career by teaching through the lens of educational relevance: Real-World Application that cultivates different schools, schools that students love and enjoy because:
they have fun learning instead of dreading test scores
they feel motivated to help each other succeed
they don’t feel like they have to focus strictly on their accomplishments
When we think about the core value, trait, or skill that underlies our ability to do this, we might be tempted to say that it is our collective creativity when problem-solving, our ability to think beyond precedents or expectations and forge a new solution. I believe, however, that what is truly at play is our courage. We succeed because, in the face of challenges, we dare to show up–perfectly flawed, not knowing all the answers, sometimes maybe even unsure about what is best or worse–but present. We succeed because when the going gets rough, we dare to persist–tired and sometimes overwhelmed–but willing to ask a question, try something new, and take a risk. We succeed because we dare to love–fully, unconditionally, and without reservation when the obstacles seem impossible.
These educational systems would be places where learning is greatly improved and lifelong friendships are forged. In them, relevance and focus would be brought back where they truly belong, on the ones who matter the most: our students. Our children. Our future and our joy. And together, we can cultivate such schools and start building a better future for us all.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Hi friends!
Dr. Shenequa Pierre here! I am an innovative, unapologetic leader serving at the intersection of Education, Authentic Impact, and Social Justice. I currently serve in many roles, strategically focused on cultivating excellent education, equipping for justice, and community empowerment. I believe education is a powerful tool to shift prejudice, biases, and misrepresentation of diverse groups. With over thirteen years of experience in pedagogical strength, I look forward to curating and uplifting meaningful exchanges that will forge the legacy for now and the future.
G.E.M.S. Inc.
There are many challenges facing inner-city children in the schools that I work in. There is little to no student supervision in urban communities due to work demands and low wages. Our neighborhoods often lack extracurricular activities that occupy and engage children after school. I founded G.E.M.S., Inc. (Girls Motivated to Succeed) to offer the support girls need to step into their roles as our world’s future leaders with vision, direction, and a sense of purpose. We enrich and empower their lives through leadership development and character-building activities. Our goal is to promote entrepreneurship, pro-social friendships, and character development by opening access to a female mentor network and offering workshops, community programs, and annual scholarships to empower young girls. Our movement is growing. We are now branching out from New York City to Miami, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, as we build our national network of female empowerment. Thank you in advance for joining us to invest in the next generation of women leaders by helping girls unlock their purpose and maximize their full potential! www.girlsmotivated.org
Industry Identity
Industry leaders need the tools and push to navigate lanes where identity and industry collide. This offering powered by Dr. Shenequa Pierre was created to cultivate industry intelligence that thrusts leaders into an impactful future. As a dynamic and thoughtful innovator with 13+ years of experience in reforming strategy and business-building roles, I live at the intersection of creating new opportunities, out-of-the-ordinary solutions, and creativity to find unexpected and practical ways to solve problems. I provide a strategic and creative approach to growing your business and creating more economic opportunities. I solve brand challenges through the innovative use of digital, social, and curriculum solutions. This revolutionary mentoring and coaching program will give you the tools you need to live your best life and make a significant impact. https://www.shenequapierre.com/industryidentity
Pierres Perspectives Education Consulting Firm
Pierre’s Perspective L.L.C. is a Minority, and Women-Owned Business Enterprise certified company with Proven methods and systems to mobilize communities, realign educational curriculum, and disrupt the status quo. Pierre’s Perspectives designs Innovative programs and workshops to advance relevant pedagogy, compel forward action, and build healthy relationships. Some workshops include Empowering people to be agents that facilitate change, Accountability and Awareness as a Catalyst, Disrupting and building structures that fortify leaders in the community, Creating community streams that make happiness transferable, and so much more! Connect today to unlock and unlearn! www.shenequapierre.com
IAMHER
I AM HER aims to invest in our youth in a specific way – Youth Advocacy, Financial Literacy, and Entrepreneurial leadership. We are committed to authentic, inspiring development for the liberation of black and brown girls. I.A.M.H.E.R. is a curated collection of t-shirts, apparel, and accessories. A shop full of things I LOVE and want to wear – a total dream come true! Apparel profits fund the annual scholarships provided by G.E.MS. The marketing and sales of I.A.M.H.E.R. apparel allow young girls to practice executing transferable skills acquired while being agents that change the world.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
After ordering Wendy’s for the fourth time this week, I called my mom. “Mom, I don’t know if I can do this! Everything I touch is a disaster, my kid isn’t eating well, and I am not feeling my best. I can’t do this. Is there a Meals on Wheels for full-time working millennial moms that spent too much time reading growing up and not enough time learning basic survival skills?”
