2022-January-19
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Influencing Change for a More Inclusive Future
BY LATOYA DAVIS · PROGRAM OPERATIONS SPECIALIST · UNITED STATES
WITH HELEN GALL
4 MINUTE READ · 6 MINUTE LISTEN
I’ve attended many conferences during my career at Cisco, and I was honestly excited to not just attend but to help organize the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) 21st Leadership Institute conference.
Last year, for the first time, Cisco was named one of five presidential partners who would sponsor this event.
The event helps students develop leadership skills and make connections that lead to impactful careers, and provides organizations access to a talented and a diverse student population.
The virtual event took place over four days with over 450 students from 47 different Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and predominantly Black institutions.
This year’s theme was ‘Level Up’
Having prepared for the four sessions — Micro Learning, Branding, Concurrent, and Plenary — the volunteers and I prepared a specific topic for each session, making each one fun and interactive. When we kicked off the first day, the scholars were amped and ready to learn.
During the Micro Learning session, we offered best practices to scholars on ‘Establishing a Virtual Influence’ — an important topic. More and more students are faced with virtual or hybrid learning, and they constantly need to create new ways to show up and stand out virtually.
That same day, our Branding session took place with two of our Executive Sponsors, James Mobley, SVP/GM Network Services and Marco Croci, SVP Engineering participating with volunteers from Finance and Engineering and educating the scholars on what Cisco is all about. My favorite highlight was when James Mobley spoke about our Cisco Social Justice Beliefs & Action plan.
I personally can attest to the impact this session had on the attendees.
They got to hear about the great strides Cisco has taken to be the change we as employees hope to exemplify in our communities. Engaging with employees on different levels within their careers boosted interest amongst the scholars.
The Concurrent session gave us the opportunity to present to the scholars on how to ‘Lead from a Different Lens’, which touched on how to take advantage of this moment in time and the doors that have opened for African American/Black students and professionals.
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”- Shirley Chisholm
This session truly resonated with me as the speakers used Shirley Chisholm, a member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority — which I’m also a member — as an example of leading the way for African American/Black women. I find it most honorable when leaders in our past can still leave a mark on our generation. This session left a lasting impression on everyone.
The conference ended on a high note with our Plenary session, set up as a Fireside chat between Ebonye Smith, Engineering Co-Op, and Tamira Bell, Customer Program Manager for CX, with the focus on yet another member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She gave her insight on her current experience with being a Cisco Co-Op in Hardware Engineering and receiving a returning offer for a full-time job.
The scholars were highly engaged and had questions around the Cisco experience and how to land an interview. The two Cisconians were so in sync, you would have thought that they knew each other for years and we were just listening to a typical everyday conversation amongst friends… with over 400 students watching.
This conference was a real collaborative effort for Finance and Engineering.
Not only did this give Cisco an amazing opportunity to assist in the development of the scholars but it also gave me the opportunity to participate in empowering the future of the next generation of African American leaders.
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”- Martin Luther King, Jr.
By the end of the conference, I’d personally made connections with 20 students through LinkedIn and email. We reached a lot of students who would have never thought about Cisco being a potential employer, outside of engineering or IT roles, which is exactly what we wanted to accomplish.
We showed that, at Cisco, the possibilities are endless, and why we’re intentional in our efforts to power an inclusive future for all.
What conferences are you planning to attend this year? What do you hope to gain from them?
I challenge you to attend at least one conference this year that was not in your normal wheelhouse to experience the fulfilling change it can make for you!
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