2020 GlobalMindED
The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
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The military is a wonderful career path which builds lifetime leadership skills in ways that honor the unique interests and passions of everyone who serves. Adam Milano combined his love of people and his deep family calling to the military with his desire to help others through a career in social work. This month, we honor all who serve in our Armed Forces. Inclusive leaders like Adam represents the way in which the military shapes both a career and a life, by putting service over self. |
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Adam, you chose the path to join the Army. What is your personal story and what led you to service in the military?
I actually joined the Army back in 2016. I grew up in a household that holds a deep respect for military service. My grandfather was a career Marine and my dad was in the Army during the Vietnam Era. My mother spoke highly of her father’s leadership, drive, and selfless service. When I was trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life I came to realize that occupational identity held great deal of importance to me. The military values fit with who I wanted to be.
The story of finding my way to service begins in an unexpected place...performing arts high school. I learned a great deal about courage, teamwork, leadership, grit, self-examination and emotional intelligence through a high speed, high expectation, performing arts program at Bergen County Academies in Hackensack New Jersey. My friends in the program identified as actors and artists. I loved acting but struggled with that occupational identity. I knew I loved to serve and contribute to my community some way other than through performing arts. Military service seemed like the ultimate selfless service, but I never thought that I could do it. When it was time to apply for college I saw friends and family see schools that felt like their school. I felt that way about the military. At that time in my life it was specifically the Marine Corps. I was 6 feet and 112 pounds at that time, ran a 9 minute mile and frankly was too scared to pursue it. Not only was I scared for the experience but I also knew that it would be a difficult decision to explain. I decided to pocket the dream for now. I would respect those that did it while pursuing something else.
I applied to and was delighted to be accepted to Middlebury College. When I began Middlebury College I dove into the theatre program. The professors became mentors and the entire Theatre Department became family. I worked professionally as an actor over the summers with members of the Middlebury Faculty and performed as much as I could. As much joy and meaning as I derived from being a part of the theatre community, I could not shake this thought of military service. I was starting to think about it everyday.
Without telling my friends or family I began looking at the physical requirements for service and gearing my physical training towards those. I finally got the courage to go see a Marine Corps Recruiter when I was a junior. I cant put into words the feeling of excitement and relief to actually begin taking steps to join. I was excited and scared at the same time. It was the type of fear that indicated to me that I knew I was going to do this and it was the right choice. I submitted my packet for Officer Commission Course. I then began telling my family, friends and professors about my decision. No one took it well. In retrospect I should have started involving my loved ones immediately. Why would a theatre major who was working as an actor possibly want to join the military? My parents connected me with myriad veterans to make sure I had a full understanding of what I was getting into. Each call left me feeling more inspired and affirmed in my choice. My Theatre Department professors each scheduled a lunch or coffee meeting with me to tell me that I was making a huge mistake and that I should stick with acting. It was flattering and motivating. It meant a lot to have my entire support system so invested in my next steps. While we differed on opinion about what I should do next, we agreed on the values that I felt were inherently me. For me that meant the military was the logical next step.
Two months before graduating college, I was offered a job at Middlebury College. I would be a Commons Residential Advisor and oversee the student RA staff. My responsibilities would include community building, crisis response, being a resource for undergraduates, and advocating for student need. My future boss explained to me that the Marines would always be there, but this position was being offered in that moment. I pulled my Marine Corps packet and served at Middlebury College for a year. It was an extremely difficult decision. The job began and I loved being a first line resource for the students. The entire mission was to make sure students were supported, safe, and guided. I truly felt that my values of focusing on people were being utilized in my job. I knew I had to continue with this type of work, so I started to investigate whether the military offered any jobs like this. I discovered that the Army, Navy, and Air Force all had Behavioral Health Officer positions. I also noticed that in order to get this job I needed either a Master’s degree in social work or a doctorate in psychology. Having none of the prerequisites for psychology, I applied to Master of Social Work programs. My goal was now to finish the master’s and then join the military as a Behavioral Health Officer. I chose Columbia University. Right before starting at Columbia, I had a slight change of heart. I failed the oft cited Marshmallow Test. I couldn't wait any longer to be in the military. I deferred Columbia a year in order to enlist in the Reserves. I chose Civil Affairs because it gave me the opportunity to go to Basic Training, focus on basic Warrior Skills and study at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. I drilled as a Reservist during my master’s and then applied to the Army's Social Work Officer position during the last year at Columbia. I was accepted and now serve at Fort Carson.
