I was born in the afternoon on April 5, 1955, in La Plata, Maryland at the Physician's Memorial Hospital to Annie J. Bowman and Guerdon H. Stuckey. I am the eldest of four boys. My mother was a student at Morgan State College and my father was a heavy equipment operator and Korean War combat veteran.

Because of Maryland's segregation laws, the hospital would not admit my mother as a patient, resulting in my being born in the hallway as passersby watched my entry into the world. Immediately after my birth, my mother and I were forced to leave the hospital without any type of post-natal care. The knowledge of that incident would later become instrumental in helping to shape my values and focus my career on social issues and public policies that affected one's quality of life.

My childhood home was in Pisgah, Maryland, on Stuckey Road, which was named after my grandfather. Pisgah is approximately one hour south of Washington, D.C. Our modest four room home was without running water and required us to use an outhouse. Although some might view this as impoverished and unfortunate, I did not. I was surrounded by my extended and immediate family that taught me that lacking creature comforts does not define self-worth or potential. These things are defined by family values and parental influence rather than the acquisition of money, social status or materialism.

During my formative years, I was greatly influenced by my grandfathers, Thomas N. Bowman and Luther H. Stuckey. Because of the need to help his family and tend the family farm, Thomas Bowman did not complete middle school. However, he was one of the most intelligent, kind, giving, even tempered and resourceful men that I have ever known. He possessed a 25 acre farm, owned a bar, was a leader in the community and retired as a truck driver with the federal government.

Luther Stuckey was the son of a slave and yet in 1918 he graduated from Allen University in Colombia, South Carolina. In addition, he was a homeowner, a high school principal, through advocacy gained equal pay for African-American teachers in the state of South Carolina, ran for statewide office in Maryland, was President of the Charles County NAACP and played a significant role in Maryland's civil rights movement. I was always impressed with his great intellect, unwavering focus on racial equity and his zero tolerance for injustice.

In 1969, my English teacher at Lackey High School was Webster Knight, a Prep Alumnus. I am forever grateful for his insight and recognition of my academic potential. As a result, he recruited me to attend Prep and we remain friends to this day.

At a very early age, my Uncle Langston Stuckey introduced me to comic books which helped to fuel my love of reading. He was ten years older than I and was the first person that I knew to attend college. Even today, I remain a comic book and science fiction junkie.

I have continued my love of reading, especially around the topics of social justice. My most recent readings include The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, Ella Baker by J. Todd Moye, The Soul of America by Jon Meacham and The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones.

Another fun aspect of my life is music. I played the alto saxophone, produced a gospel album and I am currently working with a childhood friend who will be a part of this year's Grammy Awards' certified after party events.

In 1991, I moved to California and became Branch Manager of a bank in Inglewood, California. On my first day on the job, I saw this beautiful woman and told my brother, who was a doctoral student at the University of Southern California, that I had just seen the woman that I was going to marry. In a typical brotherly response, he thought I was nuts. I eventually proved him wrong and on March 4, 2022, Pat and I will celebrate 30 years of a wonderful marriage.

In life we share moments of wonderful exhilaration as well as great sadness. I have had the unfortunate circumstance of the deaths of a son and a daughter. Although I have the memories, I miss them greatly.

As I am retired, my wife and I own a small business that provides strategic and fiscal support to homeowner associations. Although I must admit that she is the brains of the company, I try to be her competent assistant. However, I do spend a great deal of my time enjoying her cooking as my waistline can attest. Over the years, we have enjoyed some wonderful travel experiences and have watched the expansion of our family with the addition of four grandchildren.

What have you done since graduating from Prep?

Since graduating in 1973, my academic and career paths have not been typical or traditional. After finishing Prep, I attended Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans, Louisiana. The separation of my parents significantly affected my ability to remain in school, so I dropped out and began working. It was not until the age of 29 that I was able to return to college. In 1987, I graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a degree in business. Additionally, at the age of 38, I entered graduate school and graduated with honors from the University North of Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in public administration.

It is important to note that it was the influence of my grandfathers and the discipline I learned while at Prep that helped me not to give up on my dream of continuing my education. I want to also acknowledge that my professional achievements would have been nearly impossible without the support of my wife, Pat.

After earning my degrees, I worked as a Branch Manager with Citibank in Washington, D.C. and Wells Fargo in Inglewood, CA, Director of Housing for the Charlotte Housing Authority, Assistant to the President of the Urban League of the Central Carolinas, Assistant to the City Manager for Neighborhood Services for the City of Charlotte, Director of Neighborhood and Community Services for the City of Rockville, General Manager of Animal Services for the City of Los Angeles, and Assistant Deputy Director with the California Housing and Community Development Department.

One of the highlights of my career was being part of a United States delegation to South Africa that provided technical support to multiple cities during the time that Nelson Mandela became President.

