On Saturday, April 22nd Spelmanites will vote for who we want to bear the title of 2017-2018 Mr. Blue and White. As voting approaches, the Her Campus team would like to showcase the contestants and their platforms. Remember, our Mr. Blue and White should be a reflection of all Spelmanites and a brother, friend, and advisor to all.
Contestant #4 is Ryan Eugene
(All photos provided by Ryan Eugene)
Ryan Eugene is a Junior Political Science Major at Morehouse College from Oxon Hill, Maryland. Upon graduating from Morehouse, he intends to pursue a career as a Chief Diversity Officer within a Human Resources Department.
Over the course of his time at Morehouse Ryan has held several leadership positions and been actively involved in many on and off campus organizations. Ryan currently serves at the Morehouse College SGA Director of Diversity and Inclusion, the Director of Recruitment for Project House, the Morehouse College liaison for Spelman’s NCNW chapter, and he is also a Business Sales Leadership Development Program Coordinator for AT&T Corporate.
As Mr. Blue and White, Ryan intends to “Break The Glass Ceiling” and assist Spelmanites with personal and career development. This platform was inspired by a national program he developed, Real Talk: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, and he is ready to expand it onto Spelman’s campus.
“First impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo. Making those first encounters are extremely important, for they set the tone for all the relationships that follow. So, whether they are in your career or social life, it’s important to know how to create a good first impression. Last semester, I developed a national program entitled Real Talk: Breaking the Glass Ceiling. The purpose of this program is to expose the truths of succeeding in corporate America”, began Ryan.
“Through my current role with AT&T, people often ask me to find them a job; what I tend to realize is that they are missing the fundamentals like how to properly write a resume, how to dress for an interview, and what is appropriate to post on social media. I want to make sure that every student at Spelman College is afforded this knowledge so that they may reach their full potential”.
Ryan is dedicated to providing Spelmanites with tangible results and awards. If selected as Mr. Blue and White, he intends to expand upon his program and initiate four events on Spelman’s campus.
I. Woman in Business Networking Pipeline Currently at AT&T there are over 90,000+ women who connect across all AT&T organizations, locations, and disciplines. The Women of AT&T (WOA) Employee Resource Group is an independent nonprofit organization that is organized to connect and inspire its members to achieve their personal and professional goals, while affecting change in the communities where business is held. WOA is the largest ERG at AT&T with over 25,000 members and 43 chapters. One of their main purposes is to promote an environment that recognizes the value of women’s contributions. By partnering with my resources at AT&T, I intend to help the women of Spelman College as they seek to find employment, regardless of where they chose to work.
II. Dress for Success Clothing Drive I seek to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
III. Annual Woman’s Night Out I intend to partner with local restaurants and Spelman College RSO’s to coordinate a woman’s night out dinner, which will serve to celebrate the success of each and every woman. This event will require Spelman women to dress-up, eat, and enjoy their fellow sisters.
IV. Spelmanite of the Month – Selected by Mr. Blue & White Court One Spelmanite every month will be selected for simply being awesome and will be treated to a special surprise – prize, dinner, etc.
Ryan’s desire to be Mr. Blue and White is rooted in his previous experiences with Spelmanites. Having entered Morehouse as a transfer student, Ryan set out to make friends and connections by joining the Spelman section of NCNW. Little did he know, these women and the plethora of others he would come to know would become his life-long sisters and he, in turn, will vow to be their brother.
“To me, being Mr. Blue & White would not only mean that I serve as an ambassador for the college, but also that I am there to aid and support the women of Spelman College. I see how much the women of this great institution work to fulfill all their dreams and aspirations. Not only do I want to continue to motivate them along the way. I want to show my gratitude to them for all that they have done for me.”, said Ryan.
“Malcom X once said that, The most disrespected person in American is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in American is the Black woman. Spelmanites do not neglect each other, they protect and respect each other. My vow to the women of Spelman is simply this. I’ll never disrespect you. I won’t neglect you. And I’ll always be here to protect you. For you are the women who will change the world. It will be my honor to stand next to you as you do so”.