I am a native Washingtonian – born and raised. Although I was born years after the civil rights movement, my District of Columbia Public Schools, church, and neighborhood were very segregated. I didn’t have any White, Hispanic, or Caucasian neighbors until I was in my late twenties. Luckily, I had a professional life that offered diverse views and multicultural experiences. My first summer job as a teen was at a summer camp held on the campus of America University. It was my first experience on a college campus and I had never even heard of American University. That was not the part of the city where I spent my time. I remember noticing that none of the students looked like me.
My next summer job was with DC Superior Court – it was my first “professional” environment and of course I was the youngest person in the office. After high school graduation I landed a position in a federal agency filled with people of different educational and personal backgrounds, races, nationalities, and views. I then enrolled in a university with a diverse minority population. Most of the students were African American but many were from African and Caribbean nations. When I transferred to Trinity College it was the first time I was minority in a academic setting. When I rushed home after my Thursday classes to watch ‘Living Single’ on Fox, many of my classmates couldn’t wait to return to their dorms to watch ‘Friends’ on NBC. I was surrounded by students from all over the county and the world. I took classes with women who were old enough to be my mother and girls for whom it was their first experience away from home. During that time, I volunteered in agencies with diverse staff and clients to further develop my diversity muscles. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree I made every effort to work with diverse populations and earned my Master’s degree from a university with students of every age, race, religion, ethnicity, and economic class.
You know by know I was not a traditional college student. I never lived on a college campus in a dorm – I was always a commuter. I worked part-time as a federal student employee. I became a mom during the semester before my undergraduate junior year started and took day, evening, and weekend classes throughout my graduate and undergraduate programs. I was a transfer student who entered a new institution the same year that my high school peers were receiving their Bachelor’s degrees. All of these experiences allow me to understand the diverse needs of the students, interns, and new human services professionals I work with. My limited exposure to people who were unlike me could have become a barrier had I not been exposed to experiences outside of my community. Once I saw a different world I deliberately engaged myself in new experiences – proof that your past doesn’t have to dictate your future. Yes, I have been Packaged For Success.
Nicki Sanders, Chief Visionary Officer of Packaged For Success, helps both youth and adults discover their personal power, dream big, and achieve success on their own terms. Ms. Sanders is an experienced trainer, group facilitator, and program manager who holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. Ms. Sanders has over fifteen years of direct experience with diverse populations in residential, school-based, and community based agencies.
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