Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Olaleye.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Phil. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in a working-class family in Stone Mountain, GA, the son of Nigerian and Colombian immigrants. I’ll never forget my Dad going back to school to get a bachelor’s degree in his early 40s. As a full-time student, he took on odd jobs as a janitor and ice cream man to provide for our family. My brother and I often accompanied my Dad, emptying out waste bins on school nights, or doling out popsicles in our neighborhood. These childhood experiences reinforced values of hard work, sacrifice and the value of a quality education.
I took these lessons with me to Duke University, where I studied Public Policy and Economics. After a brief stint with Citigroup, I joined the United States Peace Corps as a Children, Youth, and Family Services Volunteer in the Philippines. My Peace Corps assignment changed my life. It was a once in a lifetime experience to represent my country and deepened my passion for servant leadership.
I went on to complete a Master in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. After wrapping up, I moved back home to Atlanta and worked for the City of Atlanta’s Workforce Development Agency, helping unemployed residents access training and develop skills to gain quality employment. In Fall 2017, I joined Next Generation Men & Women (Next Gen) as their new Executive Director. It’s been a crazy ride, but I wouldn’t change anything about the journey.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been easy. Growing up, my family’s circumstances created a few bumps along the way. Every day, I had to endure early morning pickups and take two buses, traveling almost two hours, one-way, just to attend a quality public school. At Duke, I had to work making it difficult to devote my full attention and energy to being a full-time student. I will never forget bringing a friend home to Georgia over a school break and having to boil water on the stove to take a warm bucket bath because our water heater had been out for weeks! I can laugh now, but it was in these moments when I questioned whether I belonged at Duke. There I was surrounded by so much privilege and opportunity and my heart and mind were still back home in Stone Mountain. I constantly worried about my single mom and younger sister, who were still facing financial insecurity.
And it’s not just my personal life. You exhaust a lot of emotional energy trying your best to lead and make life easier for youth and families you care about. It’s hard because you care. It’s hard because you give a damn. You’re always pushing up against an immovable object. And sometimes you feel alone and isolated because too many people are comfortable with the way things are.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Next Generation Men & Women Story. Tell us more about your work.
Next Gen closes the opportunity gap for under-resourced Atlanta high school students by creating a path to graduation and success after high school through exposure to college, career options and mentorship. We partner with under-resourced high schools in Atlanta Public and Fulton County School Districts to create student cohorts, led by Teachers and mentored by College students. To connect student interests to the world, they visit local colleges and companies, and execute a plan for success after high-school — college and career.
I’m most proud of the diverse community of local support our company has cultivated for our students. Currently, we partner with over 50 companies and colleges across Metro Atlanta, including Google, Grady Hospital, Turner Construction, Georgia State University, Atlanta Technical College, Atlanta Community Food Bank — to name a few. Every month, students travel to different workplaces to interact with and learn alongside a variety of professionals. This opens multiple doors, allowing students to experience a range of possibilities available to them after high school. These experiences are often just as impactful for professionals, too. They learn more about the students, their backgrounds and gifts, and cultivate new connections to the Atlanta community that may not have existed before.
What sets us apart is that we provide Atlanta youth with four years of experiences to create a vision and support to realize it. As a young person, there’s nothing more powerful than creating a clear vision for yourself and a future that excites you. Having no vision or excitement for the future is what drains student motivation to do well in school, graduate high school and pursue opportunities afterwards. Next Gen believes that if every youth can see it and experience it, they can become it. And when we unleash our students’ imaginations with the places and people they one day will occupy and become, they build a clear vision and unwavering hope that they too can be successful in life.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Too many people to shout, but I have to start with the folks who paved the way. My father instilled a work ethic and drive to never settle. My mother opened my mind and heart to the world to be curious and kind. My guidance counselor and Ms. Brenda saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. They both are responsible for planting the seed to apply to Duke and walking me through the application on the submission date with a few minutes to spare. Perla and Edwin, my Peace Corps supervisors, showed me what it was like to lead decisively with heart and value community voice. My siblings, friends and partner, Sabrina, are patient and supportive in more ways than I can count. My Next Gen team goes hard every single day to create real on-ramps to opportunity for the youth we serve. We’re not just building a community here in Atlanta, but a model to replicate in other parts of the country where a lack of opportunity is holding back youth and communities from thriving.
Pricing:
- $1,300 to sponsor one student for one year
- $20,000 to sponsor a student cohort (15-20 students) for one year
Contact Info:
- Address: 115 MLK Jr. Drive SW Suite 304
Atlanta, GA 30303 - Website: www.nextgenatl.org
- Email: phil@nextgenatl.org
- Instagram: @philolaleye
- Facebook: @Phil-Olaleye
- Twitter: @philolaleye
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