YOUNG GIFTED BLACK Career, Professional Development, & Black
Greek-lettered Organizations at a HistoricallyBlack College/University GREG SHIRLEY
I am a member of what some consider the “Talented Tenth;” an African American, college educated, gay man affiliated with a Black Greek lettered organization (BGLO). I have taken this consideration with me wherever I go, including the classroom, conference room, and my career. As I interact with colleagues, students, alumni, K A T and E Sthe T Egreater I N E Rcommunity, , P H . D I. rely on employers, my experience in two areas: being a fraternity man and being a career professional who works in a career center at a university campus. My affiliation with Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest historically Black fraternity for college-educated men, founded at the predominantly white institution, Cornell University, has been closely tied to my identity. In fact, I carried this with me as I applied for my first position at my alma mater, Paul Quinn College (PQC). Paul Quinn is a small, private, liberal arts institution with roots in Austin, Waco, and Dallas, respectively. It is also the oldest historically Black college west of the Mississippi River, founded in 1872 by a small circuit of African Methodist Episcopal (AME) preachers. For the majority of my 13 year career in high education, I have worked in the functional area of career development. I have had the privilege of being a practitioner of career development on both sides of the aisle — as a career coach/ consultant (meeting with students and alumni for career and professional development success) and now as associate director for employer relations, technology, and operations at Texas Woman’s University (TWU). I am at my fifth institution doing what I love — providing guidance to college students on how to make a strong first impression with employers. I hold a special place in my work, and my heart, for students affiliated with sororities and fraternities, as they are often challenged with articulating their transferable skills when seeking internships and entry-level positions.
