b'Philadelphia FuturesAnnual Report20202021We all have a capacity to make an impact where we are. Small changes made in the shadows add up tremendously over time.I was a graduate student intern at the New York City Departmentof Healths Epidemiology Administration when that city became the epicenter of the pandemic. I used my experiences to spearhead efforts that resulted in the launch of the FORWARD initiative and a permanent accountability cabinet at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health. Comprehensive curriculum changes and reprioritization of institutional funding to community efforts wereestablished. Permanent funds were also raised to support low-incomestudents. I am now serving on the alumni board where I will assist drafting the schools public health agenda for the next century. Futures aided in the completion of my undergraduate applications and provided me with a College Success Advisor who reviewed Dorcas Adedojamy progress with me after each semester. Futures also provided funding to take the GRE exam and apply to graduate school. Sponsor-A-Scholar, Class of 2014The social support Futures provides was also paramount. WhileNortheast High School, Class of 2014staff and my fellow scholars were not always physically with me,Emory University, Class of 2018, B.A., Anthropology knowing they were supporting me in spirit boosted my confidence in & Human Biology, B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies: taking risks on campus. Sponsor-A-Scholar staff and College Success Race & Difference Concentrationadvisors routinely went above and beyond to meet student needs. They consistently adapted as Philadelphia School District fundingColumbia University, Class of 2020, M.P.H.,drastically changed and laws impacting student life passed.Social Determinants of Health certificateObserving their tactics taught me how to be agile anywhere. Human Rights Campaign ACTIVATE FellowTroi Strickland The first step in my career was demonstrating my College Connection, Class of 2016 worth and being confident in my ability to succeed.Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, I graduated from college in 2020, right at the peak of the pandemic, and Class of 2016 faced a difficult job market. I was fortunate to receive a job within my discipline,Franklin and Marshall University, but it lacked cultural fit. I used my time in that first position to increase my Class of 2020 marketability and skills, and then used my experience to leverage the nextTAIT, Talent Acquisition Specialist step in my career, where I focused on the correct cultural fit as a requirement.I learned to advocate for myself.Philadelphia Futures has cultivated my ability to advocate for myself since high school. I still remember the mock interviews I did when I was 17. The first step in my career was demonstrating my worth and being confident in my ability to succeed. Whether or not someone will make an investment in your human capital is entirely up to the value you can portray. Advocating for yourself manifests in different ways, whether it is not accepting a job for stability rather than passion, or understanding your own value. Most importantly, I learned to prioritize my happiness, my needs, and my worth above all else despite the challenges of the pandemic.page 13'