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From Head Start to HBCU to Harvard: One Man’s Story

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Victor Jones as a student (left) and a recent photo (right)

By National Head Start Association

Victor Jones graduated from Head Start over 30 years ago. Since then, Victor has built a career around his dedication to fighting for children, a passion he credits to his early education in Head Start. He has translated the Head Start mission into his work, first as a kindergarten teacher and today as an accomplished social justice attorney. Victor’s commitment to lifelong learning and his everyday efforts to make the world a more equitable place for children make him a true inspiration for the Head Start community. Victor shared his story with the National Head Start Association.

We are excited to learn about your Head Start story, Victor! When and where did you attend Head Start?

I’m a 1989 graduate of West Tampa Head Start, located in Tampa, Florida. My mother and I only lived in Tampa for two years, and these were the two years I attended Head Start. Thereafter, we returned to where I was born and raised, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Do you have any memories from your time in Head Start? Favorite activities, classmates, teachers?

I remember my class was always out and about — going on field trips to Busch Gardens to see the animals, going to the park, taking trips to the grocery store, and learning about fruits and vegetables. I also remember the times when doctors would visit us and check our eyes, ears and hearts, and I’ll never forget the day a giant toothbrush walked into our classroom, and we learned about the importance of dental hygiene. I still remember a few of my classmates’ names, though this was 30 years ago.

I can also still picture the uniform we had to wear on field trip days — it was a red shirt with an image of a panda bear hugging a bamboo tree, with black shorts or pants, and a black visor. And for the strangest reason, I remember that my classmates and I had to learn the song “Shower Me With Your Love” by an R&B group named “Surface,” as part of our graduation ceremony. The few times I’ve heard that song, I immediately think of my time in Head Start. Head Start was also one of the very, very few instances from my pre-K to 12th-grade journey in which I was taught by teachers who looked like me. I think having such vivid memories of my experiences in Head Start is a testament to just how positively impactful the program was for me.

How do you think Head Start impacted your later school years? Or even your goals and career accomplishments beyond school?

Head Start directly impacted my professional trajectory. Because of the program, I’ve always wanted to serve children in some capacity. Before practicing children’s rights and disability law, I was a public-school kindergarten teacher!

What did your educational and career journey that led to your current position look like?
After graduating from high school in Mississippi, I attended Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically Black college located in New Orleans, where I majored in literature and double minored in history and political science. I then received a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. I then taught kindergarten, and, thereafter, returned to New Orleans to attend law school at Loyola University. While in law school, I took courses in civil rights and child advocacy. I spent six years as a private practice attorney at multidisciplinary law firms in New Orleans, and then, in 2018, I returned to my original passion for serving children as an attorney representing their interests.

Victor, what advice do you have for current Head Start children and families?
Know that your child’s involvement in Head Start will be the best investment in their educational experience that you can offer them. The holistic approach to learning — physical care for self, care for your peers, and learning how to exist in the world around you, is an approach that I, as a former early childhood educator, can say is unique. I’m now the father of two daughters and I always say that I wish that they were able to have received a Head Start education like I did.

Anything else you would like to share with the Head Start community?

I always say that I went from “Head Start to HBCU to Harvard.” I’m eternally grateful for Head Start because it shaped me into someone who aspires to be a fierce advocate for marginalized children.

Enjoy Your Way to a Healthier Brain With These 10 Fun and Easy Activities

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AARP reports that engaging in music and even socializing more with friends and family have powerful potential to support brain health. PHOTO: istock/Jovanmandic

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Very often when we study ways to establish good health, the first thing we do is change our diet. Yes, good choices of the right foods to eat are essential for every aspect of good health.

But according to health experts around the country, there are dozens of other easy and enjoyable ways to promote a healthy body and a healthy brain. Here are 10 activities that – in addition to proper nutrition – may promote good brain health and ways to keep the brain fit when it comes to memory, cognitive function and even creativity:

1.      Enjoying music: According to AARP, the “Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) convened a diverse panel of experts to examine the latest evidence on how music influences brain health.” After CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, moderated a lively panel, it was agreed by the experts that “engaging in music has the powerful potential to support brain health.” Jacobo Mintzer, M.D., executive director of the Roper Saint Francis Research and Innovation Center and Governance Committee, stated, “We know that music is a powerful stimulator of the brain. It has the potential to be a critical tool to preserve and enhance brain health.”

