The Young & The Gifted
Young and Gifted is a tribute to Veronne Clark then and an inspiration to Veronne Clark now. While attending Central State University (CSU), an Historical Black College and University (HBCU), I was an honor student, a collegiate athlete and a tomboy.
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CSU holds value on the Ms. Central State University role. Ms. CSU is a student who embodies the highest distinction of the entire student body, one who serves as the student liaison between the faculty, community and government at large. The position held tremendous prestige to not only the school’s history, but HBCU history. This young woman was also known to be the most dainties and feminine female to showcase how a young woman is “supposed to act in society.” Quite frankly, I didn’t care. Honestly, I thought the concept was overrated and hated it all together.
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I was hanging in the Cafe, if you went to an HBCU you already have an image of melanin dripping everywhere with fashion shows, greeks strolling, and the DJ’s speakers blaring with the hottest features out. Out of all the things going on, what took me by surprise was a young woman in her freshman year, sitting by herself. I went to sit by her and I noticed her eyes were filled with tears. I asked, “What’s the matter?” When she shared what had been bothering her, the words she expressed to me what would be the fuel to a life changing decision. She told me that she was having trouble with completely being herself around her roommates, because she was a tomboy. Her words resonated with me and it was that very moment; I know I became a woman.
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I had a decision to make. I can sit back and do nothing for young women like me suffering in silence because of their identity, or be the change I wanted to see. So I made up my mind I would campaign to hold the most public, feminine, prestigious position on campus as Veronne, a tomboy. I wanted to show young women that they can do and be anything they desired regardless of their appearance or the MsConceptions society holds over them. I challenged myself to new heights by building a campaign I believed in, to inspire girls to believe in themselves. At the time, I was the first woman to run as a basketball athlete, tomboy and openly bisexual woman.
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The school hadn't seen so many candidates opting to run against a particular candidate until then. I was making history. In the process, I was belittled and afraid; however, I continued to move forward. I had never been in a pageant, but I continued to move forward. I had never been publicized to be judged, but I continued to move forward. In 2015, I became Miss Central State University. I was always ambitious, I always had courage, but those moments made me become a woman! A proud woman, some who can control her thoughts and take action. My professional and personal grit has never been the same.
The same barriers I faced as Ms. CSU followed me to Corporate America. The real world showed itself. I have been the youngest, the only black, and the savviest in the room, but still overlooked. I have sat in a conference room as the only person representative of my department, and wasn’t asked my opinion. That is, until senior leadership had to jump through hoops to get a straightforward solution to a problem we were facing, that I was able to answer. After having a serious talk with myself, the respect shifted in my professional endeavors. What many of us lack, is the ability to have tough self-reflection. Over the years and even now I ask myself, Vee are you prepared? Have you done the hard work to get to this point? If so, I don’t question my skills or why I’m sitting at the table. Many of us feel as if we are not qualified but we must understand if we are prepared then we are qualified. PERIOD.
A common MsConception in Corporate America is, if you are young you must be a YES man in order to get ahead. In reality I have learned this to be false and my truth is, not having the drive to achieve something as your OWN is detrimental to your legacy. Legacies are built in the darkness. When the shadows come…we tend to move toward the darkness. It’s scary there, it’s lonely there, and it's unsafe. That’s the difference between being good and being great… the content feeling of being safe.
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