My decade-long pursuit had ended. I feel at home in my role as an Army Social Work Officer. My values align with both Social Work and the Military. I empathize and advocate for my client while holding myself and them to the high Military standard.
You have chosen the most important career path of Social Work, attending Columbia University and working at the Naval Academy Prep School. What did you realize within yourself while working with young students who represent our emerging leaders?
During my second year at Columbia, knowing that I wanted to become a Behavioral Health Officer, I sought out a Field Study experience that would best prepare me for my chosen career path. I could not find any already offered so I decided to try to make my own. I called many different military installations and pitched my idea. One of those places was the Naval Academy's Prep School campus (NAPS) in Newport, RI. I asked if they had any in-house mental health care that I could join. They said they did not, so I asked if that is something they would be interested in having. This sounded like a great, mutually beneficial opportunity to both parties. I wrote up a formal proposal and sent it to NAPS. They advocated to the Navy for the unpaid position and it was approved. I went back to Columbia and made my case that it would be a worthwhile Field Study.
I created and implemented the first in-house Behavioral Health position at NAPS. The role was a huge success and the numbers I submitted from that year were enough to demonstrate a need for a full time paid position which has now existed at NAPS for two years and will continue for the foreseeable future.
I loved that experience and working with young, motivated future Officers. What is unique about the Service Academies, especially the Prep Schools, is the true diversity of the student body. I refer to diversity in every sense of the word. Exposure to individuals that hold different identities that you do is an experience for growth and development. Many of the students are first generation college students while some have had generations at the Academy. Part of my work at NAPS involved advocating for more readings by non-white authors, more faculty of color, education in cultural humility, and trauma informed teaching. That school means a lot to me and I feel committed to its continued success and the Midshipmen Candidates that go there. They have picked a difficult path and I was honored to be a part of their development and a resource during a transition that I would have struggled with at that age.
I have respect and admiration for the young high school students and enlisted personnel that choose the honorable path of a Service Academy: Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and their respective Prep Schools. I would love to find my way back to a Service Academy during the course of my career and get another chance to work with our nation’s future leaders in a community that inspired me on a daily basis.
What made you passionate about serving the world through social work?
The short answer to this is my family. I was raised to step up if no one else would, to treat everyone as a human being, to be aware of my surroundings, to consider the systematic oppression that may contribute to our current moment in history, and to do the right thing. What I love specifically about social work is that it considers the client as part of their environment. Columbia School of Social Work focuses on the importance of anti-racist practice and systems theory as an essential element of clinical care. Each class forced us to examine the clinical problem through a lens of intersectionality. I am currently working on my Doctorate of Social Work program at the University of Southern California where we are continually asked to remember that the client's success relies on the cooperation of many intertwined systems, each with its own distinct set of challenges.
You’ve recently moved to Colorado Springs. In what ways will you take your national lens and military service to connect, inspire and motivate your new community?
I always think of one philosophy of former Sec. of Defense, General James Mattis (USMC Ret.) when I enter a new place: Listen, Learn, Help, Lead. I use the skills I have garnered in theatre and clinical training to first listen and take in everything around me. I will then ask questions, shadow, and take the time to truly learn what is happening. Once I have done these two things and understand the system or place of which I am now a part, I see gaps, places for improvement, or injustice. I then address those. Sometimes that means helping others do what they are doing, other times it means starting something new. My philosophy on leadership is that if it is taken by force it is rarely impactful. I have found that if I continue the cyclical and continuous process of Listen, Learn, Help - eventually people will follow which means I am now leading. If I try to jump into leadership right away then I am just a manager. In order to lead, one must be followed. I am always learning and growing from the incredible people that I have the privilege to work with and for. I am finding places to lead as I continue to learn. No matter what rank I achieve or what leadership titles I am given, I hope to always remember to listen, learn and help.
I arrived at Fort Carson in the midst of COVID. COVID is exacerbating the already prevalent issue of social Isolation. I am currently working on an initiative to mitigate the impact of social isolation by creating intergenerational connections between soldiers at Fort Carson and folks in a nearby assisted living facility.
What do you most want young, inclusive leaders to know about your path, your goals and your purpose from this point forward?
