Cheryl J. Mills, M.Ed.

I attribute my success to the values I was raised with — especially the belief that learning never stops and that growth is your responsibility.

My parents instilled in me the importance of education early on, and my father’s career as a lifelong educator spanning more than fifty years deeply shaped how I view purpose, persistence, and impact. Along my journey, I was also influenced by countless people, both within education and beyond it, who reinforced the same lesson in different ways: stay curious, stay adaptable, and be willing to pivot when circumstances change. I’ve learned that titles can change and roles can shift, but education the ability to think, learn, and evolve is something no one can ever take from you. That belief gave me the confidence to keep going, to reinvent when necessary, and to build success on my own terms.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is to never stop learning — and to understand that growth doesn’t move in a straight line.

I learned early on that learning is not confined to classrooms or credentials; it’s a lifelong responsibility. The willingness to keep learning is what allows you to pivot when circumstances change, to get back up when things don’t go as planned, and to keep moving forward even when the path isn’t clear. Along the way, I also learned that how you treat people matters just as much as what you know. Respect, integrity, and humility open more doors than titles ever will. Education whether formal or experiential is the one thing no one can take from you, and it becomes the foundation that allows you to adapt, lead with confidence, and build a career that evolves with purpose rather than fear. That advice taught me to stay curious, stay grounded, and keep going, no matter the season.

The advice I would give young people is to build trust through relationships and never underestimate the power of how you show up for others.

Real growth happens when you meet people where they are, listen before you lead, and stay open to different ways of learning and thinking. Hands-on experience matters not everything meaningful is learned from a book or a screen and persistence is often what separates those who succeed from those who stop too soon. Most importantly, remain a lifelong learner. The world will change, roles will change, and paths will shift, but curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to keep learning will always give you an edge. When you combine knowledge with integrity and relationships built on trust, you create opportunities that last far beyond any single job or title.

The biggest challenge in my field today depends on the lens you’re looking through — because my work has evolved, but the core problem has remained the same.

In public education, the challenges were complex and urgent: fentanyl exposure, insufficient school supports such as the lack of full-time nurses, overcrowded classrooms, and the impact of broken or unstable family systems. Educators were being asked to solve societal issues without the resources or infrastructure to do so. What consistently made the difference, however, were individualized, relationship-based interventions meeting students where they were and building trust before instruction.

Today, in my current work teaching adults and women over 40 how to navigate digital entrepreneurship, I see a different version of the same challenge. Many capable, experienced adults struggle with confidence, access, and clarity in a rapidly changing digital economy. They’re navigating career transitions, financial pressure, and technology that often feels intimidating or exclusionary. Just as in education, the solution isn’t one-size-fits-all systems or hype-driven promises it’s personalized guidance, practical skill-building, and belief-restoring support. Whether working with students or adults, the challenge remains creating pathways to opportunity and the answer remains the same: education, relationships, and empowerment.

The values most important to me — in both my work and my personal life — are honesty, commitment, trust, meaningful relationships, and building capacity in others.

Honesty creates clarity and safety, especially in environments where people feel uncertain or unsupported. Commitment means showing up consistently, even when the work is difficult or progress is slow. Trust is earned through integrity and follow-through, not titles or promises. I believe deeply in helping others succeed by building capacity before expecting growth providing the support, tools, and belief people need to thrive. Whether I am working with children or adults, I meet people where they are and focus on strengthening their confidence, skills, and sense of possibility. Meaningful relationships are the foundation that makes this possible, and they guide how I teach, lead, and serve every day.