"Attitude Predicts Altitude" - Words to Live by: Meet Isaiah Alexander, Who's Positive Attitude Lets Him Take Adversity Head On
Isaiah, what is your personal narrative? What key moments in your life led you to where you are?
I am Colorado native, born and raised in Aurora, Colorado. I attended Texas Christian University for undergrad and received my Masters in Finance from Colorado State University. I worked for BOK financial as a credit analyst after college, then transitioned to JP Morgan Chase where I am an associate commercial banker.
I have lived my life by a saying, “attitude predicts altitude”. This has shaped my outlook on life to be positive and to take adversity head on. At a young age, my parents’ divorced. I was living at each household, week to week which came with challenges as the lifestyles were different between the two. At the age of 10, I was met with another challenge as my mother and step-dad passed away. This turned my world upside down, but with the support of my dad and step-mom as well as my two sisters, I didn’t let this event define my life. I went on to be a two sport athlete in high school and received the Male Athlete of the Year with Honors. An award only one senior receives for playing multiple sports while maintaining a 3.6 GPA or higher. From high school, I attended Texas Christian University on an academic scholarship, the Daniels Fund, where I walked on to a Division 1 football program and received a 1st team All-Academic award. Through all of this I always kept a positive attitude and hard working mentality, which allowed me to reap the rewards of doing so.
You attended TCU as a Daniel Funds Scholar. What opportunities did this Scholarship create for you? What led you to move to Texas for college?
The Daniels Fund Scholarship opened doors for me that weren’t possible. I always thought I was going to have to college via a sports scholarship. While I did receive offers from other colleges for sports, the Daniels fund allowed me to attend a prestigious university based on academics. An opportunity that wasn’t possible without it. I was still able to play football at TCU but wasn’t pressured to obtain a scholarship as the Daniels Fund fully paid for tuition. The Daniels Fund also allowed me to study abroad in the UK for the summer going into my senior year. This experience was pivotal in how I perceived the world as well as encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and look for new experiences. Attending TCU has gave me a great group of friends and an expansive network that is willing to help me in my personal and professional goals.
I took a risk and moved to Texas for independence and individual growth. My older sister attended Arizona State University, which lead me to take that leap of faith and venture out from what I was familiar with. While it was uncomfortable at first, I can now call Texas a second home that is filled with friends and colleagues that I am still close with today.
Having worked in the financial sector for a few years, what reflections do you have on future goals and growth in your career?
I want to continue to be a resource for people of color looking to get into the finance industry. As for my growth in my career, I would like to rise to a senior level executive position and be a leader for JP Morgan Chase.
How do you stay connected with your local community and give back? In what ways do you hope to create more equitable communities?
I plan to get more involved in organizations like GlobalMindED, The Crowley foundation, and others to help create pathways for people of color to get into positions they want to be in. I hope to grow a network that can act as a resource to help individuals break into any industry they are interested in and achieve their personal goals.
What advice would you give to young professionals entering the workforce?
Take risks. Don’t be afraid to bet on yourself and go for what you know you’re capable of. That can be anything from taking on a role you don’t believe you are qualified for to being the first to raise your hand for a project. This will lead to better opportunities in the future.
Bring your full self to work. As a person of color, you may not feel like you can show all sides of yourself in a work setting. I encourage young professionals to change this narrative and challenge these stale stereotypes. This has allowed me to be more genuine with my interactions at work and has led to some great relationships with my colleagues.
