Her Story
About Zakiyyah
I started my career as a kindergarten teacher back in 1996, and over the past 30 years, I've worked in multiple different programs throughout the education sector. I've served as a classroom teacher, summer camp counselor, school principal, and before and after school program director. As I progressed in my career, I moved into higher level administrative positions for both nonprofits and for-profits, including serving as VP of education. Now I serve as CEO at Wonderspring Early Education. Most of my work has been concentrated in the greater Philadelphia region, spanning Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. I believe education is the road out of poverty, and the better education a person has, the higher their earning potential and the better their lifestyle can become. Over the next 5 years, I really would like to see my work expand nationally because I want to play a role in ensuring that what's happening in one area of the country in terms of quality outcomes and education can be replicated in other areas of the country.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Zakiyyah
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Going into education, never forget your why. I have to remember this because there are so many challenges in the world of education - funding, failing systems, conflicting priorities. I have to really stay grounded in why I got into education in the first place, and that is because I believe education is the road out of poverty. The better education a person has, the higher their earning potential, the better their lifestyle can become. I stay grounded in that why when facing the many challenges of this work. When getting into leadership, I would say my advice would be to remember that leaders eat last. No one wants to work for a self-serving leader. Happy workers work harder. When you truly prioritize being of service and support to those you lead, that drives their outcomes and their productivity. Just because you're the boss doesn't mean you're right. The leader doesn't get to make all of the decisions. Remembering all those kinds of things, and not letting leadership be self-serving, but be self-giving, I think those are the important entry-level nuggets of wisdom I would share with someone who is just getting into a leadership role.
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