As I said it, I answered my question. I used to have precisely that! It was my family! When I lived in Florida, my mother and aunt would come over every day to ensure my daughter was fed and bathed. On the days when I had back-to-back meetings, she was the only reason I ate. She’d sneak quietly into my room with a plate of my favorite things, griot, plantains, salad with a side of rice and beans, and always a glass of water yuck to help with my circulation since I was spending so much time sitting.
When I felt my heart and my brain swell with anxiety over all the calls with concerns and complaints from all the stakeholders involved in leading a school through a pandemic, my mom, sister, or aunt would suddenly appear at my door ordering me to put my shoes on, “we’re going for a walk or taking a stroll to get the latest desserts!” We’d go for a mile with them updating me on all the ridiculous drama of their friends or siblings, and many laughs later, and I’d feel ready to take on the world again.
I miss my family.
I’m grateful for our daily conversations and their encouragement that I can do this if I get myself organized, concentrate, and put myself on the calendar. I share this with you all because I had to step back and see that I am doing some incredible things! I also realize that behind every single thing that happens, I have an army of people who help me show up the way I do to do this work every day. I am supported by amazing people who remind me of my greatness and help me carry the load.
I saw this lovely tweet online, “I was asked, ‘who is your best friend?’ I don’t know. I don’t use language like that anymore. It doesn’t fit. I have friends that hold different keys to my personality. And some open my heart. Some of my laughter. Some of my sins. Some my civic urgency.” Hold on to all of those people. And if one of them happens to hold the key to your stomach, don’t move away from them.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I thought I had it all figured out. I was in the last stages of completing my Doctorate majoring in Education and landed a prestigious internship at an IVY league university in New York City. Then, the pandemic sent me back to a virtual setting home, where I left the training and business industry behind to become a freelance curriculum designer. I made revisions to my school’s curriculum, particularly the arts and science curriculum. At the end of the year, we saw a 20% improvement in students’ test scores. The pivot revealed that I finally had the time and energy to explore what I had loved as a child and discovered that I turned to art when I didn’t have work. I was able to build a virtual school for two weeks that left students and families, both new and returning sending messages like, “Thank you for all you do. Please know that all your hard work does not go unnoticed, and I am so excited for my child to be back in the school building.
I had to pivot what I did in the loud hallways of middle school learning in a zoom box during virtual learning. At all levels of our work, I had to keep in the front of my mind that I am showing up for our most critical stakeholders-in ways that defy the norm. Starting over in a new industry wasn’t easy. I had to create content and picked up three part-time jobs as a professor, a layout editor for a curriculum developer, and a parent translator for Haitian creole.
When making the pivot to purpose, highlight your transferable skills and network. I leveraged my skills that weren’t very industry-specific. For example, I had to work in a very ambiguous environment and create processes for myself; that’s the thing that I would leverage in my interview experience. Also, doing your due diligence and speaking to people in the industry will be beneficial. It doesn’t have to be on LinkedIn; it could be someone you played soccer with in college or an old friend. Assess your risk tolerance. I wasn’t doing anything rash; it’s something I sat with for several months. I tried to do both things until I reached a breaking point. And then, at that point, it was pretty clear which one I wanted more. You have to sit down and ask yourself if you are comfortable with that risk. Explore your identity and how you want to spend your day. Think about the pros and the cons and move aggressively into your next!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shenequapierre.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.shenequapierre/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shenequa.pierre
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shenequapierre/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm5elDoTUXWUS48g5V_MFMQ