I am not a fan of giving advice because I am about 20 years and 100 experiences shy of earned wisdom, but I will share the values that I choose to live by. And my caveat here is that none of these are absolutes. They are not mantras. A healthy life is about balance, not extremes. But nonetheless here are things I currently, at this moment, live by: (1) Educate yourself on how to be an advocate, aspiring ally and anti-racist. "I just didn't know," is no excuse (especially in the age of the internet). If you are not educating yourself on perspectives other than your own, you are contributing to the oppression or degradation of a group of human beings (2) Intent only goes so far. Own the outcome of your actions (3) If you are leading with ego, you are not leading (4) Never sacrifice who you are for what you do (5) If your first reaction is “I'm not ready,” just do it (6)Take responsibility for failure, share responsibility for success (7) Self care is a long game. True self care might be uncomfortable, painful, or unpleasant - it is not always hot chocolate and bubble baths (although those both sound great on an 8 degree day like today).
If there is one take-away that I hope young students derive from my journey is that it is nonlinear. I jumped on a path, ran full speed ahead, and realized that I wanted to jump to a different path. I still moved forward, I still kept up my pace, but I went from Theatre, to Residential Advising, to outdoor leadership, to Military, to Social Work and arrived at Military Social Work. And who knows what the next summit will look like but each of these aforementioned choices will inform wherever I end up next.
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Monday, November 9, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Tuesday, November 17, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Wednesday, November 18, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Click to view the most recent webinars: |
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Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: African American College Presidents Share Realities Part II: Dr. Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System moderates. Panelists include Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston President, Norfolk State University, Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite President, Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Annette Parker President, South Central College, Minnesota State, and Dr. Michael Torrence President, Motlow State College
Courageous Conversations: Catalyzing Change in Health: Dr. Monique Butler; Chief Medical Officer, Swedish Medical Center, Samuel Yamoah, Jr.; Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company, Dr. Georges Benjamin; Executive Director, American Public Health Association, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia; Exec. Vice President & COO, Trust for America’s Health, Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller; CEO, Colorado Health Foundation, Dr. Pierre Theodore; VP Global External Innovation, Johnson & Johnson, and Dr. Elena Rios; President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association.
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Diverse College Presidents Talk About First 6 Weeks of School: Dr. Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System moderates. Panelists include Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston President, Norfolk State University, Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite President, Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Annette Parker President, South Central College, Minnesota State, Dr. Miles Davis President, Linfield University, and Dr. Michael Torrence President, Motlow State College
Hispanic Language Heritage Language Assets for Career Preparedness: Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and GlobalMindED, moderated by Lorena Orozco McElwain; OELA, Panelists include: Carol Carter; GlobalMindED, Felícita Solá-Carter; Excellence in Government Program, Oscar Fraire; University of Colorado Denver student, Patty Lopez; Intel Corporation, and Adrian Rosado; Cultural Clarity Experience.
Hispanic Language Heritage: Retention of Heritage Culture and Language(s) US Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and GlobalMindED, and panelists celegrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. Lorena Orozco and Supreet Anand of OELA, Cristina Alfaro; San Diego State University, Luis Benitez; VF Corporation, Clotilde Dedecker; Circle of Women, Joe Garcia; Ohkay OwinghTribe, and Dr.Joel Comez; Center for Applied Logistics
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: A Conversation on Race, Isms, Justice, Moving Forward and the Role White People Need to Play: Ryan Ross; Associate Vice Chancellor: Student Affairs, Equity, and Inclusion, Colorado Community College System leads the conversation with Clifton Taulbert; President and CEO, Freemount Corporation and Roots Java Coffee, Javon Brame; Dean of Students, Arapahoe Community College, Chelsea Williams; Founder & CEO, College Code LLC, and Representative Leslie Herod; Legislator, Colorado General Assembly
Equity in Engineering Programs: Priming the STEM Pipeline During and After COVID-19: Dr. Dora Renaud, Sr. Director of Academic Programs & Professional Development, SHPE: Leading Hispanics in STEM, Melanie Suarez, Student, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Mechanical Engineering, Nicolas Valencia Diaz, Student, Florida International University, Biomedical Engineering, Sophia Plata, PhD Student, University of Southern California, Environmental Engineering
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To view the recent Rural sessions, please see our YouTube channel:
Native American Business Opportunities, Tribal Economic Development and Post-secondary Education/Workforce Participation: J.C. Whorton, Jr.; Consultant, Lecturer, Author and Adjunct Faculty, University of Colorado Boulder, Don Kelin; President, Fox Professional Services, Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce, Matt Rantanen; Director of Technology, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, Tribal Digital Village Network Initiative, and Melvin Monette; CEO, Indigenous Education, Inc.
