'Women in Leadership' Speaker: Cassandra Lewis
Cassandra Lewis was excited when Thomas Nelson President Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon asked her to be on a panel discussing women in leadership.
For one, it's an important discussion, Lewis said. Secondly, the two are high school friends.
"It's a real special treat for me," Lewis said. "It provided me the opportunity to share my story with someone who I remember when we were teenagers. And many, many years later having this opportunity to reflect on where we've been, and how our journey has led us to this part … it will be a really special moment for me."
The two attended Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn.
"We had such a great time together," Lewis said. "This is really cool."
She has a bachelor's degree in the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences/International Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo; a master's degree in Higher Education from Boston College; and a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Her current role, which falls under the Department of Defense, is chancellor at the National Defense University College of Information and Cyberspace. She advises the NDU president on curriculum and academic programs, and is a former dean of faculty and academic programs.
Joining Lewis on March 23 for a virtual presentation called "Women in Leadership" will be Patricia Avila, a local TV host; and Georgie Márquez, a licensed architect and co-owner of Andre Marquez Architects in Norfolk. The discussion, which is part of the College's recognition of Women's History Month, will be moderated by Brannon.
"I definitely appreciate the opportunity to talk about leadership to any university community members, about women in leadership, about really exploring the unique path that we all have in striving for and achieving our professional and even personal aspirations," Lewis said.
It's a conversion, she said, that can inspire students to keep pushing toward their goals, and to use their differences to inspire. She added just because she's a Black woman from Grenada, don't assume her story won't resonate with others.
"What I've learned, particularly in a place like NDU, is that our stories, regardless of who we are, we can inspire anyone," she said. "I'm hoping to inspire everyone that leans in."
To prove her point, she mentions one of her role models: former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Lewis' first impression of Albright came at a young age, when she saw Albright on television. Lewis, who was born in Grenada, was enthralled.
"Here's an immigrant woman and she has an accent, although we have different accents," Lewis said with a laugh. "And she was serving in one of the highest-ranking positions (in the government)."
She remembers that brief encounter to this day.
"I'm sitting in my living room in Brooklyn, Caribbean girl with an accent. I'm looking on TV. I see this woman," she said. "That five-minute clip did a lot to inspire me. And I think that's why I like sharing stories."
Another big influence in her life is her mother, who moved from Grenada to the United States when she was in her early 20s. She didn't know anyone in America, but made a home for herself, and a few years later her daughter joined her.
"I think about this young woman who left this tiny Caribbean island and came to the United States for a better life for herself and for her daughter," Lewis said. "Certainly really, really, really inspirational to me."
Her journey still surprises her. She said she never could have imagined, sitting in class at Clara Barton, where she would be today.
"Yet, I persisted. I worked hard. I had the tremendous support of family, friends, colleagues, coworkers and mentors over the years," she said. "Here I am, a little girl from Brooklyn."
If she can connect with just one person, she'll consider the discussion a success.
"If someone's sitting in the audience and … they say, 'You know what? I can do it. I can press forward. If she can do it, I can too,'" Lewis said. "That would make my role models also come full circle."