Alumni Spotlight: Rance Nix

21CL Alumnus Rance Nix is our spotlight for September 2021. A graduate of Henry W. Grady High School -now Midtown High School (2010) –  and of University of Georgia (2014), Rance is a stage actor from Atlanta who is currently preparing for the release of a new show titled The Kings of Napa, on The Oprah Winfrey Network; he also works as a real estate agent in New York City. Rance says that during his 21CL years, he learned how to pitch himself, how to be confident, how to stand out, and more… and that those foundational skills have made a profound impact on him at personal and at professional level. He believes that anyone can be a leader if they take time to develop their confidence, excellence in whatever they do and if they have a genuine heart for others!

Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now.

I’m an actor from Atlanta, Georgia currently holding it down in New York City. Before acting full time, I worked a variety of jobs as an account management intern at the ad agency BBDO, a junior golf instructor, a cashier at a quick service biscuit shop, a sales advisor at Warby Parker, and most recently a real estate agent in New York City. I chose real estate because there’s unlimited upside if you put the work in, I could potentially have more flexibility financially to pursue acting, and it could be a career that I could have regardless of whether acting worked out or not. Gratefully, acting has worked out and I’m currently preparing for the release of a new show that I’m in, The Kings of Napa, on The Oprah Winfrey Network.

How did participating in 21CL transform you and lead you to where you are now?

Participating in 21st Century Leaders was the start of my leadership and business professional journey. Full transparency, in high school I remember at first I didn’t think dressing up to go to meetings and doing 21st Century Leaders was the coolest thing to do. That was totally silly! Through 21st Century leaders I learned how important it is to be able to handle myself as a young professional. The programs also prepared me early on with the skills and the confidence to navigate networking and also prepared me on how to look for opportunities as I started to think about life after high school and then later on after college. In fact, many years later, I still use many of the skills that I learned through 21st Century Leaders as I hustle in New York City. I’m not exactly doing anything in the traditional “business” field but while attending the events I learned how to pitch myself, how to be confident, how to stand out, and more. In a super crowded field of actors, having the skills and confidence to pitch myself and put myself out there has really helped me stick out above the rest.

How did the skills/tools/perspectives you acquired from 21CL prepare you for your next steps, going into college, taking on new leadership roles in your community, college and after?

21st Century Leaders was my first intro into the world of being a business professional. Through the programs and events I essentially learned, “This is how it’s done ‘in the real world’ and this is why it’s important.” I’m grateful for my experience with 21st Century Leaders and the lessons learned in high school. I was able to put those lessons and skills to use early on and refine them through college and in my 20’s. Now, my business acumen is second nature while a lot of peers of mine in their late 20’s and early 30’s still don’t like networking and/or have very little business professional skills.

Which programs did you participate in? What is your memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL? (meeting a professional and diverse peers, speaking in public for the first time, etc.?)

I participated in the Summer Leadership Institute and three Winter Leadership Conferences (GYLS) in addition to the smaller school club meetings (21CLub) throughout the year. My most memorable moment is: finally winning the Winter Leadership Conference business case competition in our third year. My sophomore year we placed 3rd, my junior year we placed 2nd, and my senior year we finally won! We won with the same group of classmates from the original group which was awesome too. The process of going through two years of losing then finally winning was a great lesson in resilience and how to keep learning, keep improving, and keep aiming for my goals until they become a reality! Another memorable moment is the Chick-fil-A lunches at the networking roundtables!

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? if so how? And have you recently learned something else about leadership? Please share!

Confidence, confidence, confidence. I’ve noticed that people who don’t consider themselves “leaders” or who say they “aren’t good at being a ‘business professional'” just don’t have the confidence. Through the networking roundtables, resume building workshops, practicing our 30 second elevator pitches and more, 21st Century Leaders gave me the tools and thus the confidence to be successful in my career. Moreover, I’ve discovered that anyone can be a leader if (in addition to having confidence) they are excellent in everything they do and genuinely have a heart for others. Those three qualities: confidence, excellence, and caring for others, not everyone has or takes the time to develop, but for those that do, they are often leaders in their professional and personal circles.

Alumni Spotlight: JoDeanah Noble

The second Alumni Spotlight for September 2020 is JoDeanah Noble, a graduate of Henry W. Grady High School (2009), of the University of West Georgia and of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) (2014). JoDeanah is a seamstress for television and film and she owns an apparel company that specializes in women’s and children’s clothing and men’s accessories. She volunteered at SCAD Day this year to speak about her creative career journey.  

Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now.

Currently, in the midst of the pandemic, I’ve spent a lot of my time working on my business, Jo David Design Studio, which luckily is an apparel company so I have been able to stay busy. I specialize in women’s and children’s clothing, men’s accessories, and as of this year masks! I am also a seamstress/tailor for television and film working on shows and movies for HBO, CBS, FOX, BET and more. My day-to-day differs greatly between creating masks, client work, scheduling meetings and photo shoots, marketing, and creating new sketches and designs for the next season.

With our new normal, I have to make more effort to get away from the screen and/or sewing machine and get out of the house. Atlanta looks so different on foot! But I do enjoy seeing the city a different way and taking advantage of the Beltline Trails near me and exploring hidden nooks and gems along the way.

