February 8, 2025 • 44 mins
What happens when mentorship shifts the course of a life? In this episode of My Best Shift, Chantée Christian sits down with David Atkins, a bestselling author and influential leader at George Mason University, to explore the power of mentorship, legacy, and representation. From a chance meeting in 2001 to a lifelong connection, we discuss the unseen impact of mentors, the evolution from giving advice to empowering self-discovery, and the lasting impact of leadership in Black and Brown communities.
Join us as we unpack the honest, sometimes uncomfortable truths that shape careers, identities, and futures, and reflect on how representation fuels community and personal growth.
Listen now to discover how mentorship can change the trajectory of your life!
Meet David C. Atkins – A Legacy Builder, Mentor & Visionary. From a small-town upbringing in Jarratt, Virginia, to shaping the future of students at George Mason University, David C. Atkins is a dynamic and integral force of mentorship, leadership, and legacy. A founding member and past president of the GMU Black Alumni Chapter, David has spent 35+ years as a student, alum, employee, donor, and change agent at the university. With a Bachelor’s in Decision Science from GMU and a Master’s in Theology from Howard University, he blends strategic thinking with a deep calling to serve and uplift others. His passion? Empowering young people to see beyond limitations and embrace their greatness.
Connect with David via LinkedIn | Instagram
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INSPIRED ACTIONS/THOUGHTS FOR THIS EPISODE
What seeds are you planting today that will contribute to your long-term legacy?
How can you be more intentional about receiving mentorship or coaching in a way that serves your personal growth?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chantée Christian (00:12):
hi, david, welcome to my podcast hi shantae
, thank you, thank you very much.
So before we get too into ourconversation, why don't you tell
the people a little bit aboutyourself?
David Atkins (00:23):
Okay, a little bit about myself.
I am David Atkins.
I am originally from a verysmall town called Jarrett,
virginia down south, and I movedup to Northern Virginia to
commence my undergraduateeducation at George Mason
(00:43):
University, where I obtained mybachelor's degree in business.
After that, I started workingin the area of student affairs,
student life and then laterattended Howard University and
obtained my master's in theology.
(01:04):
And obtained my master's intheology, and after a few years
I started working in brandmanagement, brand development
and licensing at George MasonUniversity, which is where I am
(01:25):
currently employed.
I am very active with differentsocial and community service
organizations and I currentlyreside in the I call it the
furthest aspect of NorthernVirginia Manassas, virginia.
Chantée Christian (01:48):
I do mean the furthest it is, and by the time
this airs, and actually whilewe're recording, you are a
bestselling author.
Yes, did I miss that you did,you did, you did.
David Atkins (02:09):
Yes, A best-selling author in six
wonderful categories, which isextremely exciting.
To be a not only a best-sellingauthor, but a first-time author
who is a best-selling author.
You can't beat that.
Where's the apple pie with thewhipped cream and the cherry on
(02:33):
top?
Chantée Christian (02:36):
Yes, yes, yes , yes, and I love that your
connection to Mason for so manydifferent reasons, but one of
them is because I met you in2001.
And, if I recall correctly, Iwas in your first class that you
(02:58):
taught at Mason.
David Atkins (03:00):
You were definitely in my first class
that I taught the universitytransition course it was
honestly the first time I'vetaught that class before, but it
was the very first time Itaught it to solely black and
(03:21):
Brown students and it was one ofthe most amazing experiences to
be able to fully be who you are, communicating to people who
look just like you.
It was an absolute amazingexperience.
And then we went on and decidedto bring you on to our office
(03:46):
to work as an office assistantin student union operations, and
our connection just continuedto grow Because even after you
graduated we stay connectedthrough the Black Alumni Chapter
(04:07):
, which is an organization thatI served as one of the founding
members of and the longestserving president of five years
and Shante, of course, youserved as president for, I
believe, three.
Chantée Christian (04:20):
For three, absolutely For three.
Even though I asked forimpeachment, I think on year two
you asked for impeachment butyeah, no, and because I think
and I I think I've told you thisbefore, but maybe not, but I,
working in your office, changedmy trajectories, so I had I tell
(04:50):
people this all the time myparents graduated high school,
went into the military andbecame spouses of that right,
and so they got their degreeslater in life, through you know
life and working, and then theysaid, oh, let me go back to
school for various reasons, andso I hadn't actually seen what
(05:13):
it looked like to be on acollege campus and what it all
meant outside of you know stuffon TV, but it was nothing like
that.
So in my mind I was like, ohwell, my dad is a business major
, I'll go be a business major.
And so when I came into Mason,I was all on the business side
of the house and I was like thisis not where it's at, but I
(05:37):
didn't know what else like spoketo me or what else I was good
at.
And so when I came into youroffice and we started doing that
newsletter.
David Atkins (05:46):
I was like the association of college unions,
international region for yes,and we won.
Chantée Christian (05:51):
you know, we, we won some spots, but like it
was, it was then when I realized, oh, I really like this, Like
there, there's a, there's athing that they call this, and
it was communications.
And then it was like, oh well,I don't really like the
marketing side of it, but I likethe PR side of it, right.
And so it was through workingin your office where I was able
(06:14):
to, I would say, hone that skillbut also really take the
ability and the courage to jumpinto a field that I did not know
, and at the time I give my dada lot of flack for it, but he
called it a soft skill and asoft degree.
And well, what was I going todo with it?
And I'm like, well, see, lookat what I did with it.
So, but I attribute that to thework and the opportunity that I
(06:41):
had in your office.
So if I haven't said that toyou before, I want to say thank
you.
David Atkins (06:47):
No, thank you for sharing that.
This is the first time, I thinkwe have probably had that
conversation in person.
However, I did see a post onsocial media where you mentioned
the same thing and I hadhonestly forgotten that that
happened that you?
Changed your major yeah.
Chantée Christian (07:08):
I did.
Yeah, I mean, I wish I couldhave Gracious of life.
It was one of the hardestconversations I've ever had to
have with my dad, you know,because he was the person that
was paying for my collegeeducation.
And he told me I had four yearsand I was like well, I know, I
don't have no money for no extratime, so how are we going to
(07:28):
make this happen?
Because I was so afraid to tellhim.
I didn't tell him until myjunior year.
David Atkins (07:37):
Oh, wow.
Chantée Christian (07:38):
And I didn't change it until my junior year.
I started working with you myfreshman year.
David Atkins (07:43):
Oh my goodness.
So you were taking classestowards that degree and had oh
my God, did I ever meet yourfather?
Chantée Christian (07:50):
No.
David Atkins (07:51):
OK, ok, no, Look, I had to think about him like,
oh, have you met him?
Chantée Christian (07:58):
It'll be like oh, you the one, now he will,
now he knows, he does know, andhis perspective has changed,
(08:18):
right, of course, of course.
And when he only knew themilitary, his perspective was
very straightforward and so hejust thought it was loosey,
goosey and I'm like, no, like Ican see.