Fortifying Native Students, Faculty and Communities During and After COVID-19: Ron Lessard (Mohawk); Acting Exec. Director, White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education leads panel including Diana Cournoyer; Oglala Sioux Tribe, Executive Director, National Indian Education Association, Michael Chamberlain; Special Assistant for Rural Outreach, US Department of Education, Carrie L. Billy; President & CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and features a performance by Ava Rose Johnson; Student and Musician, Native American Music Awards Winner
Rural Innovations in Education During COVID-19: Anne Trujillo; Anchor 7News, Denver moderates the panel which includes Tina Goar; Executive Director, San Luis Valley BOCES, Dr. Robert Mitchell; Asst. Professor of Leadership, Research, and Foundations, UCCS, Luis Murillo; Principal, Skoglund Middle School, and Samantha Yocam; Superintendent and Principal, Kim School District
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THE FLYOVER NATION
Energy's Role in a Troubled Heartland
By J.C. Whorton
A unique and timely discussion of the challenging issues facing the country’s troubled Heartland.
Since the beginning of westward expansion into the Heartland’s vast regions, natural resource development has played a historic role in shaping its communities. Today, domestic oil and gas development offers one of the strongest prospects for the Heartland’s present and future prosperity as well as the nation’s re-emergence as a dominant player in the global energy economy.
The U.S. is now the world’s largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, two circumstances that are universally disrupting international geopolitical order. The earth has a finite supply of natural resources and a rapidly growing and over consuming population.
As America positions itself for a very uncertain and constantly evolving global marketplace, will the Heartland become America’s “great connector” or “great divide”?
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J.C. Whorton is a senior level energy and financial professional with over forty years of essential experience. Having a ranching and Native American heritage, Mr. Whorton is a strong advocate for rural education and economic development initiatives.
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Links to read about Inclusive Leaders, many of whom are African American and people of color:
Curated sessions from GlobalMindED 2020 YouTube channel:
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From the Center for Positive Organizations:
From the Economist:
From Forbes:
From Harvard Business Review:
From the World Academy of Art & Science and UN; Geneva Global Leadership in the 21st Century econference:
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Listen here for an interview with Pam Newkirk, GlobalMindED speaker and author of Diversity Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion- Dollar Business.
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GlobalMindED and the SDG Impact Fund are delighted to announce GlobalMindED's Donor Advised Fund. 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Women's Declaration and Action Platform. Many from around the world are thinking of 2020 as the gateway to our most vital decade for delivering equity, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a world where all can thrive. Our key time for these outcomes is 2020-2030.
GlobalMindED DAF and the SDG Impact Fund are a powerful combined force for good as the 2019 year comes to a close and we reflect on the gratitude and the commitments we make to the causes we care most about. The DAF offers immense power and flexibility for giving prior to the year's end as you plant seeds of generous intention for 2020 and the decade ahead.
When you contribute to GlobalMindED, you support First Gen students. We have served more than 400 students by connecting them to role models, mentors, internships and jobs. Your generous support will allow us to take our work 10x and reach these talented students at scale who lack the resources and support we provide. Your support also helps teachers who can't afford the conference fees, faculty at colleges which are under resourced and students who persist at those universities despite food insecurity and/or housing insecurity.
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Meet GlobalMindED Founder, Carol Carter as interviewed by Tim Moore on his podcast Success Made to Last: From Success to Significance
Listen to Part 1 of Carol's interview
Listen to Part 2 of Carol's interview
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Recent GlobalMindED Newsletter Profiles:
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Since 2006 when the flagship TGR Learning Lab opened its doors in Anaheim, CA, TGR Foundation has had a lot to celebrate, including its most recent milestone of one million students impacted by TGR EDU: Explore, alone.
Developed in partnership with Discovery Education, TGR EDU: Explore is a free digital resource library that offers interactive web experiences, lesson plans, training videos and tools for educators, students and families to explore new disciplines and gain skills for a modern and expanding workforce.
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As you start the New Year, are you looking for ways to re-engineer your classroom culture? Check out Designing the Future: How Engineering Builds Creative Critical Thinking in the Classroom. The associated website has lots of activities, projects, and resources you can implement immediately. Our fall workshops using the book as a roadmap for change have been highly successful. Start designing the future today - try using the customized Study Guide for a book study in your PLC. Or contact ProjectEngin or Solution Tree to learn how you can bring professional development based on Ann's book to your school, district, or conference.
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