Colin Powell School
“Find a Mentor”: Elaine Johnson, Valedictorian and Founder of TheStylishNomads.com, on Her Colin Powell School Journey
After graduating as the valedictorian of the Colin Powell School in 2017, Elaine Johnson went on to found TheStylishNomads.com and is currently pursuing a doctorate in psychology. In this interview, Elaine discusses her youth in Harlem, her participation in CCNY’s SEEK program, and the mentorship she received from professors in the Department of Psychology.
Where are you from and what is your background? Please share your story.
I was born in Harlem, NY and I grew up just ten minutes walking distance from CCNY. My parents owned a Jamaican Restaurant called Sunshine Kitchen on 145th Street and St. Nicholas for many years, so I grew up seeing CCNY students getting on and off the shuttle to go up the hill to Convent as well as serving them food. I studied at the Harlem School of the Arts, at The Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars, and at the New Explorations into Science Technology and Math High School. I feel really blessed to have been able to receive a well-rounded education in the arts and core curricula. When I wasn’t in New York, I spent my time in Jamaica with my grandmother and other family members, exploring the island and attending summer school. My mother thought that learning and volunteer work should occur year round, so I was also doing some outside activity to supplement my learning during the school year.
What brought you to City College?
I decided to go to CCNY primarily because I was accepted as a student in the SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge) program. While I did not know much about SEEK at the time, I was sold on the idea of free tutoring and extra monetary support. I had originally wanted to leave Harlem for college but hadn’t been offered much financial aid from the other universities I had been accepted at. In comparison, I would receive full aid from CCNY and would be able to explore New York City as my campus.
Tell me about your passion. What was your purpose in the work you did at CCNY?
My experiences growing up in Harlem and working with youth in the community led me down a path that created a passion for providing resources for underserved populations as well as for exploring psychology as a major. As a teenager, I experienced some of the disadvantages of growing up in a community that lacked many of the resources available in wealthier communities. Many of the young people with whom I grew up turned to drugs and gangs instead of academics. Some of my friends also faced difficult times and challenging situations. Over the years, I observed the various ways that each person dealt with the stress they encountered. I became interested in understanding why some people seemed to be more successful in managing and regulating their emotional reactions to stressful situations than others.
How has your career unfolded? How did CCNY help you advance in your career?
My career field developed as I worked my way through my classes at City College. I entered as a biology major but after taking Dr. Robert Melara’s introductory course in Psychology, I found that I was more interested in this area and I set up a meeting to speak with him about pursuing psychology as a career. After our first meeting, Dr. Melara became a significant mentor for me. He introduced me to research opportunities and wrote recommendations for me to secure other psychology-based opportunities. As I took higher-level courses and gained more real-world experience during my junior and senior years, I decided that I wanted to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology with the goal of working with children and adolescents and studying the development of resilience and cognition. Additionally, as a SEEK student I was mentored in professional development and was able to secure two fellowships: The Jeannette K Watson Fellowship and Colin Powell Leadership Fellowship. Through SEEK I was also given the opportunity to tutor, teach new student seminars, talk about my goals, and receive unmatched support from my counselors and supervisors. The experiences I received from SEEK enriched my academic and personal development ensuring that my CV was well rounded when I came to applying for clinical psychology programs.
Please share any significant memories or accomplishments from your career or time at City College.
I hold several memories in my heart that have shaped me into the academic professional I am today. Immediately several impactful meetings with my advisors such as Professor Kennedy, Dr. Melara, Hawai Kwok, Dr. Brownlee, Dr. Oneill, Dr. Washburn, and Dr. Thompson come to my mind. Memories of the rest of my SEEK family, and laughing in classes with friends are also all significant to me. These moments all made CCNY feel like a warm and inclusive environment that I could call home and thus contributed to my success. I feel as though my biggest accomplishments include graduating as the valedictorian of the Colin Powell School and as the Salutatorian of CCNY, studying at the University of Cambridge, travelling through Europe, being accepted to Harvard and Emory University for graduate study and developing a platform and business for young women called The Stylish Nomads. The Stylish Nomads (www.thestylishnomads.com) provides professional development, travel, fashion, and lifestyle content for women who aim to secure career opportunities and develop the life of their dreams. The most fulfilling parts of my career have been the opportunity to create the lifestyle I wanted to live. Through this platform, I have been able to give back and share wisdom with other students at CCNY.
How have you been involved with City College since your graduation?
Since my graduation, I have been providing mentorship to younger SEEK students. I recently held a workshop with another student, Erah Ali, to discuss applying to graduate programs. I hope to continue my involvement with CCNY for many years because I feel as though I owe my success to the experiences I had there. I spent many days and nights there studying, building lifelong friendships, stressing over grades, seeing other students succeed, and watching the sunset on the 7th floor roof of the NAC.
Do you have any advice you could give to current or future students?
Find yourself a mentor who will help you on your journey of determining what you want to do in your life and the type of person you want to be. When we enter college, it can be overwhelming especially when you don’t know what path you want to take and you are a first generation college student. The world is at your fingertips but it is not so easy to make big decisions and it is very easy to feel lost. Mentorship has been invaluable to me and I believe it is important to have mentors in all areas of your life.