5 minute read
Girls for Technology
SABRINA & ANTHONY BARRETT PREPARE GIRLS FOR THE FUTURE
African American youth are the least likely racial group to enter technology fields. According to the United Negro College Fund, “Black and White students pursue STEM degrees at similar rates, but Black students in any STEM field struggle to achieve comparable representation in degree attainment.” Cue Sabrina and Anthony Barrett of Girls for Technology, Inc.
Advertisement
Girls for Technology, Inc., founded in 2015, is a non-profit organization focused on leveling the playing field in STEM, (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), for underprivileged populations. The Barrett’s are separately credentialed in their respective careers but decided to join to educate and elevate girls in the field of STEM. Hailing from Connecticut, Sabrina grew tired of trying to climb the corporate ladder. When she stepped away to pursue entrepreneurship, she looked back at her corporate career and realized she was never presented the opportunity to work within STEM in her formative years and did not want future generations to experience the same. Anthony has a background in the nonprofit realm, so when they brainstormed, Girls for Technology, Inc. was born.
STEM learning promotes career advancement in black communities and exposes them to careers deemed unconventional for some, coming from these specific backgrounds. “STEM learning is important because it allows underprivileged communities to make better wages and earning power, provides economic mobility, and sets a foundation for generating wealth,” says Anthony. Girls for Technology provides these opportunities through the following programs.
The “Like a Boss Academy” consists of project-based leadership development workshops for pre-college girls. Aimed at high school students, “Like a Boss focuses on self-empowerment and teaches participants about career pathways within the technology sector along with entrepreneurship,” says Sabrina. Students participate in project-based challenges, and upon completion, engage in a pitch competition that prepares them for realworld experiences in their field. Another program is Pipeline 4.0, a 10-week tech workforce development program that focuses on young adults ages 18-24. This program works with unemployed and underemployed participants. Teaching them project management skills and tech-based program skills (ex., Salesforce, and AWS) in hopes of helping them attain internships and jobs within the tech industry. One of their success stories is from a student that began the program with the hopes of becoming a math teacher. This student is now in her third year at Emory University majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Physics. While she is studying markers to detect cancer in undergrad, the student is also in her thirdyear interning for Google, with a job offer upon graduation.
Girls for Technology began with a mission that focused solely on helping girls, however, the organization is in the process of rebranding to include women, because women were once girls. The rebrand will provide resources for entrepreneurship and access to capital and is expected to launch in June of 2021.
T. NICOLE
KRISTOFER SYKES IS OVERCOMING THE ODDS
BY BRIAN DAVID
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mr. Kristofer Sykes! As a young poet, actor, and writer, he is performed as a headliner at the National Gallery of Art Museum Washington D.C., with 1,800 people in attendance. He has presented an original poetry piece before Congress that addresses mass incarceration and its impact on the community. He commanded the “Justice Aide” concert series, performing an original poetry piece, and performed for the Jewish Council of Public Affairs on CSPAN News, both in New York, NY.
Mr. Sykes wrote and starred in a production for the NFL Honors Awards on
CBS Network in Atlanta, GA. He has also been featured on NBC, Fox News, and CBS. Along with all the accolades, he has made his film debut in Nate
Parker’s phenomenal film, American Skin.
Where are you from? What is your background?
I am originally from the capital of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio. It is about two hours from Cleveland. I am also a proud Ohio State Buckeye fan.
Are you a family man? Any siblings?
I am a 34-years-old father to a young teenage son. His voice is starting to crack, so you know what that means. I have two sisters, a younger brother, and a stepbrother. I am the oldest, though, Big Brother!
Kris, you have been on Fox, NBC, CBS, etc. You have been doing your thing, sir. How long have you been acting?
Well, I started as a spoken word artist. In the name of criminal justice reform, I am a former criminal myself. Coming from the stages you have mentioned, I performed at those events, and there were NFL producers on the front row. I received an email on the way from the event, saying that they had something for me. TIME Magazine also reached out to me from the performances. I connect with people on stage. Then from there, that’s when Nate Parker saw me, and that is how the movie role happened.
How long have you been affecting lives with your work and with your words?
A solid four years. Professionally, I have been writing all of my life. I have been an artist all of my life. But professionally, about four, almost five years.
Did you study anywhere for your craft, or is it a God-given talent?
I would say it is God’s gift. My grandmother used to say, “A man’s gift will make room for him and bring him before great men.” So, it is with that thought that I put my strength before me. I have been intentional about what I want out of life, and I attacked that.
What gave you the desire or gave you the courage to be a poet and an actor?
So, there are people that want to tell my story, that want to share my story, but they cannot articulate it as I can. They may not have the words for what needs to be said. I try to be that vessel. It is not about me. I am just the conduit, you know. We got to relay these messages. I am trying to connect the dots. I am trying to bridge gaps. That has been my whole intention. Moving forward with that in mind, it just opened so many doors for me.