It's important for you to be amentor to black and brown
students, people, right, and Ithink that one of the biggest
things that, um, I attribute toour relationship is your
(08:38):
mentorship and, whether it wasdirectly and or indirectly, it
was something that showed methat, oh wow, like I can do this
, whatever this was right, likeeven being involved with the
black alumni chapter.
That was.
(08:58):
That was a u-choice, that was ab-choice, that was anybody that
knows David Atkins knows thatDavid Atkins has a David Atkins
way, because when you call youlike hey, it was like hey, but
but you served well.
David Atkins (09:14):
You served well.
Chantée Christian (09:15):
I served well , I served for a long time,
although I will I'm openlyhonest about that.
First position as a secretarywas not my stint, that that was
not where my cert, that is notwhere my gift lies.
But after we got me in theright position, I was, I was
able to serve in a way that madesense, you know.
(09:37):
But I but I say that to say,like, when you think about
mentorship from your perspective, what is it that you see the
value in putting back into thecommunity?
David Atkins (09:57):
That is a great question comes to mind.
It is for me, mentoring is aboutpouring into people that which
has been poured into me, and sowe all have a limited capacity
that we can store withinourselves, and in order for me
(10:23):
to have more pouring into mefrom others and other mentors et
cetera, I have to release someof that positivity into other
people, one that are deservingof my mentorship.
And I think you may haverecognized over the years that
I'm very selective in terms ofwhere I spend my energy, and
(10:48):
that is tied into those that Iidentify that I believe can
benefit from my mentorship,because I'm sure you have kind
of touched on it here just a tadthat it is a unique type of
mentorship, but it is the mostsincere level of mentoring that
(11:09):
I can personally find and giveto anyone.
But it is always my hope thatpeople take what I pour into
them and not necessarilyreplicate what I'm saying or
what they see in me, but takethat information and better
(11:29):
shape who they are and what theywant to give to the world.
Chantée Christian (11:34):
Yeah, no, and I think I can speak for myself,
I can't speak for anybody elsethat there were times where I
didn't appreciate it.
David Atkins (11:44):
I know that there were times where I didn't
appreciate it.
I know.
Well, I know, I know, I know,and let me I'm going to tell you
really quick I had to get tothe point within myself to
accept that what I am giving tosome in the moment is not being
(12:05):
appreciated.
And I learned it because thosewho received from me I'm
thinking about Air Hernandez asbeing one who graduated and went
on and then came back and say Inow get it, I get what you were
doing.
Yeah, You're not always goingto get it in the moment.
Chantée Christian (12:24):
No, and I think that that's like so
important, right, becausethere's so many different
aspects of things that are goingon, and age, I feel like, plays
a part in it from a perspectiveof experience, right, right.
(12:53):
And so when you're givensomeone's insights and
experience and you haven'tgotten there yet, you're like I
don't even know what you'retalking about, you just talking,
I don't know.
And then, when it happens,you're like hold on, wait.
I've been here before, I had aconversation about this, had a
conversation about this.
This is something that I canactually, you know, implement,
apply.
Oh, wait, a minute, let me goback and like go, go, peel that
onion back a little bit morebecause, like you, right, I had
(13:14):
to realize that everything thatI was giving out to people they
weren't ready to receive itdidn't mean that I wasn't in the
right space to give it to them,it just meant that they weren't
ready for it.
And so I think that, for mespecifically, there were moments
where I was like David gets onmy nerves, all right, and then
(13:34):
something would happen and I'dbe like, I think David and I
talked about this.
Let me go back to my notes,cause even though you were
getting on my nerves or whateverit was.
I always made sure that I kepta note so that I could go back
to it, so that I could, becausejust because I don't get it now
doesn't mean that I won't needit later.
And I think that that's so keyin mentorship that people don't
(13:58):
understand it's like therelationship isn't just you give
, you give, you give and I getall that I need.
It's planting seeds, right,right, and you can plant a bunch
of seeds, and sometimes theygrow immediately, and sometimes
it takes them six months a year.
One of my friends has beentrying to grow peonies for like
five years Poor thing, like youknow, and so it's part of that
(14:23):
process when I think aboutmentorship.
Yeah, you know, and so it's.
David Atkins (14:27):
It's part of that process when I think about
mentorship.
Yeah, I was.
I'm going to add a footnote tothat, one thing that I have done
later in my life, and I amcertain that it has something to
do with my age, because Ialmost feel like the older I get
, the less patient that I have.
(14:49):
So when people seek advicebecause you know formal and
informal mentorship some peoplejust come and you know, get
advice, feedback or what haveyou.
And when those people do that,I have oftentimes responded this
way before answering theirquestion of are you ready for my
(15:10):
honest feedback?
Because that's all I'm going togive and you might not like
what I'm going to say, you mightnot like me after this, and I'm
okay with that.
Can you be okay with that?
And if your answer is yes, thenlet's have this conversation.
Chantée Christian (15:32):
Right, and I think even to that.
I think that that's one of thereasons why I started coaching.
It's because people would cometo me for advice.
I would give them not justhonest feedback, but I would
give them a path forward, andthey wouldn't take it and I
would get frustrated becausethen, a month later, they were
coming back with the sameproblem and I'm like pretty sure
(15:55):
I already told you literallywhat to do.
So when I realized that coachingwasn't what I had been doing
coaching was more so of allowingthem to get to the answer and
helping and coming from acuriosity perspective and I was
like, oh, this is different,like this is right here where I
(16:22):
need to be, because if I tellone more person how to get
somewhere and they don't gothere, I'm going to lose my mind
.
Because it was just.
It felt like when you weretalking about energy earlier.
It's like you give so muchenergy into it and then for
people to be like yeah, yeah,yeah, and they walk away and
they do the complete opposite.
It's like you want to punchthem.
It's like, come on, what areyou doing?
(16:42):
And so it is definitely one ofthe reasons why I moved to
formally coaching.
And even when people come to mefor advice like well, what is
it that you want to get out ofthis conversation?
Because it might not be what Iwant to give you.
David Atkins (16:51):
Right, right.
Chantée Christian (16:52):
Or able to.
David Atkins (16:53):
Yeah, absolutely.
Chantée Christian (16:55):
You know.
So, yeah, I love that.
So I'm curious, because I don'tthink I've ever asked you this
oh, what has made you stayaffiliated with Mason for so
long?
David Atkins (17:09):
Oh, that is a huge question, shontay, and I won't
be able to answer itmulti-dimensional because we
don't have that much time, soI'm going to try and be a little
(17:31):
more focused on one aspect,maybe one or two.
One aspect, maybe one or two.
Initially you know from the atthe time that was it 20, 20
(17:53):
years when you were at Mason.
You know, back during that timeand even before me stand at
Mason A big part of it was aboutrepresentation.
A big part of it was aboutrepresentation.
I'm an alum of Mason.
At the time that I was therethere were 15,000 students, of
(18:15):
which 500 were African-Americanstudents.