How did 21CL prepare you for your next steps? Going into college and taking on leadership roles, heading into a new era of professionalism, etc. What skills/tools/perspectives have helped you along the way?

Prior to 21CL, public speaking had been an area I excelled in. Joining 21CL allowed me to be around my peers and gain more confidence speaking to groups large and small and learn to listen and connect with those I spoke to on all levels. Being in an environment with other driven and enthusiastic students made speaking and making my voice heard more comfortable and much more relaxing in many situations. I held many student government positions in high school including Class President and Executive Council member and was a Yearbook Copy Editor. In college at the University of West Georgia, as a student government senator, I became Public Relations Chair and voted “Senator of the Year.” Later, at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD Atlanta) I was also a student ambassador.

In addition to making way for leadership roles, programs like 21CL fostered many friendships that I have to this day and helped me in learning discipline to excel in operating my own business.

Which programs did you participate in, and when? What skills did you gain or improve through those programs?

I participated in the 21CLub at Grady High School, attended a Summer Leadership Institute at Georgia Southern University and had an internship with Turner Studios. Through my internship at Turner, my group worked with Turner Classic Movies. I love older movies, and Gone With the Wind is one of my favorites! It was my first internship which made me a bit nervous, but having other 21CL members by my side, the process was much smoother as we all helped each other brainstorm ideas and finish assignments together. In addition, I gained more confidence in presenting those ideas and creating a final product all through teamwork and collaboration. In high school and early college years, I thought I wanted to be a journalist; funny that I now have my own Scarlet O’Hara moments everyday as a fashion designer!

What was a memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peers, speaking in public for the first time, etc.?

I would say that a memorable moment for me is even 10+ years later by continuing to be in touch with fellow 21CL alumni both from and outside my high school network. As a business owner, it warms my heart to have their support and be included for their special moments having made wedding dresses, suits and baby and children’s clothing for some of them.

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? if so how? And have you recently learned something else about leadership? Please share!

I believe to be an effective leader, one must learn to observe and listen. I’ve been able to apply that in all aspects of my professional life. On film sets, I need to make decisions based on the fit and on how actors move in costumes; I listen to feedback from clients on styles and colors they would like to see more of or what sells best, and I have to be able to acknowledge the work my team does to help keep us all afloat. I appreciated participating in 21CL alumni  round table discussions where everyone had their own spotlight of input to share and engage with students.

Alumni Spotlight: Tessa Szalkowski

Alumna Tessa Szalkowski is our first spotlight for May! A graduate of Henry.W.Grady High School (2016) and currently a junior at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a chemistry major with a minor in marine science and currently works in a laboratory that studies air chemistry in the Galápagos Islands. Tessa says that 21CL gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams and give back to community. Read on about Tessa and don’t forget to fill out the alumni career update form and share about your career progress, connect with other alumni and let us know if you would like to be featured on 21CL alumni blog post.

How did participating in 21CL transform you and lead you to where you are now?

In my freshman year of high school, I joined 21CL’s school-based club at Grady, where I began a project to collect children’s books for the Kigali Public Library in Rwanda. 21st Century Leaders helped me expand from a small, local project to a state-wide fundraiser. They organized lectures for me to speak about the Kigali Book Project with students and teachers, developing my public speaking skills.  With 21st Century Leaders’ help, I rounded up over ten thousand books! In 2014, I was awarded their annual Georgia Youth Leadership Award. 21st Century Leaders gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams and dream big.

How did 21CL prepare you for your next steps? Going into college and taking on leadership roles, heading into a new era of professionalism, etc. What skills/tools/perspectives have helped you along the way?

21st Century Leaders developed my networking skills and taught me how to give back to my community. With 21CL, I participated in many volunteer events at my high school and spoke with adults in the Atlanta business community on a regular basis. 21CL contributed valuable life skills that I continue to use to this very day.

Which programs did you participate in, and when? What skills did you gain or improve through those programs?

In 2013, I attended their EarthCare, summer leadership institute. This institute taught me how to talk to professionals, give presentations to business executives, and collaborate with my peers.

What was a memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL? (Particular program, meeting professional and diverse peers, speaking in public for the first time, etc.?)

During the EarthCare institute, my team won the Clean Air Campaign challenge. We were given the task to come up with the best school campaign to decrease air pollution. My teammates and I worked hard on the assignment, brainstormed and came up with with a great presentation. When I heard our names called as the winning team, I realized that putting in the time and effort to a noble cause truly pays off. I discovered my true passion for environmental science during this project. I now work as an air chemist in a research lab, so I never gave up on that dream.

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? if so how? And have you recently learned something else about leadership? Please share!

21CL has taught me how to think on my feet and go with my gut instinct. To further promote my Kigali Book Project, 21CL asked me to collect books and make bookmarks with the students at their annual winter training, Goizueta Youth Leadership Summit. Upon arrival, I was asked to share a few words after the Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, Stacey Abrams. (Little did I know she would make a run at Georgia governor!) I was so nervous to address this room of bright students without a speech prepared, but after a gracious introduction, I took the stage and began to speak. Public speaking on the spot was something I would not have dared to do even a few years before. However, 21CL gives you the skills to face your fears with the utmost confidence. I have utilized these public speaking skills and ability to think on my feet as a leader in my academics and research.