Creating Space for Growth and Shared Experiences: Emerging Leaders of Color Fellowship lead facilitator reflects on first cohort
Watching leaders of color truly emerge – going from quiet, unassuming individuals uncertain in their abilities to taking the lead in engaging group discussions – has been a surprising highlight for the Emerging Leaders of Color Fellowship lead facilitator Kevin Hillman.
“They are sharing their knowledge and lived experiences,” he said. “It’s been beautiful to watch the growth in real time.”
Kevin, the founder and principal consultant for Practical Applicable Strategic Solutions (P.A.S.S.) Consulting, is a passionate practitioner and scholar-activist with an interest in education, equity, and social justice. He has dedicated his career to advancing access and opportunity for all individuals. These qualities have helped him encourage the first cohort of this professional development opportunity for youth workers of color offered through the Youth Worker Well-Being Project.
“The way I have been able to deliver information in a way that takes what I’ve lived, I saw a lot of lightbulbs go on,” Kevin said. “We are discussing how to navigate leadership and a lot of gray areas that we generally don’t talk about.”
Kevin joined the Fellowship as a facilitator because he saw an opportunity to impact knowledge and wisdom from the things he has learned while climbing the ranks within the nonprofit sector. In addition, having worked in a consultant capacity with many youth-serving organizations in the last two to three years, he has gained insight into some of the challenges for those aspiring to, newly entering, or established in leadership roles.
When asked what he would tell a potential future emerging leader of color who is considering applying to the program, Kevin had this to say:
“If you are looking for a community of individuals to challenge and love on you – Emerging Leaders of Color is for you. If you are looking for a space to wrestle with your real, lived experiences – Emerging Leaders of Color is for you. If you are looking for people who do not want to operate within the status quo and looking for people who want to make a difference in the lives of the people they touch – Emerging Leaders of Color is for you.”
The next round of applications for the Emerging Leaders of Color Fellowship will launch February 2025.