Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Harris
Hi Leah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I truly believe that my purpose on this Earth is to be of service to others. Growing up, I was mainly raised by my mother, and I struggled a lot academically, as I had a couple of IEPs (individualized lesson plans) in elementary school, because I had issues with my speech and with focusing/attention, but I loved to learn, especially when I saw how much my teachers cared about what and how they were teaching. So, when I was in the fourth grade, I wanted to be a teacher. Now, even though I had many great teachers during my K-12 career, as a black girl, from a predominately white area, Marietta, Georgia, I didn’t have a teacher who looked like me until I got to middle school, and throughout my entire K-12 education, I only had five or six teachers who were black or brown. Then, as I’m in my undergraduate career in college, I started realizing how much injustice there is within educational systems, in predominately black and brown areas.
This lack of representation, in the classroom and these injustices in the system motivated me to ensure that everything I do, from that point moving forward, will revolve around me trying my best to serve and uplift my community. So all of these factors added to my reasoning of wanting to get into education because yes, I love having a fun and engaging classroom and I love teaching students in ways where they fall in love with learning, but I also want to position myself to be a good role model for any black or brown child that walks through the doors of my classroom or who are within the various communities that I’m in around Atlanta. With this said, for almost a decade, I’ve worked primarily with black and brown children both in and out of the classroom, and even though everyday isn’t perfect, I honestly love what I do, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My career journey has had its ups and downs, mainly revolving around the struggle between following my purpose and following my ego. As I get older, though I’m still young, I’ve really been trying my best to limit decisions driven by my ego, especially those that carry significant weight on my time, physical health, mental health, or emotional well-being. For an example, I’ve learned that rushing into something solely for the financial benefit, has often led to more regrets than positive experiences for me, along with more stress and frustration, and me even wondering why I even decided to waste my time on that experience or venture.
On the other hand, there have been times where I didn’t initially want to pursue something, but later, I saw the benefits of following that decision, even if the path was challenging, and when I focus more on following my purpose rather than all of the other noise, I’ve found that life starts moving more with me instead of against me. Granted, not every day, week, or month is perfect, but when setbacks come, it feels like they don’t seem to hit me as hard, emotionally or mentally, because I know that it’s all for a greater purpose and to make me a better and stronger person.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Besides teaching, I’m also a children’s book author, a business owner, and a Ph.D. student. I started my company, Empowering Minds Foundation, to inspire young minds through meaningful experiences, life skills, and a love for learning, focusing on curiosity, creativity, and community. One of our current projects is based around trying to bring more virtual reality and technology into the learning space. This will help make learning more engaging by offering virtual field trips, hands-on simulations, and real-world connections to classroom lessons. Beyond tech, we help children build critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork skills. We also work closely with families and communities to ensure children have the support they need to succeed. Nonetheless, at Empowering Minds Foundation, we’re not just teaching, we’re empowering the next generation of leaders and innovators.
I’m also the author of “Sweetheart You Have a Purpose,” which is a story about Zuri, a young girl trying to understand what it means to have a purpose, through the guidance of her Granny’s wisdom. Plus, I’ve worked with various organizations like KinderGardens, which combats food deserts in Atlanta through community gardening and healthy living, and the African/Edenic Heritage Museum, which teaches people the African/Black history prior to slavery.
Even as I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in Instructional Design, my research goals are to focus on how equitable access to technology, as a learning tool, can help bridge the educational racial gap for Black and Brown communities. I aim to explore how this can mitigate systemic barriers, such as the school-to-prison pipeline, and create pathways to a brighter future for marginalized youth.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Honestly, there are three things that drive me to keep going in life, and those are prayer, purpose, and trying my best to operate in good character. Anyone who knows me well knows that before making any decision, whether it’s for my personal life or my career, big or small, I pray about it and I ask God, “Is this aligned with my purpose?” or “Will this bring me closer to my purpose?” Nevertheless, I don’t always get it right, I make mistakes often, and I’ll continue to make mistakes because that’s part of life, but then again, my goal in life is to not strive to be a perfect person, but to be a kind, respectful, and honest person with all that I do. So, I believe that as long as I keep prayer, purpose, and good character at the forefront of everything I do, and that my heart is in a good place with all that I do, things will ultimately work out for the better, and I can continue to be able to be of service to my community.
Pricing:
- Sweetheart, You Have a Purpose ($18.99)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @leahh.harris
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-harris-417275287
- Other: https://a.co/d/fLgSNQC
