We recently connected with Scott Galvin and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, thanks for joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

I had the absolute privilege in the 1990s to work for an incredible woman, U.S. Representative Carrie Meek. I was an aide in her Miami office and primarily worked on immigration constituent casework. Being our Congresswoman in Washington, DC, Ms. Meek did a lot to improve South Florida. She was one of the most powerful women in the country. Despite her status, Congresswoman Meek taught me many lessons that I carry with me. She told me early on that although influential and famous people would come through her office, that I shouldn’t give them my primary attention. Instead, she told me my focus needed to be on the constituents, the regular, everyday, blue collar workers who called us for help. They were the most important people we would encounter.

Congresswoman Meek was right. She taught me to be mindful of the truly important people we encounter. And she was as kind and loving a woman in private as her public persona would have you believe. She passed away in 2021, but I’ll carry her with me forever.

Scott, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve worked for Safe Schools South Florida since 2019. We’re a non-profit organization working to empower LGBTQ youth across the state. It’s our goal to teach queer youth to be leaders in their community. Safe Schools also works with classroom teachers to increase their understanding of LGBTQ issues.

My first job in the non-profit world was with Junior Achievement of Miami (JA). It was a fantastic place to work. JA’s mission was to teach economic literacy to students in grades K-12. I trained corporate volunteers who would work with the kids on important lessons about their financial future. Much of what I learned at JA serves me now at Safe Schools. The missions are different, but the need to empower youth is the same.

My college degree is in Education. Prior to all this non-profit work, I was a middle school history teacher. Clearly, I’ve worked with youth for a long time. I also have outside experience in government, fundraising, and event planning.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Though I’ve only been with Safe Schools South Florida for a few years, we have had to alter how we work twice since then. The first pivot came when COVID shut down schools across the country. In normal times, we worked with students in school classrooms. But when schools closed, we had to figure out how to still connect with our kids in a new way. Thus, our Safe Schools TV channel was born. We created a youth-hosted YouTube show that focused on various issues that youth would find of interest. We also beefed up our social media channels, posting more often and introducing engaging content.

Our second pivot has come in the last year with the onset of Florida’s new “Don’t Say Gay” law. Teachers will be limited this school year…and in all school years to come…as to what they can discuss in classrooms on LGBTQ issues. It’s left teachers confused and in fear. It will also impact the students. With such uncertainty, we’ve had to reassess how we help our youth. If schools become limited in the content they can offer, we’ll have to again alter how we connect. It’s something we’ve been pondering all summer. Our work is cut out for us.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

You have to be bold. Try things. Fail. Brush yourself off and try again. Grow from every experience. The greatest lessons in life are learned by doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.safeschoolssouthflorida.org
• Instagram: @safeschools1991
• Facebook: @safeschools1991
• Twitter: @safeschools1991
• Youtube: @safeschools1991
• Other: Tik Tok: @safeschools1991