2.      Playing strategic games such as checkers or chess: A 2015 studyTrusted Source found that regularly playing checkers, chess, or other cognitively stimulating games can increase brain volume.

3.      Practicing crossword puzzles: An older study from 2011Trusted Source says crossword puzzles may delay the onset of memory decline “in people with preclinical dementia,” according to Medical News Today.

4.      Increasing exercise levels: Reving up daily exercise routines by 30 to 40 percent can reduce risk of dementia by 30 to 40 percent, says Art Kramer, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois. This is because exercise appears to reverse the shrinking of the hippocampus, he says.

5.      This exercising includes weightlifting: University of British Columbia researchers at Vancouver say, “weight training and resistance training exercises appear to increase the growth of the IGF1 gene, which nourishes and protects nerve cells in the brain.”

6.      Engaging in meditation: Harvard researchers report that meditation, prayer, rest, relaxation; even vacation could reduce the stress hormone called cortisol and also could reverse damage to your brain health.

7.      Socializing more: Don’t be so quick to turn down that invitation. A 2019 study says that visiting with friends and family brings mentally engaging activity that may help preserve cognitive function.

8.      Pursuing personal and/or professional goals: A study by Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center revealed that people with clear focuses on personal or professional goals were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s for at least seven years.

9.      Taking your vitamins: Be sure to take your vitamins as recommended by your doctor. Rush Medical found that older adults with vitamin B12 deficiencies had smaller brains and scored lowest on tests measuring thinking, reasoning and memory because deficiencies can affect brain vitality.

10.  Taking up hobbies: Taking up a new hobby can be mentally stimulating and exercise the brain in new ways. Hobbies that require coordination or dexterity will activate a person’s motor skills. Such hobbies may include knitting, embroidery, drawing, painting, dancing, and learning a musical instrument.

There are a host of different activities and new habits in which one can engage in order to stimulate improved brain health, according to medical experts, including the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization committed to medical education, and research.

“At 3 pounds, the brain isn’t very large, but it is a powerhouse. Those 3 pounds hold your personality and all your memories. The brain coordinates your thoughts, emotions and movements. Billions of nerve cells in your brain make it all possible,” states the Mayo Clinic. “Called neurons, these brain cells send information to the rest of your body. If they aren’t working properly, your muscles may not move smoothly. You might lose feeling in parts of your body. Your thinking could slow. The brain doesn’t replace neurons that are damaged or destroyed. So it’s important to take care of them. Developing brain health habits is a key way to keep your brain healthy.”

This article is part of a series powered by AARP for the purpose of brain health education. Here’s more information.

Motivated Mondays: Plan the Work and Work the Plan

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Happy Motivated Monday! Oh yes! The summer has started and the grills are going. The kids are out of school and the fun begins. But aside from the fun, I’m sure you still have many goals to knock out. These goals could be fitness goals, business goals, or personal. None the less, these goals must be accomplished on time.

Now, there’s a few elements that go into making sure you’re on track to complete your goals. Let’s get into it.

SMART goals.

You have to create smart goals. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. This is so important because this is what makes it real. It adds pressure.

Write them down.

Don’t just fantasize about your goals. Actually put pen to paper and write them down. I can’t stress how important it is to see your dreams on paper.

Make your goals visible.

Print out your favorite car. Create a vision board and fill it with ideas that match your goals. Visualize the lifestyle you want to see and do it often.

Break it down and Develop a plan.

No one becomes successful overnight. No be real with yourself. Break your goals down into objectives and execute the plan step by step.

Take action.

Don’t sit around. Do something. Even if you don’t know where to start, start somewhere!

Keep perspective.

Never corner yourself in and beat yourself up. Keep an open mind for when things don’t work out as planned. Breathe and be mindful always.

Identify potential obstacles.

Contemplate on the many things that could could wrong just because they might. Know it ahead of time so that if it happens, you’re not so disappointed and instead you’re learning. Always be real with yourself.

Find a Mentor.