Those numbers are a littledifferent today, but as a
(18:42):
student I knew that there werevery few African-American, black
professors, administrators atthe university that I could go
to for advice, direction,feedback, growth.
Adrienne Hillary was one thatstood out or Charles Smith was
one that stood out for me, but,honestly, beyond those two.
So for me it was aboutrepresentation and making myself
available and I always saidthat I never got paid to do my
job at Mason because you onlypaid me to do that job
(19:06):
description.
In my job description it wasnot to mentor and support and be
available to African-Americanstudents, african-american
students but it's an unwrittenexpectation, honestly, whenever
an African-American is hired ata predominantly white
(19:26):
institution.
But I found enjoyment and I'mcertain that you could tell that
from the way I interacted withstudents and I remember having a
student who worked over he'sAfrican-American male, he was a
manager over in our recreationgame room facility Many times
(19:47):
and everybody worked thesedifferent shifts and so I didn't
always get to see people whoworked at night, but a lot of
times and I did it with thatarea a lot I would stop by there
at eight o'clock at night andengage and have conversation.
And it wasn't about you know theactual work function, like, how
are you doing here at theuniversity?
(20:09):
You know what challenges thatyou're dealing with.
That maybe I can assist you.
For me it was about that Now,later in life, it is about how
(20:30):
would I put it, and you may notbe able to keep this on your
recording, but it is aboutconvenience, honestly, at this
particular stage in my lifewhere I am years away from
retirement and so there's reallyno desire to make a real career
(20:53):
change or job change at thisparticular time change or job
change at this particular time.
And I say that I mean, I lovewhat I do professionally with
brand management and development, but my interaction with
students is nowhere near thesame as it was back, when my job
was focused over in studentunion management and student
(21:17):
life and working with studentsand hiring and developing them
and all that kind of stuff.
Yeah, that's why I have stayed.
That is why I have stayed atMason.
I have not and I don't know,some people may not know this
because I'm trying to think,yeah, because when you came, I
had come back.
I left Mason.
Chantée Christian (21:38):
Oh, I never knew you weren't famous.
David Atkins (21:40):
Exactly, I left Mason for a year and a half and
went to work at the Universityof Maryland at Baltimore.
It is the professional campusabout 5,000 students, doctors,
nurses, what have you is not farfrom the harbor in Baltimore.
(22:00):
I worked there was the directorof housing and the student
union.
There was a unique situationbecause their student union had
housing on the top floor but itdid not how would I put it?
It did not serve me a hundredpercent.
It was early in my professionand I did it to determine if I
(22:24):
wanted to work or stay instudent unions or work in
housing, and I learned therethat housing is not where I
wanted to dedicate myprofessional life, and so when
Mason had an opportunity to workback in student unions, I
applied and got hired back andI've been back ever since.
(22:45):
So I did test the waters atanother university.
Chantée Christian (22:49):
I'm telling you, you learn something new
every day.
You learn something new everyday.
I think that there's so muchpower in the longevity Right
because, regardless of whenpeople graduated from Mason,
(23:15):
nine times out of 10, they knowyour name.
Mason, nine times out of 10,they know your name.
And so when I think about youand your tenure at Mason, I
think about the legacy.
And so then my question to youis when you think because you
said you're at this point, youknow in your career which, I
(23:35):
believe, most people that whenthey get to the point of
retirement being a clock away,they're like you know what?
We almost there, we're almostthere.
And I wonder, when you thinkabout the legacy that you have
left and are leaving at Mason,what is that, or what will it be
(24:00):
?
David Atkins (24:01):
Oh, that's an awesome.
That is an awesome question.
Do you know?
I never look at legacy likethat oh it is, but I know people
do.
I think when I have been mostimpactful at Mason, it has
(24:31):
really been.
It has really been in mentoringstudents, because that grows
and expands, you know, to otherpeople through their body,
through their own body.
But to be even more specific,it has really been with Alpha
(24:52):
Phi.
Alpha that I have found at theuniversity number one, excuse me
and advised officially onbehalf of the university for 10
years and working withspecifically African-American
(25:15):
males on a daily basis.
And when I talk to you aboutbeing present and visible and
answering my phone call at 2 amin the morning from one of them
because they havea challengethat they need some counseling
(25:36):
with, for me that's what mylegacy represents.
Yeah, and I'm almost.
I feel like I'm just gettingemotional just thinking about it
, because I can remember andvisually see the person calling
me at 2 am in the morning,because I remember these
conversations.
It is that and those are thethings that the university on a
(25:59):
whole don't see.
They don't see that and I'msure some of that probably
happens in other arenas andareas of the university.
But they don't see that becausemy job function don't
communicate that, that is anexpectation or something that
you would even think about.
(26:20):
And I do those things withouteven communicating or talking
about that, even within theworkplace.
They're just done because it isjust a part of who I am.
I don't even think Inecessarily.
I think at some point I think Ijust no longer really
associated it with my job or myworkplace.
It is who I am and is how Iwant to serve the community.
Chantée Christian (26:44):
Yeah, I love that.
So I'm curious you said youdon't think about legacy that
way, but you know people do.
So how do you typically thinkabout legacy?
David Atkins (26:54):
I don't, I don't think, I think, I think I here's
a good example, I think I thinkabout legacy as actually
something that.
I even wrote in my bio andawareness put me on because it
(27:15):
was something that I learnedlater.
Chantée Christian (27:16):
Y'all can't see me, but I just grabbed the
book.
David Atkins (27:23):
I'm trying to see what he said when I like I think
a legacy like oh, my greatgreat grandmother Founded the
first school in Jarrett,virginia, for African-Americans
Americans.
My great-great-grandmotherfounded the church that served
African Americans in mycommunity.
(27:45):
Now, as a child, if someonetold me that that existed, that
she did that, that that was apart of our family history, I do
not recall it.
I do not recall it.
But as I got older and it wasbeing communicated, I was like
no, because okay, so my great,great, great great grandmother
(28:08):
founded the school JeffersonSchool.
Okay, years later the statetook over the school you know,
built a whole new school andthey called it Jefferson
elementary school and they namedit in honor of my great great
grandmother.
(28:28):
Our family, because of herstarting that school, called
Jefferson school.
So for me that's how I thinkno-transcript that's, that's
(29:13):
legacy, that's how I see legacy,and I do know that legacy is
seen all different kinds of ways.
Chantée Christian (29:19):
And.
David Atkins (29:19):
I see it as the way that I kind of described it
to you earlier, but I usuallysee it more in a structural
format.
Chantée Christian (29:26):
Yeah, that's interesting.
I like to think of legacy.
Well, first of all, I'll sayyour great, great grandmother
was.
She was bad.
Yes, she was bad, because whenyou think about the time frame
that she was doing this type ofstuff, it's groundbreaking,
literally.
