My advice to young leaders today: Every one of you will go on your own journey. Find beauty in the journey itself and be kind to yourself along the way. Visualize your success. Be bold and curious. Blow up the system if that’s what it takes!
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People say, “Your Network is your Net Worth,” or “Life Moves at The Speed of Relationships” and it couldn’t be more true. I thank 21CL for that and lifelong friendships.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
21ST CENTURY LEADERS CELEBRATE 35 YEARS OF EMPOWERING STUDENTS WITH A $1 MILLION SUSTAINABILITY FUND CAMPAIGN
Atlanta, GA (June 4, 2024)—21st Century Leaders, Georgia’s premier youth leadership development program, announced its Empowering Our Future: Sustainability Campaign, which aims to raise $1 million to endow its transformative leadership programs with long-term sustainability and impact. This campaign, coinciding with the organization’s 35th anniversary, will not only provide scalable and accessible programs for all high school students across Georgia but also change the trajectory of their lives, empowering them to become the leaders of tomorrow.
“As we celebrate this milestone year for the organization and how we’re impacting today’s youth, we’re also thinking about the next 35 years and how we will inspire and support those students,” says DeRetta Rhodes, Ph.D., Chairperson, 21CL Board of Directors and EVP Chief Culture Officer, Atlanta Braves. “Ensuring our future schools, communities, and places of work are filled with diverse, empathetic, and talented leaders is a cause we should all want to support.”
In 1989, a group of Georgia-based executives observed a growing and critical need to prepare their employees for leadership and promote collaboration across class and racial barriers. To address this, they founded 21st Century Leaders, aiming to build the next generation of leaders by providing young people with training, guidance, and encouragement to enter college and the workforce with highly developed leadership skills.
“For over three and half decades, 21st Century Leaders has empowered and inspired over 18,000 high school students to reach their full potential,” said Kate Hewitt, Executive Director, 21st Century Leaders. “This campaign will ensure we continue to provide accessible programming for all while strategically scaling our leadership development programs for more youth across Georgia to meet the demand of our growing student body.”
The $1 million Sustainability Fund will directly support the annual expansion and enhancement of 21st Century Leaders’ programs. These include:
Investing in the Future Leaders of Georgia
21st Century Leaders is committed to fostering the next generation of Georgia’s leaders. The Empowering Our Future: Sustainability campaign will ensure long-term stability by investing in staff, programs, and partnerships. It also awards scholarships to graduating seniors. This campaign provides an opportunity for individuals, corporations, and foundations to invest in the future of our state.
How to Get Involved
To learn more about the 21st Century Leaders Sustainability Fund and how individuals, corporations, and foundations can contribute to empowering Georgia’s future leaders, please visit www.21stcenturyleaders.org/endowment or contact Kate Hewitt, Executive Director at kate@21stcenturyleaders.org.
About 21st Century Leaders
21st Century Leaders is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect, transform, and inspire high school students from across the state of Georgia to leverage and promote diversity and inclusion, explore career opportunities, and become leaders across their schools, communities, and, ultimately, the workforce. Through innovative programs and experiences, we cultivate the skills and knowledge necessary for students to thrive in a globalized world. Visit www.21stcenturyleaders.org to learn more about our transformational programs for high school students across Georgia.
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One of my favorite lessons learned that I still apply personally and professionally is from the FISH philosophy. I learned, “even if we disagree, don’t make me wrong.” This means that there are always different perspectives and often not just one right answer or means to get something accomplished.
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Programs like 21CL are important because they expose students to diverse experiences, people, institutions, and perspectives that they may not receive within their own community. These programs promote post-secondary readiness while creating well-rounded individuals who can take on the world with just a little more confidence than the student who did not get the same exposure.
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Programs like 21CL are important because they prepare students to position themselves as leaders early enough and before they enter their careers and industries
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21CL emphasized the joy of connecting for a common goal and building relationships that can serve a community beyond oneself.
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21CL helped me develop a highly collaborative leadership style. I always solicit input from numerous stakeholders to create a cooperative work environment and help maintain engagement.
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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!
90’s Decade
Name: Tavanesha Shepard
H.S. Grad Year: Class of 1998
High School: Kendrick High School (Columbus, GA)
College: Savannah State University
Current Role: Manager, Talent, AFLAC Inc.
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?
I have always been a leader but very recently became a people leader. I don’t tell people often, but I fought the idea of becoming a people leader for a long time. Even though everyone around me saw the potential and recognized my leadership skills, it’s not a path I proactively pursued. But God has a way of intervening in our lives and placing us where we’re supposed to be in his timing. 21st Century Leaders prepared me for my collegiate journey by helping to expose me to college life when I was a sophomore in high school. By having our leadership programs on a college campus, it literally felt as though we were attending college. I wanted more of that feeling, so there was no question what the next steps were for me after high school. From there, I was not afraid to take on leadership roles in the organizations I was a part of in college. 21CL allowed me to develop and exercise the skills that I needed to lead effectively early on, and I continue to use those skills today.
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 remember staying on campus at Middle Georgia State University with a few of my classmates and students from other schools and feeling like, “I’m supposed to be here.” From the team projects that helped me build my collaboration skills to the nuggets of success that I gained from the leaders in attendance, I suspected that leadership was the path that God was steering me towards. The networking and bonding that took place with the students from other schools and learning from their diverse backgrounds is also one of my favorite memorable experiences.
Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? If so, how?
I would say my leadership style is more of a servant leader. I’m of the mindset that I work for my team, and one of my main duties is to explore what they need to be successful in their current and future roles. I believe I adopted the servant leadership style because of the teachings and experiences I encountered at an early age through 21st Century Leaders. The program taught me the importance of humility and empathy in leadership, which are must-have skills for leaders in the 21st century.
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 so important because they allow students to experience what’s possible. It’s eye-opening when we encounter seasoned leaders who never really grasped foundational soft skills that are essential to leading others. Such programs allow students to begin developing critical leadership skills and begin putting them into action at an early age. My advice to current or future students is to become a sponge and soak up all the development and leadership experiences that you have an opportunity to engage in, even when it’s an uncomfortable experience. Growth happens in uncomfortable spaces.
Share The Inspiration!
I believe 21CL plays a pivotal role in the holistic development of the youth. They empower students by providing them with essential leadership skills, fostering self-confidence, and nurturing a sense of responsibility; students gain valuable experience in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, all of which are fundamental aspects of effective leadership.
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