Women Of Excellence April 2022 Edition by Deborah Risper

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TABLE OF CONTENT

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EDITORS NOTE

THE LIFE OF A TRUCKER

BROWN BEAUTY OF THE MONTH

MASK OFF

I’M DIFFERENT; A TRIBUTE TO AUTISM AWARENESS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

WAIT, DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!

HER HISTORY; CELEBRATING KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

The Transition Of College

A PHLEB-WHAT??!!

BE RECESSION PROOF

Deborah Risper Khyron Parks

Bakia Johnson

Deborah Risper

Cortez Stewart, Jr Deborah Risper Deborah Risper Decarah Myers Willia Jai

Christina Marie

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Editors NOTE

Deborah Risper Happy April!! Spring has sprung and I think we are finally starting to get back to enjoying the outside. More mask mandates are lifting and we are can finally smell the spring flowers. I’m excited about this edition because there is sooo much to talk about as we shift seasons and our nation takes a step towards health & safety. The title extra, extra was headlined because the articles shared are designed to uplift and give hope that we can finally breathe easy about being in public again.

My hope is that you see the light as the writers and I see it at the end of the rainbow that seems like it was never going to end. Please enjoy this edition and let’s count down to summer, more sunlight & fun!

XoXo,

Deborah

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THE LIFE OF A TRUCKER Khyron Parks

eing a truck driver was never a dream of mine I didn’t find the trucking industry, it found me. Just like any other industry, it’s pros and cons to truck driving. The pros are you won’t have a hard time finding work considering that there’s a shortage of drivers in the trucking industry. You also get the chance to see different parts of the country as you deliver and pick up freight from state to state. Also, the cost of truck driving school is very affordable and you shouldn’t be in school for too long to get your certification. What are a few of the pros in the industry now here are some of the cons? Be prepared to work long hours, especially during the holiday season, if you are an OTR driver be prepared to work in all types of weather conditions. Depending on where you are you can be in the coldest or hottest areas of the country so make sure you have the necessary things in your truck to handle any unexpected weather situations that the weather puts you in. But the biggest con of them all and it’s the one that I hate the most is you will miss your family a lot. Whether you are local or over the road you will be working lots of hours as I stated before and this can lead to you missing time with loved ones. Being a truck driver has its ups and downs just like any other industry but you have to have thick skin to last in this industry. Because you will be put in a lot of tough situations and you will definitely have to keep your thinking cap around to help you out of these situations. Overall | recommend it to anyone the doesn’t want to take the 4-year college approach. You can get paid decently in this business but you have to work hard and as I stated before you have to have thick skin to last in this industry!

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BROWN BEAUTY OF THE MONTH Bakia Johnson

akia Johnson is a rising producing realtor in Chicagoland and the surrounding suburbs area. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in business management in May 2018. Shortly after graduating she became a realtor and spent 2 years excelling in the competitive landscape of Chicago real estate. While establishing her reputation as a well-respected and innovative agent, she continues to look for ways to further her education in real estate. She has made it her prerogative to help people of all kinds afford to house & create their generational wealth. Her business is built on communication, dedication, and transparency. This has helped her slowly rise to the top as a producing agent in the industry. She will continue to stamp her name in the real estate industry and open her own brokerage one day. If you are looking to buy or sell in the Chicagoland area, don’t hesitate to reach out! Follow her on IG: Bakiatherealtor_ or Facebook: Bakia Johnson Bakia Johnson, REALTOR The Pinkney Team x eXp Realty Bakia@thepinkneyteam.com (773) 931-0914 Mobile/Text https://bakiajohnson.exprealty.com

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MASK OFF

Deborah Risper

n the United States, we have spent the last 2 ½ years in masks. It had gotten to the point that masks were a part of our daily attire and outfit. No matter the season, we wore our masks with the hopes we could get back to normal activities outside of our homes. While the masks were a big part of our nation getting back to normal, vaccines were a big help as well. One of the things I’ve always expressed is, no one can tell you how to feel safe. With more and more people ditching the mask, always be mindful of gatherings, food, and keeping a strong immune system. Also, be sure to check for any restrictions as you travel.

While we’re now removing our masks in most places, let’s always be mindful of the latest updates by the CDC. The small things we took for granted have shown us why remaining healthy is a must. What’s one thing you miss the most pre-mask? Enjoy your spring and summer safely.