Um, I like to think of legacy asimprints, right, so we leave
(29:52):
imprints and places that we'reat, and so I think that
sometimes people think aboutlegacy from a longevity
perspective.
Sometimes I think it can be notas long as people think, right.
And so it's the imprints right,because it doesn't mean it's
(30:22):
not about the job description.
Those things are very rarelyarticulated and expressed.
It's about all the other things, right, like me doing the
newsletter and all of that stuff.
It was a part of the job ingeneral, but the actual support
and the going back and forthwith the edits and how do we get
(30:45):
a story and the ideation, andall those things had nothing to
do with the job description.
It had everything to do with,for me, the imprint right, and
it's a lasting imprint.
And so when I think aboutlegacy, I think about the actual
imprint that you have left, andwhen I think about for me,
(31:06):
right, when I think about yourlegacy at Mason, excuse me, I
think about the imprints on thestudents' lives that had these
rippling effects right, becauseyou had an impact on my life and
, specifically, I've had animpact in other people's lives.
So the scholarships that we'vegiven out and the things like
(31:28):
some of those people have becomepeople that I mentor, right,
and that will call me in themidst of a storm, or their jobs
are being like how do I navigatethe spaces, and all the things,
but that was because of aninitial imprint, that I've been
able to leave an imprint Right,and so I think about legacy from
(31:50):
from that perspective.
David Atkins (31:52):
So it's really cool to hear how how you have
you have framed legacy and Ilove everything that you just
said about defining that andtotally support it.
But I would also tie it intoleadership and following the
(32:12):
footsteps up because for me, aslike, oh, she followed my
footsteps as being the presidentof the Black Student and, I'm
sorry, the Black Alumni Chapterand to be in this, moment with
(32:33):
you is just absolutely amazingand I've done that with other.
I mean it was Ryan, ryan Laurie,who was probably one of the.
He was probably one of thethird most formalized mentorship
relationships that gotdeveloped and he also followed
(32:57):
the footsteps and becamepresident for three years of the
Black Alumni Chapter.
The imprint the imprintsbecause of that is one of the
(33:25):
major Donors to the black alumnichapter because of those
imprints and you know, I'm surehis experience and others
experience that Mason wasenhanced by other things.
Chantée Christian (33:43):
But I would like to also think that it was
also enhanced because of thoseimprints by me.
I mean, they had a place.
They had a place, no, just alittle place.
I mean, I think, and I thinkthat that's true, right, when I
think about, when you thinkabout your time at Mason as a
student, there's so many factorsand pivotal moments, right, and
for me, there are key ones,though, that literally changed
(34:06):
everything and anyone that hasbeen following my journey.
I got my MBA right after I leftMason, so I still ended up doing
business, right, right, youknow it.
It just was different.
I went to it with a differentperspective.
I went to it with anorganizational behavior and
organizational designperspective which a lot of
(34:28):
people don't know.
Right, and unless youunderstand that that's what I've
done, and so, over the years,for me to still be focusing on
human dynamics through coachingand through the way that I
consult and all the other things, is it started, though, with a
seed that was planted thatwasn't even supposed to, when
(34:51):
you look at it on paper, to bethat right?
And so for me, it's thosemoments where it's like, yeah, I
had a lot of things thathappened at Mason that were, you
know, exciting and amazing, butthere were some key moments
that literally shifted how Imove and how I've done
(35:14):
everything then after move andhow I've done everything.
David Atkins (35:21):
Then, after Wow you used the term seeds.
That just hit a chord for me,because some people in my what
happened?
I went to Howard, and let mepause.
(35:44):
Before I went to Howard, I wentto Mason and started studying
(36:06):
sociology.
And so, david, why were youstudying sociology at Mason?
Why were you first?
Why were you even seeking amaster's degree?
Well, here you go.
When I was rehired at Mason, youknow, I told you I left four
(36:28):
year and a half and I came backwhen I was rehired.
I was rehired under thecontingency that I would get a
master's degree, which is verynormal in the profession of, you
know, working with students.
Yeah, I'm like, okay.
So I said I'll just, you know,go to Mason.
(36:50):
You get, you know, credit hours, whatever, free pay for it,
based on your tuition benefits,whatever.
So, okay, I'll do that.
And enrolled in Mason and tookthat sociology class and sat in
that first class, I was likethis is not, you know, because I
like engaging with people.
So I was like you know, workingwith people.
I thought this was a thing.
(37:10):
This is not, you know, becauseI like engaging with people.
So I was like you know, workingwith people.
I thought this was a thing,this is not me.
So I stopped that and happenedto walk in the office of the
assistant director forprogramming in student I think
it was called student activitiesback then an African-American
woman who was a then and stillis a member of Alpha, kappa
(37:36):
Alpha, and she had on her desk abook, a catalog for Duke
University Divinity School, andI was like what is this?
And it just struck me.
(37:59):
It struck me and then I startedresearching.
I researched Duke and I waslike, well, that's not going to
be that feasible.
I'm working and living here innorthern Virginia.
And so I think she at thatmoment, or a little different
moment, shared with me about theHoward University School of
Divinity and I researched thatand decided to apply, got
(38:23):
accepted.
Now, listen, I didn't go totheology school to be a minister
.
Chantée Christian (38:31):
Wait a minute .
David Atkins (38:34):
Did I not say that I have an interesting journey
in life?
Yes, I did.
I did not go to theology schoolto become a minister.
I went there, one to satisfy arequirement of my hiring
condition, fair, and two, it wasa topic or a study area that
(38:58):
was of interest to me.
I'm certain that it was aninterest to me based on my life
experiences, and so I studiedthere and it was an amazing,
remarkable experience.
I had never had that type ofeducation before and in every
(39:21):
class, for the exception ofmaybe two professors, all being
African-American men and womenwith PhDs.
It was absolutely amazing.
Very supportive environment andeven while there I wasn't
really thinking about becoming,and even though there were
ministers who were also theregetting their degree and I
(39:44):
wasn't really thinking aboutthat until they started started
being those.
I call them human confirmations, david, and so when I started
receiving those, it took me backmentally to my own pastor when
(40:05):
I was 16 years old and I don'tknow what I had done in church
that Sunday or said but, youknow, after church you go home
with the big family, you haveyour Sunday dinners, all that
kind of stuff.
The phone rang.
Mom answered the call, she'shaving a conversation.
It was the pastor and she saysDavid, the pastor want to talk
(40:26):
to you.
And I said okay, so hello,rabbi Morgan.
And he said uh, dave, you know,head to low you know, chit chat
(40:48):
whatever not not too long.
And then he said um, god hascalled you to preach.
And I still have a littlesassiness today.
So you can imagine at 16, howsassy I was.
Even with my pastor.
I said Reverend Morgan.
I said not answered, I have notanswered.
(41:13):
That was nowhere in my thoughtit was not.
But it was so rewarding to methat when I did accept my
calling that he was still aliveand.
I was able to call him and Ithink at that point he was
probably 82 years old.
