Quontinetta “Q” Bufford is no stranger to hard work and perseverance. She was a Culinary Arts student at Skyline High School with a talent for volleyball when she found out she was pregnant at 16-years-old.
“Failure was not an option for me,” said Bufford.
Through the help of her family, teammates, coaches, teachers, and Skyline’s culture of excellence, she stayed on track with her education while balancing life as a new mom. Bufford graduated from Skyline High School in 2003 and started her pursuit of higher education through Dallas College (formerly DCCCD), playing volleyball for Cedar Valley and winning a National Championship. She completed her undergrad at Dallas Baptist University.
While at DBU, Bufford felt compelled to pursue a dream of working for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). She found an opportunity through their Honors Internship Program which resulted in an eight-week summer internship at the nation’s capital. Through that internship, she was offered a full-time position and after graduating moved her and her daughter to Washington, D.C.
While working for the FBI, she served on former Director Robert Mueller’s Advisory Committee as a branch representative, chaired the Advanced Technology Group, headed an Information Exchange Program, led the development of her division’s mentorship program, and had the opportunity to see former Director James Comey sworn in by former President Barack Obama, all while pursuing and graduating with a dual Masters Degree (MBA and MS in IT).
Bufford went on to work in consulting and supported a variety of government clients, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Education, and the FDA.
Working within the bureau and in consulting helped shape Bufford into a very mission-oriented person. “You realize it’s now about you,” she said. “There’s a mission that’s much greater than you and work that has to be done. I try to think about what it is we are really trying to accomplish as an organization, team, or even country, and how to help push that mission forward.”
A few years ago, Bufford moved back to Dallas to be near family. Her daughter who also attended a school in Dallas ISD, went on to graduate from Woodrow Wilson High School and now attends college in Vermont, following in her mom’s footsteps in playing collegiate volleyball.
Bufford is passionate about pouring back into the communities that impacted her. She is the owner of two businesses; The Volleyball Broker, a sports advisory firm to help student-athletes go through the recruiting process, and SyFy Consulting, an IT consulting and staffing firm.
“The journey was by no means easy,” she said. “ Yet, there were a lot of people who poured life into me-coaches, teachers, teammates, family and friends. I think it’s important when people pour life into you, you pay it forward by giving back.”
“Instead of impressing people, my hope is to inspire those who learn about my journey with the understanding that if I can do it, they can too,” Bufford shared.
Inspired by one of her favorite poems by Robert Frost, her words of advice to any high schooler is “to take the road not taken.”
