Braven Fellow Shadene Is Paying it Forward as a Leadership Coach
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Shadene Grant, Fall 2016 Braven Fellow and 2018 Rutgers-Newark graduate, was born in Jamaica and lived in Canada before attending school in New Jersey. As one of Braven’s earlier students, Shadene became a Leadership Coach after taking the Accelerator course and is continuing to give back. Read about the impact Braven had on Shadene and how she’s paying it forward in her Rutgers-Newark community.
Braven’s Impact
Shadene enrolled in the Braven accelerator course after transitioning from finance to management. Her favorite part of the Accelerator course was the Hustle to Career project, a four-part assignment that includes networking, building a resume, writing a cover letter, and creating an elevator pitch. While Shadene had many takeaways from her experience as a Braven Fellow, three of her takeaways were:
1) Networking is key; attend at least one event (in person or virtually) each semester.
2) Incorporate the Braven rituals from Learning Lab into your everyday life.
3) Mock interviews provide you with feedback and can prepare you for the most extensive interview rounds.
Paying it Forward
A few years after taking the Accelerator course, Shadene returned to be a Leadership Coach. As a first-generation college student who navigated college on her own, she wanted to be able to give back to students in the same situation.
Shadene is passionate about helping students find their strengths and passions. She wants to be an example for students and encourage them to explore and change course if needed. Shadene’s advice on stepping out of your comfort zone inspired one of her students to network so much that they landed an internship at VITA, the IRS’ tax services division, and JP Morgan Chase.
Shadene’s favorite parts about being a Leadership Coach are watching students:
- Learn to connect with others
- Grow their confidence
- Experience “Aha” moments
- Gain real-life experiences
The Rewards
As a Leadership Coach, Shadene has grown both professionally and personally. Through this experience, she has gained skills in:
- Relationship-building
- Leadership
- Project management
- Facilitation
Words of Wisdom
Shadene’s advice for anyone who wishes to pay it forward to the Braven and Rutgers-Newark communities is to:
- Assess your schedule and understand what you’re committing to. Being a Leadership Coach requires facilitating weekly meetings and prep work for each one — make sure you have the capacity to do it.
- Be open, just like we encourage our students to be.
- Bring your full, authentic self; this helps students relate to you.
- Be fully in and commit.
