Naperville career panelists aim to inspire black students
Six black professionals shared stories of how to succeed despite being different with an audience made up of their former selves - nearly all of the 69 black students at Jefferson Junior High School in Naperville.
Those students made up the vast majority of roughly 75 teens who snacked on pizza and cookies in the gym Monday while hearing what it takes to be a music producer, a secret service agent, an accountant, an entrepreneur, a psychologist and a government administrator.
It takes big dreams, hard work, dedication, education, sacrifice, preparation, communication and leadership, said panelists recruited by Assistant Principal Jeremy Christian and members of the SUCCESS parent organization led by Kim Henderson.
Black students are just as talented as any others, said panelist Lee Henderson, a Naperville Unit District 203 parent who is one of roughly 1 percent of partners at the accounting firm Ernst & Young who are black.
"The only thing that's lacking is opportunity and exposure," he said.
Monday's career fair aimed to provide exposure to a world of work that requires attributes like a college degree, a strong musical talent and/or a willingness to work odd hours - and always a belief in one's own potential.
After seeing role models in professional fields, Henderson said he hoped the black students among Jefferson's student body of 888 and the others who joined them at the career fair would be able to "dream bigger."
Christian agreed. He said he worked with SUCCESS, which stands for School Using Coordinated Community Efforts to Strengthen Students, to put together the first career fair for minority students "to give them an opportunity to see career professionals in a different light and really provide them with a visual of what it takes to be successful."
Christian probed the panelists' expertise in succeeding in a career world where black professionals often aren't the norm.
Being different can be tricky, and Henderson likened the feeling to forgetting to wear pajamas on pajama day or school colors on spirit day. But thriving while different comes down to confidence, said panelists Vanessa McClendon, who works as a deputy area director for the Social Security Administration, and Tiffany Sanders, a psychologist who runs three of her own clinics, including one in Naperville.
"You get used to being one of few," Sanders said. "It's OK. Use that difference to elevate yourself."
Confidence is best when it applies to both abilities and appearance.
"Be proud of who you are. Be proud of how you look. Be proud of how smart you are and you will go far," McClendon said. "Different doesn't equal deficient."