Evette Juma

My motivation has been my parents and myself. Being an East African girl, back home they didn't think women could go to school or do anything beyond getting married. That was supposed to be our only talent, our only value. But when I came to America, I realized there was more to it. It's not just marriage or living up to anyone else's expectations. Everything I do is about trying to make myself proud and knowing that I'm a woman, but I can also achieve more, look for more, do more. My home country and the circumstances I came from motivated me to be where I am now, because who knows where my life would be if I was back home. Everybody always made a comment that I'd probably have 5 kids by now. But being in America, I'm able to make choices and decisions. I'm able to lead others, communicate with others, and make my own decisions. My dad also played a huge role - even though he never stepped foot in school back home, he worked incredibly hard to bring us to America and put us in private school when he wasn't making much money. He provided education first so we could help them later on. He told all of us that before we could get married, we had to learn how to drive, learn how to apply for a job, and be self-sufficient. Those three things sit with us all the time because he knew so many young people who come to America end up living a life that doesn't belong to them, getting confused and lost. But his guidance made us who we are now.

The best career advice I've received is to never give up, because you'll never know your end. Don't be too hard on yourself, because you're always going to find something greater out there. Another piece of advice that really stuck with me is that the best thing in life is doing what's best for you and actually going for what you want. You're the only one that matters in terms of whatever you're doing - it's what matters to you, not what somebody else thinks. If you know you're doing good work, you continue doing good work. Don't worry about what somebody else is doing. You just continue doing you, and you're going to get your rewards maybe one day. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow, but it will come.

My advice would be: do you. But also rethink what you're doing - is this the right thing for you, or is it not? Always think back and always make the right decision for yourself. Just because somebody is making a decision doesn't mean you have to do that. You've got to do everything within your own pace and your own time. Going back to my home country, a lot of us women don't really have a sense of anything that goes around us, we don't have agency or choice. But here, you have the opportunity to make your own decisions and chart your own path. Don't let anyone else's timeline or choices dictate yours.

The biggest challenges in my field right now are leadership, communication, and dedication. I feel like I put my all into my work, but I don't get the praise I deserve. Working as a team is very challenging - yes, I understand people have their own lives and things going on, but if you sign up for something, you should always be there. You shouldn't limit yourself by saying 'oh, I got a lot going on.' The main issues I struggle with in my field are lack of commitment and lack of communication. Things would go smoothly if we could just be there and communicate as a team. It's very challenging in my workspace when people don't show up or don't follow through. I work with kids who need me, and I can't just show up when I feel like it. They're counting on me. If I don't come every day with dedication, what message does that send to them? My dedication to the kids I'm helping is what drives me to show up fully, even when others don't.

I'm very big on honesty and trustworthiness. But my biggest value is leadership. I feel like when I can become a leader, I want to put everybody in my boat and get them to lead too. If you're a leader, you're able to make everything go smoothly, like a ship. Being a strong leader means committing to what you're doing instead of throwing somebody else under the bus. Let's just work together and try to work something out. Leadership to me is about bringing people along with you, empowering them, and working collaboratively rather than individually.