Her Story
About Leslie
I work as a special education teacher at a charter school, and this is my final year in teaching because I'm transitioning to full-time ministry, mentoring, and counseling. I have clients in the evenings and on weekends. I conduct trainings that include all my mentees and anyone who wants to be included. About 2 weeks ago, I did a leadership training for men and women, helping them understand what that role looks like as a leader, how to heal as a leader, how to accept offenses as a leader, but still be able to walk in love and fulfill the role we need to fulfill. I do some one-on-ones, but I'm leaning more toward the mentorship program and trainings because the one-on-ones take a lot emotionally and time-wise. Combining everybody has been more feasible for my time and effort, and for them as well, because then they get to fellowship with one another, grow from one another, and experience that collaboration. As a counselor and mentee, I carry such a heaviness from other people's things that I have to be able to decompress and release those things because it can weigh heavy on you.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Leslie
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was not to stay in special education for longer than 5 years. I understand why now, because it is heavy work. You deal with people with disabilities, sometimes mental, and it's some heavy stuff. The two things that I do together simultaneously, special ed and counseling, they do work together, and they're both about helping people navigate through life circumstances and situations, and those things can become very heavy. So I see why the advice was to take a break.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Take the time to heal first, especially on the mentoring, counseling side. Take the time to heal and to get to know who you are. Because when we enter into the space with other people, it can have a grave effect on us, both naturally, spiritually, all the things, and it could really impact us if we're not... if we don't have a handle and have a hold on who we are. Their stories can impact us. So, being just steadfast and immovable in the foundation of who you are helps a great deal so that you're not bleeding out on other people as you are trying to mentor. Be healed and whole as possible, and assured of who you are before you're trying to help navigate someone to figure out who they are.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Texas
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.