Develop relationships with people that can help you. They can get you to your goal faster than you would alone. Never be too prideful to ask for help but be sure to lead with value. Don’t waste their time.

Of course there’s a lot more that could be added to the list as your knock out your greatest goals, but it’s also important for you to always do your research. Educate yourself along the way with any journey. Never give up on yourself, even when things get hard.

Always remember, your dreams were made to exist!

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)

Motivated Mondays: Staying Motivated

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This year is winding down. Yet, it’s extremely important to find and keep your motivation at this time. Know what you want to do next year. Discover your biggest goals and stay motivated. Although staying motivated is very hard at times, it’s also very necessary.

Need some tips on how to stay motivated? Check this out.

  • Create a clear vision.

Seeing your vision vividly is imperative. You should be able to see your vision with all your senses because you can achieve only what you see. Don’t keep your dreams general. Get serious. Get technical. See it and prepare to be it.

  • Regularly review your goals and progress

What are your smart goals? Have you written them down. Are they specific and measurable? Is it achievable honestly?  Are your goals realistic? Put a time cap on your goal. Apply the pressure and keep up with how you’re doing throughout the process.

  • Produce a plan.

Once you have a goal in place, a plan is will take your vision and break down the steps you need to get it done. A goal without a plan, as we know, is just a dream.

  • Understand your why.

Sometimes it’s not so much the what or the how that matters, but your why–the purpose behind what you’re doing. Being clear about what you’re working for can give you the stimulus to stay on course. This has to be strong. Emotion has to be attached.

  • Trust the process.

Look for the bigger picture. When you have to stay motivated, think of the bigger picture. How does this relate not only to yourself but to others? How will it contribute to something important? Where will this make a difference? Make it worth doing and investing in. To accomplish more, think bigger.

  • Continue to set new goals.

Always Always Always set new goals. Knock them out. Pat yourself on the back. Then make some more. Repeat.

  • Get guidance.

Find mentors or someone you look up to who is experienced in the habit you want to change. Find ways to help them. Offer something special whether it’s money or a continued service. There’s nothing worse than bugging someone to take the time out of their busy life to make you better without a plan to show your appreciation or value.

  • Surround yourself with positive people.

Your environment is everything. The people around you the most shape your way of thinking and moving. What they do becomes easy for you to do too. Make sure the people you choose to be around are positive and for you. Don’t tolerate anything less. Make sure you find the support and accountability partners that you need.

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)

Motivated Mondays: Stay Motivated

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Happy first Monday of the last quarter of the year! Can you believe it? The year is coming to an end already. When you think about how your year has been going, how do you feel? Are you proud of your progress? Do you see any good changes within? Have you accomplished most of your goals for the year?

Goal chasing isn’t easy. It takes guts, discipline, and motivation to get you where you need or want to be. Being motivated sometimes is harder than it seems. It’s like when you pick your goal(s), as you move towards it, so many obstacles come your way. It feels like it’s better to expect the unexpected than to assume it will be smooth sailing.

Staying focused and motivated is key to accomplishing your goals. The good news is there are some techniques that can help you reach your goals.

Remind yourself of your goals.

Think about your goals often. Write them down in a notebook that you use frequently. Use sticky notes around the house. Hang your vision board in a place that you will see every day.

Make weekly checkpoints to track your progress.

Break your goals down into objectives that you can achieve daily or weekly. You can even have a checkpoint or two throughout the week. It’s super important for you to see your progress.

Make sure to reward yourself every time you achieve your weekly goals.

Think about things that you like to do that you don’t get a chance to do often like a spa day or an ice cream date. Maybe you like to bowl or skate; whatever it is, reward YOU for handling your business.

Give yourself breaks.

YOU ARE NOT A SUPERHUMAN. You are a natural human with limited abilities. It may feel good to tell yourself that you’re Superman or Superwoman, however, truth be told, you’re not. Your body and mind needs rest. This is how it functions so well. With rest comes recovery. You may not feel like you need to recover but naturally you do. Get out of the habit of overworking yourself. Treat your mind and body right. Allow time to simply be.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Beating yourself up is something you’re not going to do. If you find yourself doing so, stop it! Negative self talk produces a negative mindset. With a negative mindset it’s harder to reach your goals. Understand that everyone makes mistakes. It’s completely normal. Work to get back where you need to be and move on.