I currently reside in Charlotte, North Carolina and have maintained a residence there for the last 31 years.

What were some of your favorite memories during your time at Prep?

Some of my most cherished memories are my relationships with Reverend Vincent F. Beatty, Prep's Rector and President and Mr. James Hopkins, an African-American custodian. Another memory was when I founded the Black Student Union (BSU), an effort of which I am very proud. I feel very pleased and gratified that it is still active today.

Without Rev. Beatty's kindness and scholarship support, I would never have been able to afford the cost of attending Prep. I was determined that his faith in me and my potential would be rewarded by my receiving my diploma.

Because I was a boarder and my first time away from home, Mr. Hopkins took me under his wing and was a wonderful mentor. He was instrumental in helping me to grasp what life would be like at an elite boarding school. He shared with me Prep's history and the need to understand the highly competitive nature of the Prep culture, yet to always stay true to myself and my values.

Given the social issues of that time and Prep's demographic makeup of mostly Caucasian students, as the BSU founder, I felt that it was important for African-American students to have a gathering place where they felt comfortable to exchange ideas and discuss issues pertinent to them. I also strongly believed that upper class members had an obligation to communicate to minority students that they could be part of and contribute to Prep's culture without losing their individuality especially as it pertained to their racial identity.

Being the founder of the BSU, gave me the platform and credibility to form a coalition with neighboring private schools like Holy Cross, Georgetown Visitation and Ursuline. The purpose of this coalition was to help African-American students enrolled in these schools to better adapt to their new environment and culture. Our goal was to mentor minority students so that they would be better prepared with a focus on graduation and not just be glad to have been admitted.

How did Jesuit education prepare you for your career in the government and private sector?

My Prep education helped me to prepare for my career in government and the public sector because I received outstanding academic training and interpersonal skill development.

My teachers were individuals of exceptional ability that were eager to share their knowledge and wisdom. Because of that, I gained a strong academic background and learned to apply what I was taught. I was able to greatly improve my skills in writing, problem solving and research which became invaluable assets to my professional development and success.

I also learned that one does not have to be the smartest, but commitment is what is key. Learning how to study to grasp concepts and not just memorize facts was an invaluable experience. This instruction of learning how to study along with the exercise of discipline would become crucial, especially when I returned to school after a ten- year hiatus.

My interpersonal skill development was a direct result of my involvement in student government and the BSU. Being comfortable with classmates and other peers whose families that had achieved significant social, financial, and professional standing was pivotal to my becoming proficient at public speaking and social dealings. These interactions helped me to gain the confidence to communicate comfortably with executives, elected officials, constituents and community leaders.

What impact did Prep have on you?

Prep bolstered the values that my parents and grandparents instilled in me to respect all types of people from all walks of life. Prep's mission was critical in reinforcing my beliefs that no matter one's social status or financial well-being, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and decency.

My experience as a boarder taught me the value of being able to live independently. It was quite the undertaking to be away from home for the first time at such a young age and to learn to navigate life without the watchful eye of your parents. However, the structure that Prep provided was instrumental in helping me to make the transition. This model of structure, self- discipline and independence became an important lesson that would heavily impact both my personal life and professional career.

I can also say unequivocally that while at Prep, I did not encounter any type of racial discrimination or stereotyping from my peers or faculty. Prep was a great learning environment for social and intellectual growth. As I grew into adulthood, I would sometimes marvel at just how radical my classmates were. Without their progressive thinking and trust, I would not have become the first African-American to be elected President of the Yard. I am very grateful for their willingness to break with a long-standing tradition.

Becoming President of the Yard was a great learning opportunity. However, it became clear to me early on that I was not as prepared to lead as were my predecessors. Given the complexity of the social dynamics at the time, I did not have the experience that would have been helpful in allowing me to navigate the tensions between the administration and my peers. However, my inexperience in that role was critical in my quest to understand what makes a leader effective and successful.

I used my academic training as an opportunity to learn about leadership and managerial models that were identified by notable scholars. I modified my leadership style to reflect treating staff fairly, understanding organizational politics, knowing how to manage up, explaining to staff why certain decisions are made, being unafraid to make mistakes, leading by example, and being true to your core values.

I would also add that effective leadership cannot be realized without understanding how to manage people. In addition to systems, processes, operational effectiveness and strategic thinking, we must remember the importance of inspiring staff by developing a shared vision. As a result, I sought positions that were challenging and focused on improving the quality of life within the communities we served.

What advice do you have for current Prep students?

The advice I would give current students is as follows:

1. Develop your core values and don't compromise
2. Cultivate relationships outside of your tribe
3. Do what is right which may not always be easy
4. Listen to others even when you think that you are right
5. Do the right thing when no one else is looking
6. Allow emotions to pass before making an important decision
7. Don't' be afraid to make mistake, learn from it
8. Become proficient in the psychology of people