Nykeba White

I attribute my success to my mother. She's no longer with me, but she always instilled the 3Ds of determination, dedication, and desire, and I kind of drive my decisions and life course off of those three factors. I've always had the desire to be in healthcare, which is why I believe I'm at a successful pace in my career. With determination, if you tell me no, then I will make sure you say yes at the end. The 3Ds really drive kind of like my career compass. My mother planted so many seeds in me - she told me to let my light shine, and even though she's not physically here, those seeds are still continuing to grow and flourish. She's always guided me on the right path, and she still guides me because of the seeds she planted.

The best career advice I received was when I was very young, in my early 20s in healthcare. I had a nurse who pulled me to the side one day and basically told me that my reputation is everything. She said I have to present myself well because you never know what doors will be open. She told me that I have to look at myself as a personal brand. That advice helped shape me to make better decisions and to show up as a better version of myself. It was about 25 years ago, before social media and all of that, but it was so impactful and I took it to heart.

Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you, and that you can learn from. Surround yourself with successful people - I believe that energy matters. Put yourself in rooms where there's high energy, successful people. Just stay positive. It won't be easy, but it'll pay off.

The biggest challenges in my field right now would be wages for our caregivers. Minimum wage is $15.50, and the caregivers do so much - I would love to pay them more. But the state of Maryland is currently not increasing, has not given an increase in reimbursement rates, which makes it even harder to raise caregiver salaries. So the biggest challenge is just trying to find financial stability for our caregivers that go above and beyond for our clients each day. The other challenge is the climate of the state when it relates to programs like the community-based waiver, the home community-based waiver. The state of Maryland just is at a standstill in how they allocate their funds. We've kind of been placed on a back burner, so that would be the number one challenge in my field right now.

The values that are most important to me are integrity, emotional intelligence, and honesty. Being open and having a strong sense of emotional intelligence is important for me - being not only self-aware, but also aware of others' emotions and how to navigate emotions in a workplace. I also value a positive work ethic. I don't believe in validation, per se, but I do believe if you work hard enough, your work will speak for itself.