I was able to call him and lethim know I was inviting him but
(41:35):
he was not in health enough toactually come to the initial
sermon.
But he shared some veryempowering, encouraging words
and reminded me when you were 16, I told you this.
When you were 16, I told youthis and it's fine.
People are charged or encouragedto do things, you're mentored
(42:05):
to do things, you get youradvice and you know it may take
you years before you heed tothem, and that was my case in
this particular situation.
So yeah, you didn't know that.
Chantée Christian (42:12):
I did not Y'all.
I'm like, oh my goodness, Ilove that On so many different
levels.
Because one I believe that oursteps are ordered, and so often
(42:36):
we find ourselves fightingagainst the tide of the steps,
and then there comeopportunities that put us back
in alignment with the steps, andwe don't even know it.
And then there's a moment whenwe know it and then we're like
no, it can't be, it can't be.
And then when we realize it is,it's so, it's, it's actually.
(43:04):
Words are hard to put around it, because it's those moments
when you realize I'm doing whatI was put here to do and I'm
actually falling in alignmentwith what God has in store for
me, and if I just continue tokeep letting go of the wheel, he
(43:25):
will literally take it.
And so for you to say, you knowwell, I left Mason, but to come
back I had to have a master's,and I went into a class and I
was like this, ain't it?
And then you went to theologyand you were like I'm just kind
of here.
And then it was like hold on,wait a minute, you're here for a
(43:46):
reason.
And those human confirmationswere confirmations, because he
was like oh so you didn't you,you didn't you still, you still
don't get it All right, cool,let me help you Right.
And and to me that is sopowerful because that's really
when you step into who you arefully, you know.
David Atkins (44:08):
So I love that and I'm going to say the word that
just popped in my head thosehuman confirmations, which is
oftentimes not shared orreinforced with people.
What they were saying is thatyou are worthy.
Chantée Christian (44:28):
Yeah, yeah.
David Atkins (44:31):
You are worthy, yeah, and that is what I believe
I needed to hear.
Chantée Christian (44:38):
You are worthy.
Yeah, yeah.
I think that's powerful and Ithink that it's a perfect time
for me to ask you the questionthat I have been asking everyone
for all of the seasons priorwhat would you like to leave the
(44:58):
people with?
David Atkins (45:00):
Because we talked about so much we did talk about
so much, and I'm going toactually I'm going to narrow
down what I want to leave thepeople with.
Okay, and it is in the lastsection of my chapter An
(45:22):
Awareness Put you Oncommunicates where we live our
lives as we go through thisjourney in life way that
(45:50):
capitalizes on personal growthand serves as a conduit that
touches the lives of others in amanner that is positive.
And then I'm going to add onefinal note that we be as open
(46:19):
and available to those aroundyou, but be earnest at the same
time in protecting your ownwell-being.
That's all I got for you,Shantay Amen.
Chantée Christian (46:42):
I love it.
I love it.
So if the people wanted to findyou outside of going to George
Mason's campus on a random day,how could they get in touch with
you?
David Atkins (46:52):
Look for me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook.
I'm even there on Twitter, butI'm not that active there.
Chantée Christian (47:03):
And we'll have your handles in the podcast
notes so you all can find David.
You can also Google him,because Google works Okay.
David Atkins (47:14):
Google works and I'll come up.
Chantée Christian (47:16):
He will come up and I just want to say again
thank you for everything andthis is full circle for me,
right?
You joining me on Awareness,Put Me On and joining me on my
podcast is really full circle.
So, 23, 24 years later from thisperspective, and for us to have
(47:42):
started my whole PR andcommunications world together,
and then for you to be a part ofmy personal third bestselling
book, but for my company to comeout of the gate swinging with a
bestseller.
(48:02):
As a co-publisher and as avisionary for this, I could not
have thought of another personthat I wanted to share that
moment with.
So I just want to say publiclythank you.
David Atkins (48:17):
I thank you First.
I'm going to pause before Ithank you.
I want to say thank you for one, for inviting me to be a part
of something that is sotransformative, honestly, and
(48:40):
thank you for creating theplatform for Black and Brown
people.
This is absolutely amazing.
The work that you are doing isoutstanding and we are proud.
When I say we, George MasonUniversity, the Black Alumni
Chapter, we are overly proud ofyou and how you represent our
(49:03):
institution.
Thank you, Shontay.
Chantée Christian (49:07):
I received that, thank you, and we're going
to cut this because y'all arecrying.
hi, david, welcome to my podcast hi shantae
, thank you, thank you very much.
So before we get too into ourconversation, why don't you tell
the people a little bit aboutyourself?
David Atkins (00:23):
Okay, a little bit about myself.
I am David Atkins.
I am originally from a verysmall town called Jarrett,
virginia down south, and I movedup to Northern Virginia to
commence my undergraduateeducation at George Mason
(00:43):
University, where I obtained mybachelor's degree in business.
After that, I started workingin the area of student affairs,
student life and then laterattended Howard University and
obtained my master's in theology.
(01:04):
And obtained my master's intheology, and after a few years
I started working in brandmanagement, brand development
and licensing at George MasonUniversity, which is where I am
(01:25):
currently employed.
I am very active with differentsocial and community service
organizations and I currentlyreside in the I call it the
furthest aspect of NorthernVirginia Manassas, virginia.
Chantée Christian (01:48):
I do mean the furthest it is, and by the time
this airs, and actually whilewe're recording, you are a
bestselling author.
Yes, did I miss that you did,you did, you did.
David Atkins (02:09):
Yes, A best-selling author in six
wonderful categories, which isextremely exciting.
To be a not only a best-sellingauthor, but a first-time author
who is a best-selling author.
You can't beat that.
Where's the apple pie with thewhipped cream and the cherry on
(02:33):
top?
Chantée Christian (02:36):
Yes, yes, yes , yes, and I love that your
connection to Mason for so manydifferent reasons, but one of
them is because I met you in2001.
And, if I recall correctly, Iwas in your first class that you
(02:58):
taught at Mason.
David Atkins (03:00):
You were definitely in my first class
that I taught the universitytransition course it was
honestly the first time I'vetaught that class before, but it
was the very first time Itaught it to solely black and
(03:21):
Brown students and it was one ofthe most amazing experiences to
be able to fully be who you are, communicating to people who
look just like you.
It was an absolute amazingexperience.
And then we went on and decidedto bring you on to our office
(03:46):
to work as an office assistantin student union operations, and
our connection just continuedto grow Because even after you
graduated we stay connectedthrough the Black Alumni Chapter
(04:07):
, which is an organization thatI served as one of the founding
members of and the longestserving president of five years
and Shante, of course, youserved as president for, I
believe, three.
Chantée Christian (04:20):
For three, absolutely For three.
