Igniting Potential: Mentorship's Lasting Spark
Mentoring has not only changed—but saved—my life more times than I can count. I would not be the woman I am today without the mentors who came into my life and molded, nurtured, and guided me when I needed it the most.
I was fortunate to experience the power of mentorship early on in life. In high school, Chelsea Bradford, my Spanish teacher and step team coach, saw more in me than a troubled Black girl from an underprivileged background. She extended her resources and network to me at any given chance and instilled the hope I needed to persevere and chase my dream of becoming the first person in my family to go to college. As the iconic human and civil rights activist Ella Baker once said, “Give light and people will find the way.” I’m forever indebted to Chelsea for the abundance of light and love she generously gave me during one of the darkest times of my life.
It was the spark Chelsea ignited in me that would lead me later in life to interview for a position at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), where I would meet Sister Natasha Goodwin. I had advanced to the third round of panel interviews and was eager, albeit extremely nervous, to give it my all and secure the role. Seeing Natasha’s smiling face—a fellow Howard University alumna and the only other Black person in the room—helped regulate my nervous system and keep my imposter syndrome at bay. Weeks later, I received an offer for the job.
When I started at ITI, Natasha reached out to me and offered to do anything I needed to ensure I was set up for success, had all the tools in my toolbox needed to reach my professional goals, and never felt alone. Through the advice and guidance she offered of how to successfully navigate a predominately white corporate work environment as a Black woman, invites to industry networking events, connections with critical external stakeholders, or simply watching her command a room with grace and poise, Natasha became an invaluable mentor to me without even knowing it.
As our relationship as colleagues progressed, Natasha introduced me to the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Metropolitan Washington, DC Chapter (NCBWDC) and the impactful work the chapter does to advocate on behalf of Black women and girls to promote leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education, and economic empowerment. With her sponsorship, I applied as a member and was inducted in the summer of 2025.
Now, as NCBWDC’s Publicity and Communications Chair, I have the pleasure of serving on the organization’s Board of Directors, managing communications campaigns and messaging for our chapter’s advocacy and policy positions, and providing strategic communications guidance to enhance the work we do for Black women and girls in Washington, DC and beyond.
Mentors like Chelsea and Natasha—and the countless others I have been blessed to encounter along the way—have helped open doors for me that would otherwise be sealed shut. This National Mentoring Month, I encourage you to evaluate how you can make a lasting impact by mentoring someone in your personal or professional circle.
If there’s anything I learned, it only takes one person to ignite a spark that can last a lifetime.
