The Project Propel initiative has begun and the feedback from the faculty and students has been phenomenal. Project Propel is bigger than an average initiative; it is a movement. The SAP student organization that will soon spread across many HBCU campus’, STOMPP, has received tremendous amounts of interest from students at Delaware State University. It now has over 150+ students who have joined in the first three weeks. To see this project come alive in such a short time span has captivated me and has made me more passionate for improving the lives of others. Through Project Propel I was fortunate enough to receive a full time position as a product specialist at SAP. My dream job was to work in a huge tech company and through Project Propel it has finally come true. Growing up I never knew that achieving your dream goals could have such an impact not only in your life, but in the lives of others.
Now, I would like to see young talent, who come from humble beginnings, placed in jobs just as I did upon graduation from college. Why? Statistically, the odds are up against anyone who comes from the same upbringings as I did, especially within the US education system. “Students who do not attend college or who drop out quickly are predominantly persons from low-income families, living in underdeveloped areas within major cities or in sparsely populated rural areas, and who have attended ineffective elementary and secondary schools. Those who make it to college generally attend institutions that are undercapitalized, and they graduate at a rate that is significantly lower than their more advantaged counterparts”.1 I am a 22 year old African American male who grew up in a single parent household from the small city of Wilmington, Delaware. In the midst of my mother working hard to keep clothes on our backs and food on the table, majority of my male figures in my life were in the streets. Nonetheless, over the years I learned a lot about myself and was fortunate enough to attend some great institutions for learning. Ultimately, that changed the outcome of my life and my future offspring in the foreseeable future.
With that being said, I will continue to be the light or the spark for a student that comes from environments that aren't friendly to being different and jumping outside of the box. My story will resonate among many young students in America. Growing up surrounded by poverty can be an extremely difficult task to stay on course with your goals and dreams. However, let's shift this entire paradigm and educate these individuals, get them into awesome jobs right out of college, and begin to see their lives change right before your eyes.
Click here: Project Propel landing page on sap.com
1. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Projected Postsecondary Outcomes of 1992 High School Graduates," (Working Paper), Washington, DC: 1999.
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