Even though I asked forimpeachment, I think on year two
you asked for impeachment butyeah, no, and because I think
and I I think I've told you thisbefore, but maybe not, but I,
working in your office, changedmy trajectories, so I had I tell
(04:50):
people this all the time myparents graduated high school,
went into the military andbecame spouses of that right,
and so they got their degreeslater in life, through you know
life and working, and then theysaid, oh, let me go back to
school for various reasons, andso I hadn't actually seen what
(05:13):
it looked like to be on acollege campus and what it all
meant outside of you know stuffon TV, but it was nothing like
that.
So in my mind I was like, ohwell, my dad is a business major
, I'll go be a business major.
And so when I came into Mason,I was all on the business side
of the house and I was like thisis not where it's at, but I
(05:37):
didn't know what else like spoketo me or what else I was good
at.
And so when I came into youroffice and we started doing that
newsletter.
David Atkins (05:46):
I was like the association of college unions,
international region for yes,and we won.
Chantée Christian (05:51):
you know, we, we won some spots, but like it
was, it was then when I realized, oh, I really like this, Like
there, there's a, there's athing that they call this, and
it was communications.
And then it was like, oh well,I don't really like the
marketing side of it, but I likethe PR side of it, right.
And so it was through workingin your office where I was able
(06:14):
to, I would say, hone that skillbut also really take the
ability and the courage to jumpinto a field that I did not know
, and at the time I give my dada lot of flack for it, but he
called it a soft skill and asoft degree.
And well, what was I going todo with it?
And I'm like, well, see, lookat what I did with it.
So, but I attribute that to thework and the opportunity that I
(06:41):
had in your office.
So if I haven't said that toyou before, I want to say thank
you.
David Atkins (06:47):
No, thank you for sharing that.
This is the first time, I thinkwe have probably had that
conversation in person.
However, I did see a post onsocial media where you mentioned
the same thing and I hadhonestly forgotten that that
happened that you?
Changed your major yeah.
Chantée Christian (07:08):
I did.
Yeah, I mean, I wish I couldhave Gracious of life.
It was one of the hardestconversations I've ever had to
have with my dad, you know,because he was the person that
was paying for my collegeeducation.
And he told me I had four yearsand I was like well, I know, I
don't have no money for no extratime, so how are we going to
(07:28):
make this happen?
Because I was so afraid to tellhim.
I didn't tell him until myjunior year.
David Atkins (07:37):
Oh, wow.
Chantée Christian (07:38):
And I didn't change it until my junior year.
I started working with you myfreshman year.
David Atkins (07:43):
Oh my goodness.
So you were taking classestowards that degree and had oh
my God, did I ever meet yourfather?
Chantée Christian (07:50):
No.
David Atkins (07:51):
OK, ok, no, Look, I had to think about him like,
oh, have you met him?
Chantée Christian (07:58):
It'll be like oh, you the one, now he will,
now he knows, he does know, andhis perspective has changed,
(08:18):
right, of course, of course.
And when he only knew themilitary, his perspective was
very straightforward and so hejust thought it was loosey,
goosey and I'm like, no, like Ican see.
It's important for you to be amentor to black and brown
students, people, right, and Ithink that one of the biggest
things that, um, I attribute toour relationship is your
(08:38):
mentorship and, whether it wasdirectly and or indirectly, it
was something that showed methat, oh wow, like I can do this
, whatever this was right, likeeven being involved with the
black alumni chapter.
That was.
(08:58):
That was a u-choice, that was ab-choice, that was anybody that
knows David Atkins knows thatDavid Atkins has a David Atkins
way, because when you call youlike hey, it was like hey, but
but you served well.
David Atkins (09:14):
You served well.
Chantée Christian (09:15):
I served well , I served for a long time,
although I will I'm openlyhonest about that.
First position as a secretarywas not my stint, that that was
not where my cert, that is notwhere my gift lies.
But after we got me in theright position, I was, I was
able to serve in a way that madesense, you know.
(09:37):
But I but I say that to say,like, when you think about
mentorship from your perspective, what is it that you see the
value in putting back into thecommunity?
David Atkins (09:57):
That is a great question comes to mind.
It is for me, mentoring is aboutpouring into people that which
has been poured into me, and sowe all have a limited capacity
that we can store withinourselves, and in order for me
(10:23):
to have more pouring into mefrom others and other mentors et
cetera, I have to release someof that positivity into other
people, one that are deservingof my mentorship.
And I think you may haverecognized over the years that
I'm very selective in terms ofwhere I spend my energy, and
(10:48):
that is tied into those that Iidentify that I believe can
benefit from my mentorship,because I'm sure you have kind
of touched on it here just a tadthat it is a unique type of
mentorship, but it is the mostsincere level of mentoring that
(11:09):
I can personally find and giveto anyone.
But it is always my hope thatpeople take what I pour into
them and not necessarilyreplicate what I'm saying or
what they see in me, but takethat information and better
(11:29):
shape who they are and what theywant to give to the world.
Chantée Christian (11:34):
Yeah, no, and I think I can speak for myself,
I can't speak for anybody elsethat there were times where I
didn't appreciate it.
David Atkins (11:44):
I know that there were times where I didn't
appreciate it.
I know.
Well, I know, I know, I know,and let me I'm going to tell you
really quick I had to get tothe point within myself to
accept that what I am giving tosome in the moment is not being
(12:05):
appreciated.
And I learned it because thosewho received from me I'm
thinking about Air Hernandez asbeing one who graduated and went
on and then came back and say Inow get it, I get what you were
doing.
Yeah, You're not always goingto get it in the moment.
Chantée Christian (12:24):
No, and I think that that's like so
important, right, becausethere's so many different
aspects of things that are goingon, and age, I feel like, plays
a part in it from a perspectiveof experience, right, right.
(12:53):
And so when you're givensomeone's insights and
experience and you haven'tgotten there yet, you're like I
don't even know what you'retalking about, you just talking,
I don't know.
And then, when it happens,you're like hold on, wait.
I've been here before, I had aconversation about this, had a
conversation about this.
This is something that I canactually, you know, implement,
apply.
Oh, wait, a minute, let me goback and like go, go, peel that
onion back a little bit morebecause, like you, right, I had
(13:14):
to realize that everything thatI was giving out to people they
weren't ready to receive itdidn't mean that I wasn't in the
right space to give it to them,it just meant that they weren't
ready for it.
And so I think that, for mespecifically, there were moments
where I was like David gets onmy nerves, all right, and then
(13:34):
something would happen and I'dbe like, I think David and I
talked about this.
Let me go back to my notes,cause even though you were
getting on my nerves or whateverit was.
I always made sure that I kepta note so that I could go back
to it, so that I could, becausejust because I don't get it now
doesn't mean that I won't needit later.
And I think that that's so keyin mentorship that people don't
(13:58):
understand it's like therelationship isn't just you give
, you give, you give and I getall that I need.
It's planting seeds, right,right, and you can plant a bunch
of seeds, and sometimes theygrow immediately, and sometimes
it takes them six months a year.
