Today we’d like to introduce you to Asia Nelson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a small city on the outskirts of Tampa, Florida. Plant City was the name of it. I didn’t have much growing up but I still thought I had a pretty awesome childhood. My father was addicted to drugs and my mother raised four children on her own. I knew at a young age, I would have to do better in order to be better. I worked hard in high school and even harder in college. If I wasn’t in school, I was playing sports (student-athlete). If I wasn’t playing sports, then I was working. Throw in a few parties here and there and that was basically my college lifestyle. With the support of my sisters and family, I graduated college magna cum laude.
After college, I did an Urban Education Fellowship with Great Oaks Charter School in Newark, New Jersey and finally realized what I actually wanted to do career wise- become a school social worker. I really enjoyed working and building relationships with my students (middle schoolers are my fave) and families. After my fellowship ended, I moved back to Atlanta and became a Family advocate for a head start in East Atlanta. I have currently finished my first year of grad school with Florida State University MSW program and look forward to the future.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been a tough journey. My family was very dependent on me so not only did I have to worry about school but I had to take care of other expenses as well. I was a full-time student athlete at Clark Atlanta University that had to work long hours just so I can afford to stay in Atlanta. Thankfully, it was three of us. My twin sister, Ashley, and little sister, Akacia. We all went to Clark together. We made a promise to ourselves that we are all going to graduate no matter what. We made sacrifices for one another (taking off semesters just to work full time, maxing out our credit cards just to pay for books, etc.) and encouraged one another along the way.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into your business story. Tell us more about the business.
As of right now, I work as a family advocate for an East Atlanta Head Start. My job there is to support the family holistically during the child’s/children’s enrollment in the programs. A few of my tasks included helping families stay regulated with their child’s immunizations and screenings, establish and work on family goals together, work with the teachers and parents to develop an individualized educational plan, and plan community events. There are days where work can be hard and overwhelming but I enjoy what I do and look forward to growing more professionally and personally. I’m not where I want to be right now in life but I’m in a good position to get to there.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Honestly, I don’t think there is any position a man or women is particularly well for. I feel like everyone brings something unique to the table and can possibly offer something you can’t. I work in the field of social services which is predominantly women (my entire head start staff are women). I think having more males in my field would be beneficial to social services especially in regards to working with youth.
Image Credit:
Ashley Nelson & Akacia Nelson
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