Alumni Spotlight: Jestini Jordan

21CL Alumna  Jestini Jordan is a graduate of Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology (2018) and of Texas A&M University (May 2022); now she owns and operates a digital business company – Jess My Creations. Throughout high school, Jestini attended many of our student programs, was a 21CL Youth Ambassador and was one of our 2018 Georgia Youth Leadership Award winners. She prides herself in being a great listener-the skill she acquired from 21CL programs!

Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now.

I just graduated from Texas A&M University with an engineering degree in Industrial Distribution! I also own and operate a digital art and digital services business called Jess My Creations where I make custom digital portraits, stickers, and more! Over my college tenure, I’ve been a resident advisor, a campus tour guide, and an active member of a women’s organization. Being involved throughout my college career has served me well but has specifically taught me the importance of building a community. Since graduating high school, I’ve moved to a new state, met people with incredible backgrounds, and strengthened and developed long lasting connections and networks.

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

Being involved in 21CL transformed the way I looked at leadership and groomed me into the young adult I am today. Being a part of 21CL taught me the true meaning of selfless service and being able to be confident in my ability to shift the paradigm. By being able to explore and refine my skills as a leader through 21CL programs during my high school, I’ve been able to excel and be confident in college in settings such as group projects, campus-wide events, and in specific leadership roles like being a resident advisor and a tour guide.

Which programs did you participate in? 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?

I participated in the SYLI program in the summer of 2016, the Turner Voices Youth Media Institute program in the summer 2017, and I was a member of the Executive Council as a 21CL Youth Ambassador for the 2017-2018 school year. I was also a 21CL Georgia Youth Leadership Award recipient in 2018. By participating in 21CL programs, I gained the strength and confidence to take leadership roles on my college campus, vocalize my thoughts, and feed my passions. By being able to partake in the 21CL programs, I learned the true meaning of leadership early and built a foundational knowledge to eventually grow upon in college. Whether it was the speaker panels during the Turner Voices program, or the case study in the SYLI program, I learned the skill and value of public speaking. I also had the opportunity to be a moderator in my role as a Youth Ambassador, which taught me a lot about how to convey myself in a collected manner and projecting my voice.

Do you have a memorable or ‘aha’ moment during your time at 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peer, speaking in public for the first time, etc.?)

My most memorable moments from my time at 21CL was meeting the likeminded peers and students from across Georgia. I loved being able to have conversations with student leaders from Savannah while also chatting with student leaders from North Georgia, all in one sitting! I loved the diversity of the program and how everyone had their own special distinction. I was able to build relationships with students that I am still connected with and talk to today! Building a community of leaders is something that I learned during my 21CL days and having friends who were also leaders, helped to propel and challenge me as a leader. 21CL did a real great job at filling the room with individuals that were innovative, exuded confidence, and were active listeners!

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!

Yes! 21CL helped me refine and develop my leadership style that I still utilize and lead with today. I lead through listening and 21CL set the foundation for being a leader that listens first and then acts. As a young adult, listening provides clarity, allows me to create a calculated solution, and most importantly it allows for me to make sound decisions. 21CL fostered the ideas of active listening and engagement early in my career as a leader, allowing me to flourish in my roles today!

Alumni Spotlight: Laura Nguyen

Our Alumni Spotlight for May 2021 is Laura Nguyen, a graduate of Morrow High School (2013), of Texas A&M University (2016) and of Georgia State University (2018). She is a Health Scientist at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she serves on the COVID-19 and Ebola Viral Diseases Response Task Force and currently works as an Emergency Response Capacity Specialist for Anglophone Africa. Laura believes that it’s instrumental to be culturally aware, informed and to build trust and healthy working relationships for one to succeed in life and that her participation in 21CL was a catalyst to all the opportunities she got after high school. 

Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now.

I serve as an Emergency Response Capacity Specialist for Anglophone Africa at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the COVID-19 and Ebola Viral Disease Response Task Force. I’m currently working in Liberia until the end of May 2021 to provide technical assistance to the Liberia CDC country office, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, and the Ministry of Health. My role is to train and equip public health and clinical professionals with the knowledge and tools to deploy, respond, and control the spread of public health emergencies, specifically Ebola in Liberia, through the mobilization of rapid response teams.

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

Participating in 21CL transformed me in the following ways: (1) understanding the importance of building a strong network and (2) being culturally cognizant that the views and thought processes of those around me are shaped and influenced by their cultural identity, experiences, and trauma. By far, 21CL has been the only summer program I have participated in that selected such a diverse pool of applicants. My cohort included peers who identified as Polish, Gambian (who was also my amazing roommate), Filipina, Chinese, Haitian, Indian, etc. In my current role with the CDC, I interact regularly with staff and team members from CDC country offices in Rwanda, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Malawi, and Nigeria. It’s instrumental to be culturally aware, informed and to build trust and healthy working relationships for one to succeed.

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?

21CL was the critical point in my youth that served as a catalyst to all the opportunities that came after. In high school following 21CL, I was able to serve as a Georgia state officer for the student organization Future Business Leaders of America and receive the Posse Foundation Scholarship to attend Texas A&M University. In college, I interned with the UN Foundation in D.C. and afterwards returned home to the city that made me for graduate school. From there, the speed quickens to getting a degree in public health and getting a job at the CDC, but then leaving to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. After my service ended prematurely due to the global evacuation of all volunteers because of COVID-19, I returned to the unknown and a dire toilet paper shortage. I was once again offered the opportunity to return to the CDC but in a role with a team that most professionals can only dream of. All to say, my 21CL experience made a difference in my ability to think in a dynamic setting with diverse minds paralleling the confidence gained to take charge and act.

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

I participated in the 21CL Summer Youth Leadership Institute (SYLI@Goizueta) in 2011 as an incoming junior in high school. The most memorable skill I gained during the program was learning how to effectively, healthily, and impactfully communicate in a group setting. There was a substantial amount of team building exercises and group activities built into the program and those opportunities allowed me to express ideas and thoughts in a safe space. My group’s mentor/RA (I don’t remember well the terms we used) was Nicole Meadows; she made my 21CL experience worthwhile and I am forever grateful. Her and the other mentors are the unsung heroes that deserve all the spotlight.

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.?

My ‘aha’ moment was towards the very end of the program during the last night before going home. Everyone gathered together for one last hangout, one last joke and laugh and that was the most memorable moment for me. We all started off as strangers but became friends at the end and that in itself—the ability of 21CL to gather the brightest minds in the state and for each person to forge friendships and bonds—is what makes this program so unique.

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 was the first to introduce me to the idea that a leader should surround herself/himself/themself with individuals who do not share the same collective thought. A diverse set of minds and capabilities on a team stimulates more productivity, innovation, and discussion. The key to a promising future is the ability to cultivate strong leaders and celebrate their diverse backgrounds because they will be the ones to find solutions to complex social problems. Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, says it best: “More diverse teams perform better and are more creative while less diverse teams think they’re better and don’t recognize their creative gaps.”