One of my friends has beentrying to grow peonies for like
five years Poor thing, like youknow, and so it's part of that
(14:23):
process when I think aboutmentorship.
Yeah, you know, and so it's.
David Atkins (14:27):
It's part of that process when I think about
mentorship.
Yeah, I was.
I'm going to add a footnote tothat, one thing that I have done
later in my life, and I amcertain that it has something to
do with my age, because Ialmost feel like the older I get
, the less patient that I have.
(14:49):
So when people seek advicebecause you know formal and
informal mentorship some peoplejust come and you know, get
advice, feedback or what haveyou.
And when those people do that,I have oftentimes responded this
way before answering theirquestion of are you ready for my
(15:10):
honest feedback?
Because that's all I'm going togive and you might not like
what I'm going to say, you mightnot like me after this, and I'm
okay with that.
Can you be okay with that?
And if your answer is yes, thenlet's have this conversation.
Chantée Christian (15:32):
Right, and I think even to that.
I think that that's one of thereasons why I started coaching.
It's because people would cometo me for advice.
I would give them not justhonest feedback, but I would
give them a path forward, andthey wouldn't take it and I
would get frustrated becausethen, a month later, they were
coming back with the sameproblem and I'm like pretty sure
(15:55):
I already told you literallywhat to do.
So when I realized that coachingwasn't what I had been doing
coaching was more so of allowingthem to get to the answer and
helping and coming from acuriosity perspective and I was
like, oh, this is different,like this is right here where I
(16:22):
need to be, because if I tellone more person how to get
somewhere and they don't gothere, I'm going to lose my mind
.
Because it was just.
It felt like when you weretalking about energy earlier.
It's like you give so muchenergy into it and then for
people to be like yeah, yeah,yeah, and they walk away and
they do the complete opposite.
It's like you want to punchthem.
It's like, come on, what areyou doing?
(16:42):
And so it is definitely one ofthe reasons why I moved to
formally coaching.
And even when people come to mefor advice like well, what is
it that you want to get out ofthis conversation?
Because it might not be what Iwant to give you.
David Atkins (16:51):
Right, right.
Chantée Christian (16:52):
Or able to.
David Atkins (16:53):
Yeah, absolutely.
Chantée Christian (16:55):
You know.
So, yeah, I love that.
So I'm curious, because I don'tthink I've ever asked you this
oh, what has made you stayaffiliated with Mason for so
long?
David Atkins (17:09):
Oh, that is a huge question, shontay, and I won't
be able to answer itmulti-dimensional because we
don't have that much time, soI'm going to try and be a little
(17:31):
more focused on one aspect,maybe one or two.
One aspect, maybe one or two.
Initially you know from the atthe time that was it 20, 20
(17:53):
years when you were at Mason.
You know, back during that timeand even before me stand at
Mason A big part of it was aboutrepresentation.
A big part of it was aboutrepresentation.
I'm an alum of Mason.
At the time that I was therethere were 15,000 students, of
(18:15):
which 500 were African-Americanstudents.
Those numbers are a littledifferent today, but as a
(18:42):
student I knew that there werevery few African-American, black
professors, administrators atthe university that I could go
to for advice, direction,feedback, growth.
Adrienne Hillary was one thatstood out or Charles Smith was
one that stood out for me, but,honestly, beyond those two.
So for me it was aboutrepresentation and making myself
available and I always saidthat I never got paid to do my
job at Mason because you onlypaid me to do that job
(19:06):
description.
In my job description it wasnot to mentor and support and be
available to African-Americanstudents, african-american
students but it's an unwrittenexpectation, honestly, whenever
an African-American is hired ata predominantly white
(19:26):
institution.
But I found enjoyment and I'mcertain that you could tell that
from the way I interacted withstudents and I remember having a
student who worked over he'sAfrican-American male, he was a
manager over in our recreationgame room facility Many times
(19:47):
and everybody worked thesedifferent shifts and so I didn't
always get to see people whoworked at night, but a lot of
times and I did it with thatarea a lot I would stop by there
at eight o'clock at night andengage and have conversation.
And it wasn't about you know theactual work function, like, how
are you doing here at theuniversity?
(20:09):
You know what challenges thatyou're dealing with.
That maybe I can assist you.
For me it was about that Now,later in life, it is about how
(20:30):
would I put it, and you may notbe able to keep this on your
recording, but it is aboutconvenience, honestly, at this
particular stage in my lifewhere I am years away from
retirement and so there's reallyno desire to make a real career
(20:53):
change or job change at thisparticular time change or job
change at this particular time.
And I say that I mean, I lovewhat I do professionally with
brand management and development, but my interaction with
students is nowhere near thesame as it was back, when my job
was focused over in studentunion management and student
(21:17):
life and working with studentsand hiring and developing them
and all that kind of stuff.
Yeah, that's why I have stayed.
That is why I have stayed atMason.
I have not and I don't know,some people may not know this
because I'm trying to think,yeah, because when you came, I
had come back.
I left Mason.
Chantée Christian (21:38):
Oh, I never knew you weren't famous.
David Atkins (21:40):
Exactly, I left Mason for a year and a half and
went to work at the Universityof Maryland at Baltimore.
It is the professional campusabout 5,000 students, doctors,
nurses, what have you is not farfrom the harbor in Baltimore.
(22:00):
I worked there was the directorof housing and the student
union.
There was a unique situationbecause their student union had
housing on the top floor but itdid not how would I put it?
It did not serve me a hundredpercent.
It was early in my professionand I did it to determine if I
(22:24):
wanted to work or stay instudent unions or work in
housing, and I learned therethat housing is not where I
wanted to dedicate myprofessional life, and so when
Mason had an opportunity to workback in student unions, I
applied and got hired back andI've been back ever since.
(22:45):
So I did test the waters atanother university.
Chantée Christian (22:49):
I'm telling you, you learn something new
every day.
You learn something new everyday.
I think that there's so muchpower in the longevity Right
because, regardless of whenpeople graduated from Mason,
(23:15):
nine times out of 10, they knowyour name.
Mason, nine times out of 10,they know your name.
And so when I think about youand your tenure at Mason, I
think about the legacy.
And so then my question to youis when you think because you
said you're at this point, youknow in your career which, I
(23:35):
believe, most people that whenthey get to the point of
retirement being a clock away,they're like you know what?
We almost there, we're almostthere.
And I wonder, when you thinkabout the legacy that you have
left and are leaving at Mason,what is that, or what will it be
(24:00):
?
David Atkins (24:01):
Oh, that's an awesome.
That is an awesome question.
Do you know?
I never look at legacy likethat oh it is, but I know people
do.
I think when I have been mostimpactful at Mason, it has
(24:31):
really been.
It has really been in mentoringstudents, because that grows
and expands, you know, to otherpeople through their body,
through their own body.
But to be even more specific,it has really been with Alpha
(24:52):
Phi.
Alpha that I have found at theuniversity number one, excuse me
and advised officially onbehalf of the university for 10
years and working withspecifically African-American
(25:15):
males on a daily basis.
