For our 35th anniversary, we’ll be sharing the stories of 35 alumni showcasing the leaders they are today and how 21st Century Leaders inspired and impacted their journey. Alumni will represent the 3.5 decades since our founding in 1989 – the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. Take a read and be inspired!
35th Anniversary Alumni Spotlight
2000’s Decade
Name: Jasmine Tillman Bradley
H.S. Grad Year: Class of 2008
High School: Midtown High School
College: Agnes Scott College
Current Role: Training & Associate Engagement Specialist, AMB Sports and Entertainment
How has your career unfolded and how did participating in 21CL help prepare you for your next steps going to college, taking on a new leadership role in community/college and after?
21CL has been an integral part of my career journey since 10th grade. Once I went to college at Agnes Scott, I was close in proximity to the 21CL office and Zeena Regis, who is an Agnes Scott alum and was Program Manager at 21CL during my time, helped me to get my first summer job with 21CL. I gained really valuable work experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity. Having worked so many summers for 21CL, in 2015 they called me to come work full-time as a Program Manager and it was really my first “real” job in a sense where I was fully immersed into the operations of 21CL day to day. From being a student to summer staff member and then full-time employee really showed me how powerful networking and relationship-building is to your career and leadership. Since 21CL, my career has been a series of jumps in various learning and development spaces, and 21CL helped me to find that career path.
What’s your memorable or ‘aha’ moment during your time at 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peer, speaking in public for the first time, etc.)
I have so many moments just being with the organization for over 15 years now so it is hard to pick one. I think a lot of the memorable moments were once I became a summer RA and was working with Michael Carter, Tim Parham, Mary Van Atta and so many others – people who were MY summer staff team when I was in high school. It was a full circle moment to be able to work alongside them! My other memorable moments come from seeing college students who still remember me and remind me of the positive impact I had on them. I also met one of my best friends at 21CL and we are still close to this day.
Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? If so, how?
I would say the leadership style I gained from 21CL is that in fact, there is no one style that creates an effective leader. There are characteristics that make an effective leader, Bob used to talk about these all the time, the three Cs of leadership. As I have navigated through my career, leadership style changes based on the environment, and a good leader always is able to change and adapt to situations.
Why do you believe programs like 21CL are important? And what advice would you give to a current or future student? Programs like 21CL are important because they prepare students to position themselves as leaders early enough and before they enter their careers and industries. As someone who coaches adults in the same skills taught in 21CL, these skills are important to introduce early and often so that they are prepared for the future. A piece of advice I would give to a current or future student is that you must prepare for tomorrow, today. Whether you become an entrepreneur or work for a company, there is a certain skillset that 21CL and leadership development can offer that will help propel you to success. It sounds very cliché, but having these skills and the network of 21CL will put you in places you cannot imagine.
Share the inspiration!
