Her Story
About Kia
I serve as an executive assistant for Detroit Public Schools Community District, the largest public school district in Michigan, where I am now in my 10th year. I work directly with Board of Education members, who are elected officials that govern the district and ensure it meets the expectations of both the community and the Michigan Department of Education. In this role, I serve in a liaison capacity, working with community members, parents, and constituents who have issues or concerns regarding education for students, transportation, and whole child initiatives. Board members are not employees of the district, but they oversee the district's finances and initiatives and choose the superintendent. Before joining the district, I was a stay-at-home mother for 6 years, raising my 3 wonderful children, 2 boys and a girl. That experience taught me that being a mother is truly one of the hardest jobs, a 24-hour commitment with no days off, but it's a labor of love. I needed a career that would allow me to be a great mother while also providing an income, and working for a school district has provided all of those things. I just finished my Master's in Law in Human Resources and am looking to transition to other HR roles within the southeastern Michigan area.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to understanding that challenges are always part of the program. I've adopted the mindset that nothing is infinite and that you will pivot whenever it's time to pivot. I'm always prepared for whatever may come, and I always look at things from a solution-based standpoint. That's very important to me - there's always a solution. Even if something is very difficult, there's always something that can be done to make it better.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Just because you're an assistant does not mean you're not a boss. You understand that work better than sometimes the person running the program, because you have to know the intricate details of it. You have to know the who, what, when, where, why. I'm very passionate about advocating for assistants, whether they're executive assistants, administrative assistants, clerical secretaries, whatever the title is. There are a lot of skilled professionals who get overlooked because their title is not CEO or Senior Director or some fancy title, when really the key to all of that department sits right there with that executive assistant. When you are a manager, you'll know how great of a manager you are by how efficient your office runs when you're not there. If no one knows you're not there, then you have done a great job. Your team will be a reflection of who you are. They will still enjoy the work, they will not mind doing the work, but people mind when they have been mistreated, mishandled, bullied, which is unfortunate.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.