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Hey there, legacy-minded leaders!
This is the first entry of the Black Girl College Prep Blog. Welcome!!! Since this is our first post together, you're in for a real treat, and I can't wait to spend this time with you.
In this post, I'll briefly introduce myself, share how BGCP came about, and lay a foundation for why Black Girl College Prep is important.
A little bit about me:
My name is Rahkal Shelton Roberson, but you can call me Coach Rahk. I am the founder of Black Girl College Prep, and I absolutely LOVE serving, educating and inspiring young women! It is my passion and mission in life to serve in this way.
I am an author, a bomb wife, a dope aunt, a cool big sister, an educator, mentor, friend, and a lover of all things positive and praiseworthy.
Education, leadership, and mentorship have been my jam since 3rd grade. You could find the 8-year-old me somewhere reading, helping others, and developing a plan. Whether plotting how to ask Mama to stay the night at my cousins', organizing dancing groups, or assigning tasks to me and my sibling, I was on it.
What can I say? I was born to be a leader! I am also a leader who learned that leadership really boils down to empowering and serving others. Having said that, I use a well-balanced blend of transformational and servant leadership styles.
Why Black Girl College Prep?
I'm passionate about the Black Girl College Prep work specifically because I made a commitment early on to be the person I wanted and needed growing up.
I have no qualms about how difficult growing up was. I was born on the south side of Chicago into a chaotic environment of domestic violence, drug abuse, and poverty. My mother dropped out of the ninth grade, and she had two children by the time she was 19.
Because I was raised without a father and spent many of my early years in unstable and unpredictable environments, I attended a few elementary and three high schools.
The pinnacle of achievement preached in my home was avoiding pregnancy and getting a GED. At least, this is what my mother consistently emphasized as important.
I share a bit of my story to underscore and illuminate the root of my passions.
As humans, it's super easy to become products of our environments, especially when we lack guidance, purpose, and exposure to positive alternatives and stories of hope. It's difficult to connect to people we think don't understand us, and it's even harder to be something we can't see or acknowledge exists.
And, in my mother's case, giving someone something you don't have is even harder. Potentially dropping out was her reality for me, and GED aspirations were what she knew and had to give.
Through my inquiry about the alternative to a GED, I learned that if I stayed in school, I could obtain a diploma and that there was more schooling even after that. This new discovery sparked a seed of hope despite not having the academic support, role models, or exposure, and the statistics that said otherwise.
Life taught me what I didn't want early! So, I decided to be the person I needed and wished I had growing up for others.
From poverty to priceless potential:
I am a first-generation college grad and proud HBCU alum (go TXSU Tigers). I have a master's in media communications and training, a professional coaching certification, and countless hours spent mentoring, educating, and inspiring young men and women from backgrounds and inner-city communities similar to what I grew up in.
Hey, did you know that our most marginalized communities—those who face prejudice due to their zip codes, ignorance, lack of exposure, or familial dynamics—have a plethora of untapped potential? Well, they do, and I desire to provide them with as many resources, support, education, love, and affirmation as possible.
Black Girl College Prep originated from my love for educating, mentoring, and coaching young women. My vision for this organization is to help create a future where every learner has access to high-quality educational, life, and career readiness resources and opportunities no matter their economic status so they'll feel prepared, confident, and empowered to use their unique voice and skills to help create a more diverse and equitable world.
Wanna be a part of bringing this vision to life? Let's stay connected, join our email list, drop me a note and make sure to follow us on social media.
Until next time, be the change you want to see in the world.
Xo,
Coach Rahk
Learn more about Black children's unequal access to high-quality education here.
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