11/14/2024

How to Succeed by Really (Really) Trying

Examine this road map to succeed

If you wanted to draw up a road map for success, becoming pregnant as a teenager would not be a good first step.

It was, however, a step that Angela D. Thomas, DPH, took when she gave birth to her son at age 16. She was an excellent student who planned on a career in medicine. At 17, she took her five-month-old son to college at the University of Michigan and progressed in her studies, earning three degrees by the time she was 30. Thomas’ career developed in public health; in time, she became an executive, now with MedStar Health. Along the way, Thomas became a role model for others and eventually wrote a book about her experience — Bullets, Babies and Boardrooms: Success Secrets from a Teenage Mother.

Lessons

The title sets up her lessons. “Bullets” refers to her mother, a parole officer in the city of Detroit, being shot five times by a hitman hired by an offender whom her mother was going to send back to jail. “Babies” refers to her pregnancy and her journey to earn her education. And “Boardroom” refers to her corporate path and the leadership lessons necessary for success.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.