Growing up in Winston-Salem and graduating from West Forsyth High School, Jodie had big-city dreams of working for the US Government as an interpreter (or owning a nail salon, depending on the year you asked). Jodie worked toward her dreams by graduating from North Carolina A&T University with a degree in psychology and then from High Point University with a master’s degree in public administration with a focus in nonprofit management. She held corporate jobs in Atlanta, Knoxville, Washington DC, and Chicago. While working in higher education, Jodie waschallenged with improving operations of an institution to make it profitable. She was promoted in just 11 months to Director of Operations, one of the youngest Black females (only 25 years old at the time) to achieve so much in such a brief time there. Despite the doubts about her leadership credentials based on her gender and race, Jodie remained positive and relied on her faith, parents, and worldview to see beyond people’s first impressions. Rather than judging those who doubted her, she considered them with respect and kindness.