My Quarterly Update (Q4 2019)
“Celebrate endings — for they precede new beginnings.”
Jonathan Lockwood Huie
October
My last quarter of the decade started and very much ended in a blur. I was coming off an amazing engagement and straight into settling more into my role at the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. There, I serve as the Director of Entrepreneur Programming, working on a team to bring in external partners to benefit the entrepreneurs we serve, while internally creating an educational platform tailored to Black entrepreneurs. Success in our platform looks like Black entrepreneurs at every stage of development having access to both the tangible and intangible tools for the growth of their business or idea, coupled with intentionally given opportunities for execution.
This October was a busy one, as we had some of the biggest names in business come through our doors in partnership. From hosting events for our stakeholders, to bouncing ideas off each other, the roots of community are growing stronger with each day we continue our important work. This October alone RCIE hosted Google, Goldman Sachs, Chase Bank, Invest Atlanta, the SBA, and Accenture, among others.
November
While I could write for days about the work and progress at the Russell Center, I will not. My November provided me with plenty of other things to highlight.
First, my brother Alex and his football team began a very special playoff run. I drove up and down the state, following his games all season long, and it all led up to the playoffs! Win or go home, and the team just kept winning! It was a special moment for me as a big brother because I had never played a football season so long and I remember training with Alex in the summer, so I know the work he put in. He earned everything that was coming his team’s way.
Because of his on-field success, Alex is being recruited by several different schools. After his games on Friday nights, my family and I would drive or fly to schools for him to visit on the college’s game day on Saturday afternoons. It was a great experience to be there with him for because I remember taking these visits myself just 5 years ago. Alex has not decided on where he will be playing his college football just yet, but I am ready to start diversifying my Wesleyan football workout gear soon!
My sister Epiphany also had big news in November! She was in her first school play! She did an amazing job in her acting debut in the play Seussical: The Musical. She is now preparing for her next school play, High School Musical! I am very eager and excited to see her grow as a person and artist and cannot wait until the next play. For the next play, I think I am going to suggest a play with a little Wesleyan flare like Hamilton or In the Heights!
On November 18th, I celebrated my 23rd birthday with my lovely fiancé by going to our favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot! If you have not gone, we highly recommend!
On November 25th, I submitted all my applications to law school. In my earlier update, I listed the schools I planned to apply for admission to. The list was as follows in no order:
NYU, Columbia, Harvard, Boston U, Northeastern, Penn, Georgetown, Georgia State, Fordham, Yale, Howard
It is amazing how much can change in such little time! The list of schools that I actually applied to are as follows in no order:
NYU, Georgia State, Fordham, University of Georgia, Howard, University of Texas School of Law
Finally, my last highlight in November was that I spent my first Thanksgiving away from my folks and with my new family in New York! It was an amazing time to spend the holiday with Taylor’s parents and family. It was a reminder of how blessed and fortunate we are for life and for each other.
December
The last month of the decade was bittersweet.
Remember when I told you about how Alex’s team just kept on winning? Well, they kept winning and found themselves in the first all Cobb-County 6A State Championship against their rival who they had played earlier in the season. It was a huge accomplishment to make it this far and to be playing high school football on December 13th, which is insane (in a good way).
Here comes the bitter part…
On a crazy rainy and cold night, Alex’s team lost a hard-fought game in the state championship ending their incredible season. It was tough to see Alex lose, but I was so proud of the way he put everything out on the line for his teammates. He has the heart of a champion and the college that he picks is going to get a superstar who will do anything to avoid losing.
The rest of the month was very sweet!
Taylor and I received our first law school acceptance from Georgia State! We are going to law school! So exciting!
Taylor and I also settled on a wedding date, venue, theme, and have been working hard on planning our wedding in June! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, it has been wild, but fun. I finished my first semester of my Graduate program with a 4.0 GPA, and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with my family.
I ended the decade with my soon to be wife by picking up my wedding ring, reflecting on the past decade, and praying about the new beginnings for 2020 and beyond.
