| This article shares some of the groundbreaking | | | | college that would pay for her tuition, books, |
| Doctoral research results, as to how to overcome | | | | room and board. |
| adversity and become a successful leader. The | | | | Young Blenda wrote many colleges to see who |
| sixteen prominent successful leaders who | | | | would pay for her entire college costs. After |
| overcame adversity that were interviewed | | | | many letters she received scholarship offers from |
| included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino, Jack Canfield, William | | | | several major colleges, but initially they offered |
| Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, U.S. Senator Orrin | | | | only one-year scholarships with a series of |
| Hatch, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, | | | | renewals. She wanted more and was determined |
| J. Terrence Lanni, Dr. John Malone, Angelo Mozilo, | | | | to get a full four-year scholarship, with all tuition, |
| Larry Pino, Dr. Nido Qubein, U.S. Army Major | | | | books, and living expenses covered. One college |
| General Sid Shachnow (Ret.), Dr. John Sperling, Dr. | | | | offered her full four years' tuition, room and |
| Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar. | | | | board, plus even a travel budget, plus a work |
| Several internationally known, well-respected | | | | study job. She graduated with a dual major in |
| leadership scholars, as well as best-selling authors | | | | both English and Secondary Education. She went |
| all offered their academic peer debriefings and | | | | on to earn a Master's degree in Education from |
| reviews of the leadership and adversity research | | | | Seton Hall, and then earn from Boston College her |
| findings including: Dr. Kenneth Blanchard, Dr. John | | | | Ph.D. in Higher Education. |
| Kotter, Professor James Kouzes, Dr. Paul Stoltz, | | | | Then multiple forms of discrimination came to Dr. |
| and Dr. Meg Wheatley. | | | | Wilson from all fronts, including some she would |
| This is a short version of a biography of one of | | | | never have expected. Early in her working career |
| the principal leadership and adversity research | | | | she experienced gender and age discrimination |
| participants who generously contributed her | | | | surprisingly from Black males, both in the |
| valuable time and her keen insight for this | | | | community and within her organization. In spite of |
| important research into the secrets and insight of | | | | the fact that she was more qualified and more |
| how to overcome adversity and become a | | | | educated than her male Black competition, there |
| successful and effective leader. | | | | was major opposition to her getting the job as |
| Dr. Wilson's journey is a story overcoming | | | | Executive Director of the local Economic |
| adversity, in fact multiple adversities, staying | | | | Opportunity Corporation. Dr. Wilson share with me |
| totally focused and driven to accomplish and | | | | that during her life she had experienced several |
| realize her dreams. She did not grow up in the | | | | kinds of prejudice, and some from unexpected |
| deep South, but rather grew up in the North in a | | | | places: She saw prejudice because she was young |
| small New Jersey town in the 1950s. Most people | | | | from everyone; prejudice from men, there's |
| believed that the best Blenda could hope for was | | | | prejudice from black men, and of course |
| a low-paying office job, and that college was | | | | prejudice from whites. |
| unrealistic and beyond her economic reach. | | | | Dr. Blenda Wilson left the EOC, and when into |
| The Wilson family had unfortunately already | | | | higher education, only to face age discrimination |
| experienced the painful sting of racial | | | | because she was so young at the time. She |
| discrimination. Blenda's mother in spite of having a | | | | became the Graduate School of Education at |
| college degree from a normal school in the Deep | | | | Harvard, youngest Senior Associate Dean. She |
| South faced major discrimination in segregated | | | | again experienced discrimination because of her |
| 'deep south' during the Depression. To add insult | | | | young age. |
| to injury the schools in the northern United States | | | | After several intense but wonderful years she left |
| would not accept her teaching credentials from a | | | | the Harvard University, School of Education. She |
| normal school in Georgia College, so she was | | | | then went to work for Dr. John Gardner, which |
| never able to be a teacher.. | | | | was a major growth experience to learn directly |
| Her mother having grown up in Georgia, in the | | | | from him." After working for Dr Gardner, she |
| then very Segregated Deep South, had first hand | | | | became the youngest Chancellor of the |
| experienced living with massive racial discrimination | | | | prestigious, University of Michigan. |
| because she was black, including having to | | | | I first met her when, Dr. Wilson then moved |
| stepped off into the curb if a white person was | | | | California, to become the new President of |
| walking down the street. | | | | California State University, Northridge, where she |
| Blenda Wilson's said that her father suffered from | | | | served as President from 1992 to 1997. One of |
| discrimination in the northern part of the United | | | | Dr. Wilson's biggest her challenges that she face, |
| States. He had completed his training at a local | | | | as President of CSUN, was to lead and guide the |
| vocational technical school, and earned his | | | | university's recovery from the devastating 1994 |
| certificate as an electrician. However, to become | | | | Northridge earthquake. The Northridge earthquake |
| an electrician, or to do his electrical apprenticeship. | | | | caused damages to the CSUN campus was well |
| But because he was black no on one would hire | | | | over $370 million. |
| him as an apprentice. So he became a just a | | | | Dr. Wilson has accomplished much more than just |
| laborer not an electrician. | | | | in higher education, as a Dean (School of |
| Blenda Wilson then described her own experiences | | | | Education Dean at Harvard), Chancellor (University |
| with not only racial discrimination, but both gender | | | | of Michigan), and President (CSUN). She has |
| and age discrimination. Despite her having earned | | | | served the communities that she has lived in |
| membership in the National Honor Society at her | | | | many capacities, including work on non for profit |
| high school in Woodbridge, New Jersey, her totally | | | | Board, like the Getty Foundation Trustee, serve a |
| unhelpful high school guidance counselor just | | | | chair of the American Association of Higher |
| refused to even to talk to Blenda about going to | | | | Education, as trustee of the College Board, and |
| college. Her counselor had told her she was not | | | | served as Deputy Chairman of the Federal |
| going to college and learn to type so many she | | | | Reserve Bank of Boston. Dr. Wilson recently |
| could become a secretary. | | | | retired as the President and CEO of the Nellie Mae |
| Wilson recalled that she had heard that women's | | | | Educational Foundation in Quincy, Massachusetts. |
| colleges were providing scholarships for smart | | | | She has successfully demonstrated how to |
| black students. I thought. She following up on that | | | | overcoming adversity and how to become a |
| information she was focused on finding a good | | | | successful leader. |