Today we’d like to introduce you to Sha Walker.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Augusta, GA. I come from a low income, a single-parent household with four siblings. I always valued education because I knew that will be my way out. I exceeded through my collegiate career by earning a full-time academic scholarship, working two-jobs while double majoring, chartering a technology organization on campus, and earning another scholarship for graduate school. I value perseverance, work ethics, and sacrifice and want every young woman to know if I can do it, you can do it too! That’s why I started my non-profit organization.
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?
There is always a sacrifice being made every single day so I would not consider my journey a smooth road. I am just thankful I am able to provide opportunity, experience, and visibility through a mentoring program. Hard work separates individuals from being mediocre versus being extraordinary. I want every woman to never give up on their dreams or goals, no matter how hard life gets.
Please tell us about Aspire to Inspire Mentoring – what should we know?
I am a Cybersecurity Systems Engineer at a Fortune 500 Company. I graduated from Georgia State University with a Masters in Science of Information Systems and with dual Bachelor Degrees Computer Information Systems and Managerial Science by age 22. I am most proud of my non-profit mentoring organization. I always had a passion for helping peers throughout college by tutoring, providing study tips, and encouraging others to never give up. I want to provide the necessary resources for young women to be successful during their post-secondary education and help write their own stories of success.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Aspire to Inspire Mentoring Program is a free college and career prep for young minority women. Our program matches participants with a mature professional to help mold them into successful leaders. Our mentors individually coach mentees and provide connections in various areas such as leadership, career development, college success, and service.
Each pair meets in person at least once monthly and has bi-weekly informal touchpoints through text, phone, email, or video conference. Mentoring pairs are matched based on five factors: age, location, schedule, interest, and industry to ensure their relationships succeed. Aspire to Inspire also checks in monthly with pairs to see how they are doing and to provide them resources as guided activities, discussion questions, encourage, and access to training opportunities.
https://www.aspiretoinspireinc.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aspiretoinspireinc.com
- Phone: 6782168478
- Email: shadricka12@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/aspiretoinspire.inc?igshid=owb8cahb4tcz
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadrickawalker/
Image Credit:
1kmoments
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