Page 27 - TMCF 2024 Annual Report

SIGNATURE CONFERENCES
“Our namesake wasn’t afraid of hard assignments,” Dr. Williams said. “By being engaged this week, you’ve shown you’re not afraid of hard assignments.” Dr. N. Joyce Payne, TMCF’s founder, reminded the students about the importance of mentorship.
“Remember that as you move through this journey of professional development. Know that you have mentors out there who would like to help you, who are willing to provide their time,” she said.
Brandon Smith, a Leadership Institute alumnus and global security and investigations associate at Fidelity Investments, shared his story with the students. Through TMCF, he completed internships at Apple through the Apple HBCU Scholars program, beginning a journey he had not anticipated.
“Through this experience, I was introduced to the world of
corporate security and the immense power of networking,” Smith
said. He completed another internship at JPMorganChase in
Dallas, also through TMCF, and participated in the Las Vegas Sands
hospitality immersion. Through those experiences and connections he made through TMCF programming, he secured a full-time role with Fidelity.
“Once you get connected, stay connected,” Smith said. “This principle is not just a professional strategy but a life philosophy.” He encouraged students to join the TMCF alumni professional network to stay connected. TMCF also brought out a surprise guest, actress and Grammy-winner Coco Jones, who spoke about her career, the importance of hard work and leaving a legacy of authenticity.
“If you’re willing to go the distance, if you’re willing to hustle, if you’re willing to sacrifice, then people will align with you because you just drop dead weight and that leaves space open for more aligned people to come into your orbit,” Jones said.
To conclude the ceremony, graduating seniors were presented with TMCF stoles for commencement, closing out Leadership Institute until next year.
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