How It Started

Everyone needs a STEM degree or at least a few courses related to STEM education. That was my thought for many years as an Educator. However, that changed when I became a college professor at a small, private, Liberal Arts institution. I was there to teach mathematics and HOW to teach mathematics to undergraduate students. Then one day, one of MY students said “these kids” as they were referring to students of color.

Now, you may be thinking “so you never experienced any kind of prejudice or racism when you were in school”? Surprisingly enough, the answer is NO. School was my safe place and I felt “safe” in my intelligence. However, that changed when I enrolled as a Ph.D. student and that was my first obvious encounter where the color of my skin trumped my academic ability. 

Yet, I still thought it was an “adult” issue. Surely my college students, ESPECIALLY those who wanted to become future educators and leaders were more open-minded and culturally aware.  Majority of my students were White, female, and traditional college aged but I did have students of various ethnicities and socioeconomic background.  But, the schools they were assigned included more diversity than most of them had ever seen.  I knew in that moment mathematics and STEM had to take a backseat.

Where It Was Heading

The struggle was real and I decided to educate myself on what was changing in society and how those changes continued to impact the education system. While I believe that the world would be a better place with all things STEAM where we can solve problems through innovation and creativity, I realized that there is a bigger issue. 

We will never get to a level of expansion and innovation if people, our students, educators and leaders, don’t feel safe about their skin color, visible or invisible disabilities, gender, or socioeconomic status. It took me about (3) three years to really dig deep and develop an understanding of what it means to truly create a safe learning space. A place where students, educators and leaders aren’t criticized for being different or thinking differently while given the space to achieve at their highest potential. That place starts on the inside. We TEACH, LEAD and SERVE, who we are at our core. From my first encounter with student beliefs about diversity and inclusion, to my own experiences dealing with injustice and racism, I realized there was a need for Culturally Conscious Leadership and a Cultural Conscious Curriculum. I started working with schools districts and other universities about the importance of knowing your WHY and the need for core values. But I knew there was more. 

I already started working as a consultant but I wanted to expand. As the CEO of Glenn-White Global Solutions and Founder of The School of Brilliance ®. I realized that high achieving, ambitious people, wanted options and they needed a way to blend their personal passions with their professional life. Many educators, trainers, and leaders have a wealth of knowledge to share and are gatekeepers of major ideas that can transform the global system but they don’t know their own power. Through programs, consulting, and events my team and I at Glenn-White Global Solutions ® empower individuals to go from theory to practice to professionally powerful by equipping them with systems, strategies and structures to become high conscious leaders in any environment!

After working with professional individuals and groups at companies, I realized something else. These amazing, brilliant people were still getting "stuck" in life even after accomplishing so many great things. I noticed that there wasn't an emphasis on personal development or inner work. Based on my own experiences, research, and focused conversations, I discovered that people were dealing with something I call PTMI-S Post Traumatic Moral Injury of Scholars. This is a combination what we know about PTSD from those who work with Veterans or individuals who encountered other traumatic events along with a dilemma of Moral Injury that occurs in the Nursing Profession and and another form of PTSD from those working in higher educator (Post Traumatic SCHOLAR Disorder).  I will share more in other sections. In general, I learned that "Scholars" (anyone who pursues academic and intellectual activities and who may work as a teacher, professor, or researcher) have a difficult time being their best selves, particularly in a professional setting based on unresolved issues based on what someone said or did that impacted their core beliefs and value system. I am working to bring awareness to the complexity of PTMI-S as well as working directly with individuals who may have experienced it. 

Now, this is not an official diagnosis. However, many high-achievers, high-performers, and go getters deal with being overlooked, overshadowed, and over overworked which causes many of them to lose their voice, operate out of alignment of their core values, and fear making the transition they need to reinvent their lives when it's time to shift. 

I dealt with this personally and through my own transformational journey, I had to learn how to Embrace my Brilliance. Today, I help other professionals, high-achievers, and top producers do the same.

I share my full story about this journey in my book Embracing Grit for Greatness: How to Become Professionally Powerful through Personal Empowerment . Learn more here  with a free preview or  purchase directly from Amazon here.

I share my full story about this journey in my book Embracing Grit for Greatness: How to Become Professionally Powerful through Personal Empowerment . Learn more here  with a free preview or  purchase directly from Amazon here.