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I’M DIFFERENT; A TRIBUTE TO AUTISM AWARENESS I’m Different! A Tribute To Autism Awareness When you see me talk out of turn, know that I’m different When you see me melting down, I’m different When you see me overly excited about something, I’m different When you see me not looking directly at you, I’m different When you see me not using my works to speak, I’m different When you see me not understanding others feelings, I’m different When you see me put things in order, I’m different And just because I’m different doesn’t make me an outcast I was made to stand out and leave my imprint on your heart Yes, I’m different but most of all, I’m loved

Deborah

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ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Cortez Stewart, Jr W.O.E had the pleasure of featuring our youngest athlete thus far. Cortez also known as CJ is an athlete, actor, and model who has a promising future. While he is only 9, he has made his mark in the world. CJ W.O.E is proud to feature you. We are always rooting for you. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. W: Outside of your sport, who are you? C: Outside of sports, I am an actor and model, and gamer. W: Why/how did you choose your sport? C: I joined football in the first grade, my dad also played football. W: What is your position and how important is it to your team? C: My position is running back, I run fast, and I like helping my team win. W: What has this sport taught you? C: Sports have taught me how to get along with others.

listening to one another. W: Do you see yourself playing this sport for life or as a professional? C: I hope to continue to play football as I get older. W: What advice would you give to newbies in your sport? C: My advice is you must have fun, practice, and work hard to get always get better. W: Do you have any exciting things in your life or sport that you’d like to share? C: As a model/actor I was featured in my first Coach commercial with Michael B. Jordan. It was fun and he played around with us while on set. Follow me on Instagram: @ thestewartsiblings for bookings please contact: russel@envymodelmanagement.com

W: What does teamwork mean to you? C:

Teamwork

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means

helping

and

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WAIT, DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!

Deborah Risper As we have seen over the last several weeks, The Oscars will never be the same. The 2022 Oscars hosted by the amazing Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer. The stage was set with all kinds of girl power and they delivered the laughter well. This year’s Oscar came with a heavy emphasis on Black culture. From the production team down to performances and several awards highlighting great motion picture work with Black actors and actresses. I don’t think what the world saw that night when the production took a turn, we could have ever predicted. The slap……. (sighs)..........yeah that. Sad to say it was almost like a moment of void for all of the Black culture that night. Like, what happened? Did that just happen? Nah, it was staged and a host of other questions rang through the minds of all who saw the smack. The world, especially the social media world has been at it for weeks now discussing their views on what/why this smack took place. Let me first express before diving into the story that the opinion and views of my words do not in any way reflect the views of W.O.E magazine, its staff, or a professional clinician. Now that that part is out the way, let’s dive into what I personally viewed on the night of the Oscars. I want to remind everyone that oftentimes what we see with our natural eye isn’t always directly aligned with our inner being. A prime example of this was displayed when Will Smith smacked Chris Rock. Upon initial action, it was tough to judge the action until Will’s outburst from his seat told us something different. And then the tables turned.

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What we were once clueless about was clear that there was an inappropriate act that had just taken place before millions of people. What I am sure of is this moment in time was a true lesson to be learned by all. The lessons come from the views of life, business, and mental health to say the least. Will Smith and Chris Rock are two highly regarded men in television and the Black culture. One wrong action on both men’s part has caused the Black culture to question “who are we truly with?” What makes it difficult to answer that question was the unconscious mind of the two men overtook what they both really wanted to display outward. We all love Chris and we know him as a comedian, meaning that he will joke at any moment, especially at the Oscars. The joke that was said by Chris was meant to be harmless and humorous, to say the least. We can only speculate that Chris did not know about Jada’s recent public announcement about alopecia. In my opinion, the internet and social media world are wide open. As much as we want to say celebrities don’t have time for social media and entertainment gossip, we all know that the majority of celebrities have gone running their social media to be in the know and to engage with their fans authentically. So how could Chris have missed that announcement? The world will never know. All we know is he made a joke that wasn’t meant to provoke a smack. Let’s examine Will’s behavior. Based on what we all viewed, the “joke” started harmlessly until Will saw the disgusted look on his wife Jada’s face. It was an expression that said Chris’s joke was distasteful

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and inappropriate given her current health. In no way did her behavior put pressure on Will to react the way he did, but unfortunately he did. So many people have pointed negative fingers at Jada for being the leading force behind the smack but the truth of the matter is she had no control over Will’s actions. How Will chose to react was solely up to him. Each person must be accountable for their own actions. Chris CHOSE and I say chose because according to the producers of the show Chris had an entire script of jokes he was due to say but went off course. The thing that I think we all forget is facts are facts and all others are feelings we are entitled to and don’t have to always agree with each other. The lessons that night were needed and instead of making discord with our family and friends, I think we as a world should take the lessons and apply them to our everyday life. Based on what we saw, the lessons we can apply to live is not everything deserves your attention; especially one that takes away from the character you want others to know you for. That moment also reminded us of something we may have heard that may sound cliche but if you don’t have anything nice to say, keep your mouth closed. Words can be harmful. We have been conditioned to think when we become a celebrity or of high influence, we are not allowed to have human moments or errors. I have said this before and I’ll keep saying it, celebrities are human too and we HAVE to stop regarding them as anything else. Just because their moments may be televised doesn’t mean they are without error. They were put into this world to entertain, not to be perfect for people to feel good. Could Will have done things another way, absolutely but at that moment he chose how he saw fit to deal with it at that moment, even if it didn’t align with what his inner self was feeling. Business is TOUGH and I mean REAL tough! I can’t

