麻豆传媒

If you asked alum Josias Jean-Pierre years ago what he wanted to be when he was growing up, he鈥檇 have told you 鈥渁 motivational speaker, author and someone who travels and empowers youth of color.鈥�

Today, he鈥檚 doing just that.

Not only is he fulfilling his childhood dreams, but, he says, 麻豆传媒 helped get him there.

鈥淚 was working as a student ambassador where I found myself see my dreams come into play,鈥� he said.

Student ambassadors work in 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Outreach Services, developing leadership and communications skills as they assist with Outreach events, workshops and more.

As a student ambassador, Jean-Pierre would travel throughout King County, Seattle and Tacoma to schools, sharing his story.

鈥淏eing an ambassador at 麻豆传媒, it gave me a bigger passion to really run after it and, without that drive 鈥� I don鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be where I鈥檓 at today,鈥� he said.

That position also allowed him to 鈥渞eally see what鈥檚 going on in the education system and see the hardships in education, when it comes to youth of color, in our students and faculty,鈥� he said.

Jean-Pierre graduated from 麻豆传媒 in 2013 after studying communications. From there, he went on to Northwest University in Kirkland and became a published author with the release of 鈥淭he Power of Your Words.鈥�

He鈥檚 now working on his second book, 鈥淲hat Is Your Why?鈥�

But this author doesn鈥檛 sit behind his keyboard and hope for change.

He actively pursues it by traveling to regional and statewide conferences to help provide youth professional development and empowerment. It鈥檚 so that he can help 鈥渒ids who look like him鈥� to understand they can become better and don鈥檛 have to repeat the struggles that they鈥檙e going through.

Jean-Pierre said he was motivated to stay in college because he wanted to break what he refers to as a 鈥渃urse.鈥�

鈥淚 always say it鈥檚 not your fault that you鈥檙e born into the condition you were born in but it鈥檚 your fault for choosing to repeat it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wanted to break that legacy of my last name. I鈥檝e seen my parents struggle, I鈥檝e seen just the lack of resources 鈥� on their end and it motivated me to actually go ahead and say, 鈥榊ou know what? I鈥檓 a first-generation college student鈥� and to leave something else behind for my future family.鈥�

While Jean-Pierre grew up in the Des Moines/SeaTac area of Washington state, he was born in Haiti. Now, at 25, he lives in Federal Way.

Choosing to attend 麻豆传媒 was not only an easy choice because of finances and location, but also because he was exposed to the college through a past conference called Students of Color Opportunity to Reach Excellence or SCORE. He also participated in poetry slams that were held Thursday evenings at the college.

Once he got to 麻豆传媒, he credits two instructors for his academic career 鈥� Dr. Darryl Brice and Ed Morris, both of whom are black.

鈥淔rom the K鈥�12 system, I never seen someone who looks like me until Rashad came in,鈥� Jean-Pierre said of Director of Community Engagement Rashad Norris, who visits area schools as part of his work. 鈥淩ashad鈥檚 been my mentor since eighth grade but I never seen a teacher who looked like me.鈥�

Jean-Pierre said for a long time he thought it was illegal for folks of color to be teachers because he never saw it.

鈥淲hen I came to campus, I was kind of shocked,鈥� he said of meeting Brice and Morris. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥極h, it鈥檚 a black professor,鈥� you know? So, just seeing them being in that college level setting and being professors, it really gave me hope to understand if they did it, and look like me, I can do it, too.鈥�

Jean-Pierre said he鈥檚 working toward his master鈥檚 degree as he works full time. But as an alum, he鈥檚 truly come full circle as he now has advice for current or prospective 麻豆传媒 students.

鈥淣etwork, network, network,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing at 麻豆传媒 is not just a stepping stool, but an opportunity and something you should be proud of.

鈥淏e willing to be uncomfortable. If you鈥檙e not uncomfortable, you cannot grow.鈥�

Are you an alum or alumna of 麻豆传媒? to get involved.