Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Stevens.
Andrea, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m homegrown! I spent almost my entire 20’s away from home, though. I attended Auburn University for my Bachelor’s and my Master’s degrees—War Eagle! In 2015, I moved back home to Atlanta, and I began my career as a Special Education Teacher in the Metro Atlanta Area. Education is something I fell into, honestly. Although it is not what I set out to do when I stepped foot on Auburn’s campus in 2005, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything but being an educator in some capacity.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has NEVER been a smooth road. From the time I left home at 18 to now, I have never been without obstacles, but that’s life. At 21 years young, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Endometriosis. I had surgery two times that year. I had never heard of the disease, but I had been displaying symptoms for seven years. At that time, I was a senior in undergrad. I was devastated, but I had to continue. Over the course of 11 years, since my diagnosis, I’ve had seven surgeries, over 50 procedures, two bowel resections removing over two feet of my large and small bowel, an ileostomy, a partial thyroidectomy, and hormone therapy. But, God. I’m a survivor, and my story is not for me. It’s for everyone who feels like all of the chips are stacked up against them and feel like they can’t go on.
My advice is to choose yourself—nothing is worth your sanity. Every single day celebrate your victories. At one point all I could do was wake up and take my dog outside, but the day before my mom had to come to do it. For me, that was a victory. As someone who has to consciously prioritize their mental health, one year the bravest thing I did was survive, so choosing peace of mind is the biggest piece of advice I can give young women. Once you’re brave enough to do that, the rest will handle itself. It’s easy to pretend, but healing every part of you takes courage. When you walk in your truth, you’ll be more fearless, more fierce, and you will not fold.
What do you do? What do you specialize in?
For the past four years, I’ve been teaching and coaching in South DeKalb, and honestly, I have no idea what life was like before doing this. I always knew that my destiny was tied to education, mentorship, and coaching, but it took a few detours to get here. As a head track coach at one of South DeKalb’s high schools, I was inspired to partner with another educator and coach and form a track club. Primetime Track Club of Atlanta serves underprivileged youth, ages 5-18. We coach and mentor minority youth who would otherwise fall through the cracks and never have the opportunity to showcase their potential. My athletes have gone on to sign national letters of intent at universities across the country, and have even competed at the NCAA National Championships. To say that teaching and coaching has transformed my life is a serious understatement.
At the beginning of 2019, I decided that I wanted to reach further, and impact a very specific group: Black Women. Black Women are the largest group of new entrepreneurs in the United States. We have for so long desired to have a seat at the table, but we have the power to buy and sit at our own table. It’s not that we don’t want to be inclusive, it’s that we deserve to have our own. We desperately need a safe space for us to be ourselves and speak our truth. I created it. Black at the Table: Beyond Brunch Series is a series of curated brunch events where we indulge in delicious brunch, sip tasty mimosas, and discuss topics that have pushed aside, ignored, and forgotten. Black at the Table is dedicated to the complete healing of the mind, body, and spirit of the Black Queen by building the tribe and enhancing the vibe. By creating this very necessary community, we eliminate the idea that we must put the next sister down to get ahead and promote the fact that we get further together. This is a safe space for the Untamed, Unbothered, Unapologetic Black Woman. On July 28th in Atlanta, this space will be introduced to the culture. This is Black at the Table.
My destiny is very much tied to leadership, and I truly believe that if you’re called to lead, you have to lead in every capacity that you needed leadership in. For me, it is education, coaching, mentorship, and women empowerment.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
You will be tested, but never give up. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. Every obstacle you encounter will teach you something. Learn to look for the lesson in every hardship. Life is truly the greatest teacher, and most of what you learn is what not to do. Once you learn what not to do, you know how to move forward to keep growing.
Pricing:
- Brunch ticket – $50
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackatthetable.com
- Phone: 4044510801
- Email: andrea@blackatthetable.com
- Instagram: @blackatthetable
- Facebook: Facebook.com/BlackAtTheTable
- Twitter: Twitter.com/BlackAtTheTable
Image Credit:
@d.c.skywalker on Instagram
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