imagine what celebrities go through when their life is under a microscope. One moment people will celebrate you and the same breath condemn you when you make a mistake. Regardless of how we want to view Will or Chris, they are still great Fathers, Men, Actors, Husbands, and overall great human beings. We have to come out of the mindset of throwing people away when they make a mistake. How many times have you made a mistake as a human? As a business owner? The only difference is your error was not televised. I’ll leave the business lesson like this, you are nobody until somebody who once praised you talks about you in the same breath. Keep pushing even when they don’t want to pray for you. Mental health is REAL! It’s not easy but definitely real as the day comes. Will has shared his entire mental journey with us. Most people voided all of that when he made an unacceptable choice. If you are truly for someone you cover them and love them a little harder when they are doing all they can to be better. Mental health is not a oneand-done thing, it’s ongoing work as long as you are alive. Chris was the head of a documentary that talked about Black hair. I believe to make such an informative documentary Chris had to understand what truly went on in the mind of women who constantly had to explain their hair. Perhaps he could have other things going on behind the scenes. To conclude, we have to start loving each other through the good, bad and ugly. Both men did things that were not professional. They are human too and deserve grace. My hope is this matter will bring them all to the table to publicly speak about mental health, business partnership, and rebuilding the image we have all grown to love.

HER HISTORY; CELEBRATING KETANJI BROWN JACKSON Deborah Risper

n a world where women are just becoming accepted in roles once deemed “male-only” women’s history is consistently on the rise. With the history we are experiencing I believe most can agree new textbooks are being written before our eyes. Not to cancel out seasoned history but the history we are experiencing today goes without saying, we are rebuilding a nation where minorities will no longer be held less than their counterparts.

On April 7, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. What a time to be alive. Never in history have you seen a Black woman become this high ranked in the supreme system. President Joe Biden hand-picked Judge Jackson because of the different and unique approach she will bring to the justice system. Talk about Black girl magic! But trust me, it was no walk in the park for Judge Jackson while running for that seat. First thing first, she is a Black woman. Second, she’s a woman and last, some questioned her biracial marriage. But that did not stop the position that she was called to. While we can celebrate her history now, please understand that there is always a cost associated with success. One of the things I know for sure is women prevail against all odds. We are rooting for a successful term for Judge Jackson. We are so proud of her rich history! Congrats again Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson!

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THE TRANSITION OF COLLEGE

Decarah Myers

’d be lying if I said I was exploding with anticipation at the idea of graduating college. I, along with so many others find this transition one of the scariest things yet. What if I fail? What if I succeed? What if this? What if that? It’s just a long list that leads right back to me trying to lean on my faith. Regardless of what happens, it’s going to be alright and going to align with divine timing. It’s normal at this age to feel lost and feel like this non-existent, but the very real feeling clock is suddenly speeding up. You have no idea what your life will be like this time next year or in years to come and suddenly that child-like ambition you once had when you weren’t this close to graduating seems petulant. You feel yourself becoming far more realistic with your skills and where you could go and more times than often it feels like nowhere. I wasn’t asked to include this, but if I could suggest anything it would be to just have faith in yourself, not even in what you know because that can change but solely in yourself. You’re all you’re going to have at the end of the day. After having steadfast faith in yourself, trust the process. Trust that at times it may not be honorable or brag-worthy work that is going to keep your bills paid and your needs met, but at some point, and hopefully not too far away you’ll be doing something that will make your heart smile and your parents and peers

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proud too. Writing this alone has soothed some of the overwhelming anxiety I’ve been having about this transition in life. I find peace in only trying to focus on what could go right and spending less time worrying about what could go wrong. If you put your energy, thoughts, and hopes into positive things you will get them if they align with you. I could start a career that I’m happier than ever in. I could travel and meet incredible people to network with. I could meet the love of my life. I could make so much money my first year or two out that I could take care of my parents and loved ones. I could be successful mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. I could be victorious. So many things, so, so can you. Switching your thought process on the entire process could do so much more than you will ever believe. Understand that what is meant for you will happen regardless of who or what gets in the way. Graduating is scary and somewhat forces you to figure out what life has to be after all you’ve known for years is being a student. I don’t have the answers, but from my experience, I can wholeheartedly say that I just don’t know. It seems impressive to have your things together and to know exactly what you want, but I also believe there is power in just not knowing either and admitting it too.