Watch and read motivational stories or speeches.

I can’t stress how important it is to feed your mind the right stuff. It’s incredibly easy to be consumed with the worries of today by surfing the internet and your social media feeds. That’s why you have to be intentional about positive messages coming through your ear gates. So watch a motivational message, read a positive book, or research something that’s going to help you get through.

Move your body.

Staying active can go a long way. It naturally is calming. So if you’re feeling a way. Take it to the gym and stay on track. You will feel so much better when you get in that gym.

Eliminate your distractions.

Let go of what’s not serving you or your purpose. If it’s throwing you off it has to go. Distractions can come from people around you or even your phone. Exercise the power of NO. Turn your phone off or put it in DO NOT DISTURB. You got goals to reach by all means necessary.

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)

Think BIG

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Think BIG

To accomplish anything, you must believe it is possible. Wanting to do things requires work, work, and more work, but there are a few more pieces to the puzzle. Along with wanting to reach a goal you want to set short term goals and long-term goals. Wanting a new car, a new home and a new job is a short-term goal. These things can be done quickly by simply saving money or getting a loan.

A long-term goal is achieving something BIG, in my opinion. Like something that has never been done before, or something you know will take a miracle. Thinking BIG! Dig deep and reach for the one thing you want that seems impossible and when you get it, because you will, this will put you in a place where nothing will be impossible.

Step one: you got to see it before you see it, sit down and just think about it. How does reaching this goal look and feel to you? What does this look like for you and your family and the world? Keep thinking about it every day, all day.

Step two: write the vision, business plan, and outline of your plan. Write your work schedules, staff, and payroll budget. Structure the business, look for the office, and visit the bank to talk about financing. Remember this is a BIG goal so finances will be required.

Step three: talk about it to people who can be an investor or have a way to help, start working on your BIG idea. Do not tell anyone who cannot help or is not trustworthy. You arein business now so talk about your idea to business partners, and business vendors only. See how I am already talking about your business as if it has happened.

Step four: get to work. Everyday work at least 1 hour on your business. A good hour is better than nothing and once you do an hour your mind will crave more time, trust me it will, you will look up 5 hours later and be satisfied, because you have put in valuable time that will pay off and get you to your goal quickly.

Step five: Do not stop. Do not stop. Do not stop. Keep thinking BIG, keep talking about the business to other business prospects, even if self-doubt sneaks in, because it will. You are going to do this, just keep going and thinking BIG, also add on to your project, if you have a staff of 5 increase it to ten. Do not wait to grow your business, think it into existence.

Nicole Gamble (Nikki)

 

 

Motivated Mondays: Get to Know You

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The gift of life is something so special. One thing about life is it can be taken at any given moment, that makes it important to cherish. It’s important to live life to the fullest. It’s important to grow mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. It’s important to understand who you are and cater to yourself.

I get it. Sometimes this is hard when you’re a giver or a parent that has to care for your kids or a mate that has to cater to your significant other. You begin to feel like you don’t have time to focus on or get to know you. But in all honesty, it’s so necessary.

You can’t be amazing to others if you’re not first amazing to yourself. You need to know about you. You need to know the things that make you happy versus what makes you tick. You should know what you like and don’t like. You have to be honest with yourself about how you feel. Know your truth.

This can be a tough task at times but, again, it is necessary. There’s many ways you can get to know you but I highly advise to start with a pen and paper. Drill yourself with questions to find out new things, current behaviors and actions.

Need some help? Ask yourself these questions for starters:

  • What are my strengths and weaknesses?
  • Pros and Cons about me
  • What’s a great habit that I currently possess?
  • What needs work in my life?
  • What is my purpose in life?
  • What is my personality type?
  • Who am I? One of the hardest questions to answers is who you are.
  • What are my values?
  • What matters the most to me?
  • What does it mean to have a “good life?” .
  • Where does self-worth come from?
  • Am I happy with my life?
  • What do I need right now, more than anything else?
  • Did I make time for myself this week?
  • Am I making time for my social life?
  • What scares me the most right now?
  • What is something I find inspiring?
  • Am I on track to reach my goals?
  • What do I need to work on?
  • How do I make others feel that are around me?

