Alumni Spotlight: Camaran Henson

Camaran Henson, a graduate of Brookwood High School (2012) and of the United States Naval Academy (2017), currently works as the Vice President, Global Program Manager at Citigroup and is a former Naval Officer who served in the US Navy for more than ten years. While in high school, Cam participated in one of 21st Century Leaders’ Summer Leadership Institutes, the media- and technology-focused program sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly Turner) known at the time as Leadership Plugged-In. In this post he shares how that training helped him throughout his high school years and after.

“Outside of sports, this was the first time I had to engage with peers for a desired outcome. As someone who “likes to do it all” this experience gave me insight on how to rely on and trust in my team.” – Camaran Henson

Paint a brief picture of yourself and what you are doing now.

After graduating high school, I attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. While there I earned my Bachelor of Science in Economics. Following graduation, I was commissioned into the navy as a Naval Officer. I had the opportunity to serve in the Navy for an additional 6 years and led teams of 30-300 personnel. I have now transitioned out of the naval service and work as a Vice President, Global Program Manager at Citi. In this role I serve as an internal consultant to Citi’s transformation goals.

When were you in high school and which 21CL programs did you participate in?

While in high school in 2010, I participated in a 21CL summer camp program known as Leadership Plugged-In at Georgia Institute of Technology.

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 was my first exposure to networking with peers outside of the classroom. It gave me the opportunity to work with individuals with different backgrounds at an early age in my life and the networking and interpersonal skills I learned guided me through my time at the Naval Academy and beyond!

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.)

While at the 21CL camp I had to work with a group to do a presentation. Outside of sports, this was the first time I had to engage with peers for a desired outcome. As someone who “likes to do it all” this experience gave me insight on how to rely on and trust in my team.

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? if so, how? And if you’ve recently learned something else about leadership please share!

Recently I have learned that leadership is to try and look at situations from another person’s perspective.

What advice would you give to a current or future student?

Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Take on challenges and utilize this time in your life to work out the “kinks.” Step outside of your comfort and challenge yourself in the areas that you think you need to develop.

How would you describe 21CL in three words?

Insightful, Engaging and FUN!

Alumni Spotlight: James Nixon

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Alumni Spotlight: James Nixon

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This month’s Alumni Spotlight features James Nixon, who shares his reflections on the fundamental leadership skills he gained through participating in 21st Century Leaders’ programs in the 1990’s. Now, nearly 20 years later, James is the VP of Administrative & Clinical Services at Tift Regional Health System. He is a graduate of Tift County High School and Mercer University.

At the 10th Annual Georgia Youth Leadership Awards, James delivered his inspirational message about the impact 21CL has had on his personal and professional development, the value of his internships through 21CL, and excitement for the future of leadership.

How did participating in 21st Century Leaders (21CL) change you and/or lead you to where you are now?

21CL was the foundation to my formal business and leadership training.  These skills followed me through my internships, college work and even now.  I still use principles learned from team building modules from our courses.  Likewise, I continue to keep up with life-long friends who I made through 21CL.

What was a memorable or “aha” moment in 21CL (Particular program, meeting a professional, etc?)? 

The biggest “aha” moment in connecting the dots with 21CL is how I forged true friends, some of which, I STILL keep in touch with personally and professionally.  The degrees of separation in the business world and throughout the state are very small.  The world of business and industry intersect on may levels.

Which programs did you participate in, and when?

The first program I attended was in Tifton at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC).  The group of us who met at our first camp planned our remaining summers together each year afterward.  Since then, 21CL has continued to evolve into other specialized programs for youth year-round.

How did 21CL prepare you for your next steps? Going into college and taking on leadership roles, heading into a new era of professionalism, etc. what tools/ perspectives have helped you along the way?

After participating in the program, I later interned with 21CL in the summers during college and served as the assistant director of camps during that time as well.  21CL has had an unquantifiable impact on my professional life.  During my internship, I learned how to present to corporate boards, learned about and worked on fund development and it allowed me to ‘cut my teeth’ as a formal leader and as a mentor.  Prior to my internship with 21CL, my exposure from the program gave me the opportunity to intern with Georgia Power.  My training and relationship from 21CL poised me to intern in a pilot program at the local office.

What is something you recently learned about leadership? 

Of course, we never stop learning.  I was in a training last month; one workshop focused on leadership in our era of dependence on electronic communication as a default method.  The message was:  an email has never built a relationship but has destroyed them countless times.  Never use email as a substitute for communication that is better to be held face-to-face or by phone.

Do you have a reflection or anecdote about a time you put a skill or piece of information you learned through 21st Century Leaders to work as a professional? 

Yes, I used this personally and professionally… from the FISH program, 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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