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A PHLEBWHAT??!!

Willia Jai

ave you ever wondered... who is the person that is collecting your blood for your doctor’s visits? Or, what is the name of the profession? Well, let me introduce you to the world of blood drawing and one of the most prestigious young women that have made it her career for over 20 years!! The woman I am speaking of is none other than Mrs. Willia Tubbs CCMA, CPI, PBT. Mrs. Tubbs is known to the profession as a Phlebotomist A.K.A vampire lady, or bloodsucker, or even what she has been called before, a daywalker! She is a bonafide stickin’ and movin’, in and out of her chair in 10 minutes or less, tube totin’, blood spinnin’ Phlebotomist but let’s understand how she got this title and where it all started. Willia Tubbs, born Willia Jones, grew up in the small, yet big feeling town of North Chicago, IL. You know the place where R. Kelly says, “she was raised in Illinois, right outside of Chicago” yep that place. In her hometown, she always dreamed of a better life for her and her (at that time) three small children and thought the medical field was the place to be. Her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse came to a screeching halt when she learned that the waiting list for this particular class and the school she chose, would be a whopping 2 years! Not wanting to wait that dreadful time because she wanted to get

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started on her career right away, she stopped dreaming and found a job in a department store to keep the lights on, food on the table, and clothes on her children’s backs. That is until one day a friend of hers explained that she started working for a school and they were looking for students who wanted to be in the medical field with less time in the classroom and less money out of their pockets. And that is where Willia began dreaming again. She quickly signed up for the course in Clinical Medical Assisting which in her mind, close enough to Nursing and she would still have an opportunity to work with her passion of helping others. Fast forward to one year later and baby number four being born, Willia took the lead in her field as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, got a great job with her children’s pediatric office, and soared. After working in the office for a year, she noticed there was a bonus to her workload and that was that she liked drawing blood the most out of any part of her job. Being the one they called on when ANYONE was having trouble drawing blood, Willia advanced in her career and took on more of the tasks in the other offices affiliated with the one she was currently working in. Two years later, while having

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lunch, another friend had introduced her to the world of traveling Phlebotomist and this meant more responsibility, more exposure, and of course, more money to take care of her family. With this newfound knowledge, Willia applied with the company formerly known as Interactive Health Solutions and took on this experience as a scared young lady but knew it was the right move to make. This gave Willia the chance to do two things she has NEVER done before...travel and vacation all at the same time! Never being out of her hometown, except to nearby cities, this was an eye-opening experience and gave her a new meaning of worth. That first year of traveling set the tone for her career and gave Willia the confidence she needed to become her boss today. She is now the owner of her own mobile phlebotomy company based in Glendale, AZ, and is putting together a school to teach the next generation the skills she learned on her journey. Over the years of places she has been, becoming a Clinical Medical Assistant concentrating solely on her Phlebotomy

skills gave Willia the confidence to hone in on her craft which gave her the confidence to go after what she wants in life. The work she performs helps the patients because it helps the nurses and doctors do their job with ease. It takes someone with compassion, understanding, and a steady hand to perform the skills of a phlebotomist but it is all worth it in the end.

Words from Willia: It is always a pleasure to be the one to help patients with their healthcare team. I have helped patients from newborns to the elderly and every time it gives me joy when someone tells me, “I didn’t even feel it going in!” I love what I do and who I have become in the interim. What I have been able to do since starting in this field, taking care of my children, providing them with the necessities in life, and especially taking them on trips with me, has been nothing more than a blessing. I am grateful that I have seen so much of the country as well as traveled to two other countries in these last 20 years. There is nothing I regret or take for granted what God has given me to understand the journey I have traveled. One of the best quotes she tells her now grown children is, “It doesn’t take much to dream but it does take you to know you can and will have better once you start.” Remember that what you put your mind to can ultimately make or break you. The Bible says that “your tongue is like a two-edged sword” and “that life and death is in it” so continue to speak life into yourself and others and watch what God manifests into your life.

BE RECESSION PROOF Christina Marie How to Prepare Your Family for a Recession What Is a Recession? A recession is just a big word to describe when the economy stops growing. We know talk of a recession on the rise can be scary. And with the economy taking a hit because of the coronavirus, a recession feels more real now than ever. But it’s important not to give in to all the fear out there. You should instead focus that energy on making sure your own personal economic standing is where it should be. At the end of the day, you need to have your own house in order and ready to weather a recession. So recession or not, our plan remains the same: Live on a budget, pay off debt, save for emergencies, invest, and live and give like no one else. The Financial Doctor

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