During Black History Month, The Hub is spotlighting former students of Dallas ISD in our Legacy of Learning series.
“When you open your heart and mind to differences, your worldview will expand and you’ll learn so much about how very similar we all truly are.” ~Jennifer R. Hudson
Tell us about your journey as a Dallas ISD student.
I started school as a kindergartner at R.L. Thornton Elementary. I was there until second grade, when my family moved. Besides meeting my first best friend, Vivian Ivy, and cutting up school work my poor teacher had spent hours creating (I’m so sorry!), I don’t remember much about it. Much clearer is the amazing experience I had at Umphrey Lee with teachers like Mr. Duncan, Ms. Finnell and others who saw something special in me and made me feel valued. I later went to Hulcy for middle school, attended Carter and the Law Magnet part time before moving to full time and ultimately graduating from the Law Magnet.
Who was one of your most influential teachers in Dallas ISD and why?
In fourth grade, Ms. Finnell recognized that I was talking and acting up because I was bored and finishing my work too quickly. When she gave me more challenging lessons, it changed my life! And in middle school, I was able to tap into my creativity through a photography class I took with Mr. Warnock. He was an amazing soul. I loved that class (even though I never reached the level of my classmate, Jesse Hornbuckle, who I would enviously watch shooting all the school games and who would later have a successful career in photojournalism!).
How did your Dallas ISD education influence who you are today?
I never recognized it then, but I think it was very powerful that the majority of my grade school teachers looked like me. They were strong, committed educators and they expected great things from me. I loved learning and exploring and they nurtured that in me. At the end of every school year, I’d hang around for the tons of worksheets they’d give me, which my sister and I used all summer to play school! We had no idea we were actively avoiding the summer learning gap!
Another huge influence was taking Spanish lessons at Law Magnet from Ms. Garcia and being exposed to the language through the family of my best friend in high school, George Rodriguez. He’s a first-generation Cuban-American and I hated that I didn’t understand everything they said. I was determined that no matter what I majored in in college, I would continue studying Spanish until I was fluent! I became so obsessed with learning the language that I switched my major to Spanish at Austin College, studied in Mexico the summer after freshman year and in Spain for junior year abroad. I got my very first job out of college at American Airlines because I speak Spanish.
What school activities did you participate in, and how have they impacted your life?
I played volleyball in middle school, sang in talent shows, acted in plays, and participated in the YMCA’s Youth & Government and mock trials in high school. I developed a love for the YMCA and have served on the advisory board for the Y here in South Florida. When I was a sophomore, I got an internship at Gardere & Wynne in the law library. I ended up working there during summers home from college. It was fun researching cases and prodding the international attorneys with questions to determine if I really wanted to pursue law as a career (which I didn’t).
Walk us through some of your achievements since graduating and what you’re up to today.
I eventually chose public relations as a career and was fortunate enough to work in American Airlines’ corporate communications department (where I was a Spanish-speaking spokesperson) while I pursued a master’s in journalism and public relations. That led me to Sabre, where I managed PR globally after we spun off from American, then British Airways, where I was vice president of Communications for Latin America, the Caribbean and the Southeast USA. Today I am a strategic communications consultant and president of my company, ThinkBeyond PR.
I love telling people I’ve gotten every corporate job I’ve ever had because I speak Spanish. And as a Black girl with no Hispanic ancestry (mama from Tennessee, daddy from Indiana!), I think that’s very cool. My eyes have been opened to other worlds, and the seeds of that were planted at Dallas ISD.
What words of wisdom can you offer a Dallas ISD student now walking the school hallways that you once walked?
Be open to people who are different from you – especially if they’re from other countries and speak other languages. Ask them about the foods they eat at home, how to say certain words in their native tongue if English isn’t their first language, what they love most about their culture. Share your stories, too – because you also have a rich history that you should always honor.
More about Hudson can be found at https://www.wethinkbeyond.com/ .