Asking yourself these questions will help you discover the real you. Knowing who you are gives you a head start to your day. You have to know what kind of person you are and also know who it is you want to be. Life is all about love and evolving. However, you must start with you. You must know where you are in order to make you better.

So sit down with yourself this week and write. Find out new things about you and embrace them. Then love on you for who you are and work towards your best self.

We’re created to love and help others but we must know and love ourselves, first.

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)

Everyday Motivation

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Hello my name is Joshua Jackson and this New Years I have created New Year’s resolutions to create new goals for myself. I have learned that these goals don’t have to wait until the New Year and that you can start these goals whatever time of the year. I learned that you can accomplish any goal but you have to be willing to work hard for it and that goals aren’t just going to happen. I feel like most people think like that everyday because some people make things look easy but now I realize that some of those people worked hard and created a routine of suffering. 

A lot of the time it’s hard for me to want to get motivated to do homework and get up early for school. One of the few ways I get up in the morning is by eating breakfast because if I go to school without it I won’t have energy to start the day. It’s hard for me to want to get motivated just to eat breakfast in the morning and I set alarms. I have learned over the past few weeks that for me alarms are useless because I never get up and when it goes off I shut it off. 

I have learned that you have to train your brain to do what you want it to do. One of the reasons I hate waking up is because sometimes I don’t realize that I don’t get enough sleep or don’t go to bed early enough. I also learned that there are two side voices that we hear in our head: the nice easy voice that says I’m going back to sleep and there is that tough voice that tells you to get up.The one thing for myself that I’m trying to work on is self discipline because it helps to break bad habit. Well whoever reads this stay motivated and stay hard!!!

 

Chasing Your Dreams: SMART Goals

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When you have big dreams, sometimes the hardest part is believing they can come true. You ever heard that saying “The graveyard is the richest place on earth,”? Well, that’s a true statement. In the graveyard you’ll find dreams that were never birthed, songs that were never sung, and inventions that were never made.

You’ll find so many ideas that were meant to be, but never happened. Many people walk through life making excuses as to why they can’t start their businesses and become successful. So many people sit on their gifts and talents.

While being uncomfortable is the ultimate reason dreams never become a reality, the lack of ability to see it happening plays a big part as well. So many people talk about the things they want out of life but never sit down to make it a reality.

A dream without a goal is just a wish. And wishing is not living. Understand your dreams were made to exist. Those ideas floating around in your head isn’t just for you.

Making dreams come true is so possible. Many times it just takes a great plan and execution. As a business management graduate and entrepreneur, I’ve learned that SMART goals are truly necessary for true advancement.

Okay, so you’re probably thinking, what’s a SMART goal. No worries. I got ya covered.

SMART Goals are a specific type of goal setting to help accomplish a task. The word SMART is an acronym.

S is for Specific.

M is for Measurable

A is for Attainable

R is for Realistic

T is for Timely

Any true goal needs these components. Your goals need to be specific instead of general. It has to be measurable. You have to clearly be able to tell when this task is complete. Goals shouldn’t be far fetched. They should be realistic and attainable. You shouldn’t need a magic genie to obtain completion. And finally, timely. Real goals have to be done within a certain time. Putting a time goal on to your goal applies pressure and encourages you to complete.

So maybe you’re that person who have dreams, high hopes, and visions. If nothing has been working, try something different. Try to use SMART goals. It could potentially change the entire trajectory of your life.

Thank me later!

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)

Monday Motivation: March into It!

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Happy Monday! It’s a new month. We have some new goals and some old. We can can choose to have a new attitude. We can speak positive things into our lives. No matter where we messed up, we can try it again. Let’s walk into this month marching!

March into your greatness.

March into your blessings.

March into your winning season.

March into love.

March into happiness.

March into peace.

March into your goals.

March into your purpose.

March into your bag.

No matter what it is, go full fledged. Don’t let anything stop you. You can conquer all that you want. You can be all that you can. You just have to push yourself. Push yourself to your highest potential this week.

March into your destiny!

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)