Day 1: The 14th Floor

NYC College Tour

We started our day off early, ready and eager to meet up with Anré Williams, President of Global Merchant Services and Loyalty for American Express. Unfortunately, Barry Brand held us up by forgetting what room he had while looking for his umbrella. It was a hysterical moment because he walked around the 14th floor looking for his room though all floors have a different design. After having a good laugh we went on to American Express. Mr. Williams welcomed us with open arms, providing us with a nourishing breakfast and great advice to lead us to a path of success. As one peer pointed out, Christine Clark-Landry, Mr. Williams gave wonderful advice on leadership and goal setting like,“As long as you set a goal and persevere you can achieve it.” He was able to step into our shoes and help us understand that you have to start off slow then end with a bang. After we headed to Harlem we toured Columbia University where Charlotte Jones, an EOYDC alumni who is graduating with her masters in social work in May. She gave us a personalized tour. Charlotte shared her journey going to Columbia as well as Clark-Atlanta, where she attended undergraduate school. She showed us what it meant to step out your comfort zone. Something that stood out to one of our peers, Roxy Perez, was when she said, “If you don’t learn from your mistakes you can’t prosper”. She has put herself in uncomfortable situations like working at Rikers Island and yet she loves the work she is doing. After having such an outstanding tour, we headed to Malcolm and Betty Shabazz Education Center.where Robert Reed, Executive Director explained to one student that Malcolm X’s teachings still impact society today. To Quentin Reynolds, one of them most important lessons was learning that sometimes you have to do anything it takes to get what you want. We were engulfed in the knowledge of Malcolm X’s life and how his ideologies evolved over time. After so many eventful lessons, we ended our day at Sylvia’s to eat some delicious soul food. Located in Harlem, the restaurant amazed everyone with the amazing flavors of fish and chicken.

-Barry Brand and Chyroh Gardner