Her Story
About Daveda
I work as an Engagement Specialist at NYC Administrative Children's Services, a role I've held for nearly two years now. I work with at-risk youth in the foster care system, serving as a liaison between where they are at our facility and where their placement will be, handling their pre-placement needs. My day-to-day responsibilities include assisting youth with their personal belongings and devices when they come into our facility, transporting youth throughout the facility, and conducting intake processes for new arrivals. Before this role, I worked in retail at the Bronx Zoo in a family environment, and then at Home Depot, which helped me develop strong customer service skills. My main area of expertise is social services and working with people - I'm very good at talking to others and helping people with whatever they need. I'm currently a full-time student at Baruch College studying Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a minor in Economics, and I'm on track to graduate this spring with my commencement date set for June 1st. I'm also preparing to attend Columbia School of Professional Studies and am part of the Aspires Leaders Program cohort. One of my most notable professional achievements is being accepted and onboarded as NYC ACS staff while working towards my degree as a full-time student.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Daveda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would definitely attribute my success to my upbringing and especially my mom, who was a huge part of my journey. Just to give you a little background, I come from a single household, so my mom was a big part of me deciding to pursue the things that I wanted to pursue. I saw her raise four kids on her own, and I saw her still go back to school and still be able to achieve the things that she wanted to achieve after putting her kids first. She's a big part of my journey now and the things I want to pursue.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received has definitely come from my mentor, Mr. Willie Thomas. He has played an instrumental role in my development as I've grown throughout the years, and he's provided me with a lot of advice for my overall professional development.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to always stay true to who you are. Never let however somebody else makes you feel change the person that you are. Always show up, be kind, and show support to others. Just keep going and never let whatever anybody else has to say about you stop you from pursuing your dream.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some of the biggest challenges I've faced in my career include having to deal with conflict in certain situations and spaces. I've been in positions where I had to resolve conflict quickly, so navigating through my career life and being able to solve problems quickly whenever they arise has been important. I'm very big on conflict resolution and solving problems quickly whenever they show up, whether in the workplace or in my personal life. As for opportunities, I would say the opportunity to build new relationships amongst the people around me has been great. I love being able to connect with people, and the connections I've established so far and the rapport I've built with both the staff and the youth that I work with have been really meaningful.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in both my work and personal life are definitely ethical values. Ethical values are really the core of my principles and values because that's what drives a lot of my decision making. I'm very big on just doing what's right rather than what is wrong. Treating others with respect and ensuring that I'm valuing other people's opinions are values that I hold very near and dear to me.
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