The Light Within
Alicia Brown is an independent management consultant and professional coach who has supported the mission and work of the Headley Carter Cares Foundation since its inception. In addition to serving as a mentor to students on behalf of the Foundation, she has been a consultant to the board of directors and is a mentor to the Foundation’s founder and president, Marcia Carter. Prior to transitioning to her current entrepreneurial position, Alicia was an award winning Human Resources executive in both the private and public sector, having served in leadership positions with two Fortune 500 companies. Here is Alicia's heartfelt testimonial detailing her journey with Headley Carter Cares Foundation:
In 1994, Bob Buford wrote the book, Half Time. The focus of the book was on transitioning from being a success in your first half of life to being significant during the last half. I have been extremely blessed to have experienced many successes during my first half.
In my retirement period, I've also had the privilege of experiencing periods of significance. One of those periods was serving as a mentor with Headley Carter Cares, where I had the opportunity to work in an elementary school within the Arlington County Public Schools. As a volunteer mentor, I was able to connect with and encourage a young student over a period of four years.
Prior to being introduced to my mentee, I underwent mentor orientation and training. Throughout the four years, there were meetings and events with other mentors to celebrate our student mentees. Many of our students were from challenging backgrounds, however, Headley Carter Cares never hesitated to celebrate student milestones, progress and or meet specific needs.
During my four years as a mentor, my mentee and I did arts, crafts, read books, talked or had lunch together. I especially enjoyed the times when we just hung out and talked in the library or over lunch. It was very rewarding watching my mentee grow, mature, and graduate. My mentorship ended after graduation; however Headley Carter Cares often provided me with updates on how my mentee was doing in middle and high school.
Seeing the positive impact of mentorship allowed me to realize how much I like working with elementary age students. I subsequently became a reading tutor at a Loudoun County Title One school, tutoring kindergarten, first, and second grade students. I am so grateful for the awesome experience of mentoring with Headley Carter Cares. For me, it provided unexpected insight into how I want to spend some of my cherished retirement years.