And when I talk to you aboutbeing present and visible and
answering my phone call at 2 amin the morning from one of them
because they havea challengethat they need some counseling
(25:36):
with, for me that's what mylegacy represents.
Yeah, and I'm almost.
I feel like I'm just gettingemotional just thinking about it
, because I can remember andvisually see the person calling
me at 2 am in the morning,because I remember these
conversations.
It is that and those are thethings that the university on a
(25:59):
whole don't see.
They don't see that and I'msure some of that probably
happens in other arenas andareas of the university.
But they don't see that becausemy job function don't
communicate that, that is anexpectation or something that
you would even think about.
(26:20):
And I do those things withouteven communicating or talking
about that, even within theworkplace.
They're just done because it isjust a part of who I am.
I don't even think Inecessarily.
I think at some point I think Ijust no longer really
associated it with my job or myworkplace.
It is who I am and is how Iwant to serve the community.
Chantée Christian (26:44):
Yeah, I love that.
So I'm curious you said youdon't think about legacy that
way, but you know people do.
So how do you typically thinkabout legacy?
David Atkins (26:54):
I don't, I don't think, I think, I think I here's
a good example, I think I thinkabout legacy as actually
something that.
I even wrote in my bio andawareness put me on because it
(27:15):
was something that I learnedlater.
Chantée Christian (27:16):
Y'all can't see me, but I just grabbed the
book.
David Atkins (27:23):
I'm trying to see what he said when I like I think
a legacy like oh, my greatgreat grandmother Founded the
first school in Jarrett,virginia, for African-Americans
Americans.
My great-great-grandmotherfounded the church that served
African Americans in mycommunity.
(27:45):
Now, as a child, if someonetold me that that existed, that
she did that, that that was apart of our family history, I do
not recall it.
I do not recall it.
But as I got older and it wasbeing communicated, I was like
no, because okay, so my great,great, great great grandmother
(28:08):
founded the school JeffersonSchool.
Okay, years later the statetook over the school you know,
built a whole new school andthey called it Jefferson
elementary school and they namedit in honor of my great great
grandmother.
(28:28):
Our family, because of herstarting that school, called
Jefferson school.
So for me that's how I thinkno-transcript that's, that's
(29:13):
legacy, that's how I see legacy,and I do know that legacy is
seen all different kinds of ways.
Chantée Christian (29:19):
And.
David Atkins (29:19):
I see it as the way that I kind of described it
to you earlier, but I usuallysee it more in a structural
format.
Chantée Christian (29:26):
Yeah, that's interesting.
I like to think of legacy.
Well, first of all, I'll sayyour great, great grandmother
was.
She was bad.
Yes, she was bad, because whenyou think about the time frame
that she was doing this type ofstuff, it's groundbreaking,
literally.
Um, I like to think of legacy asimprints, right, so we leave
(29:52):
imprints and places that we'reat, and so I think that
sometimes people think aboutlegacy from a longevity
perspective.
Sometimes I think it can be notas long as people think, right.
And so it's the imprints right,because it doesn't mean it's
(30:22):
not about the job description.
Those things are very rarelyarticulated and expressed.
It's about all the other things, right, like me doing the
newsletter and all of that stuff.
It was a part of the job ingeneral, but the actual support
and the going back and forthwith the edits and how do we get
(30:45):
a story and the ideation, andall those things had nothing to
do with the job description.
It had everything to do with,for me, the imprint right, and
it's a lasting imprint.
And so when I think aboutlegacy, I think about the actual
imprint that you have left, andwhen I think about for me,
(31:06):
right, when I think about yourlegacy at Mason, excuse me, I
think about the imprints on thestudents' lives that had these
rippling effects right, becauseyou had an impact on my life and
, specifically, I've had animpact in other people's lives.
So the scholarships that we'vegiven out and the things like
(31:28):
some of those people have becomepeople that I mentor, right,
and that will call me in themidst of a storm, or their jobs
are being like how do I navigatethe spaces, and all the things,
but that was because of aninitial imprint, that I've been
able to leave an imprint Right,and so I think about legacy from
(31:50):
from that perspective.
David Atkins (31:52):
So it's really cool to hear how how you have
you have framed legacy and Ilove everything that you just
said about defining that andtotally support it.
But I would also tie it intoleadership and following the
(32:12):
footsteps up because for me, aslike, oh, she followed my
footsteps as being the presidentof the Black Student and, I'm
sorry, the Black Alumni Chapterand to be in this, moment with
(32:33):
you is just absolutely amazingand I've done that with other.
I mean it was Ryan, ryan Laurie,who was probably one of the.
He was probably one of thethird most formalized mentorship
relationships that gotdeveloped and he also followed
(32:57):
the footsteps and becamepresident for three years of the
Black Alumni Chapter.
The imprint the imprintsbecause of that is one of the
(33:25):
major Donors to the black alumnichapter because of those
imprints and you know, I'm surehis experience and others
experience that Mason wasenhanced by other things.
Chantée Christian (33:43):
But I would like to also think that it was
also enhanced because of thoseimprints by me.
I mean, they had a place.
They had a place, no, just alittle place.
I mean, I think, and I thinkthat that's true, right, when I
think about, when you thinkabout your time at Mason as a
student, there's so many factorsand pivotal moments, right, and
for me, there are key ones,though, that literally changed
(34:06):
everything and anyone that hasbeen following my journey.
I got my MBA right after I leftMason, so I still ended up doing
business, right, right, youknow it.
It just was different.
I went to it with a differentperspective.
I went to it with anorganizational behavior and
organizational designperspective which a lot of
(34:28):
people don't know.
Right, and unless youunderstand that that's what I've
done, and so, over the years,for me to still be focusing on
human dynamics through coachingand through the way that I
consult and all the other things, is it started, though, with a
seed that was planted thatwasn't even supposed to, when
(34:51):
you look at it on paper, to bethat right?
And so for me, it's thosemoments where it's like, yeah, I
had a lot of things thathappened at Mason that were, you
know, exciting and amazing, butthere were some key moments
that literally shifted how Imove and how I've done
(35:14):
everything then after move andhow I've done everything.
David Atkins (35:21):
Then, after Wow you used the term seeds.
That just hit a chord for me,because some people in my what
happened?
I went to Howard, and let mepause.
(35:44):
Before I went to Howard, I wentto Mason and started studying
(36:06):
sociology.
And so, david, why were youstudying sociology at Mason?
Why were you first?
Why were you even seeking amaster's degree?
Well, here you go.
When I was rehired at Mason, youknow, I told you I left four
(36:28):
year and a half and I came backwhen I was rehired.
I was rehired under thecontingency that I would get a
master's degree, which is verynormal in the profession of, you
know, working with students.
Yeah, I'm like, okay.
So I said I'll just, you know,go to Mason.
(36:50):
You get, you know, credit hours, whatever, free pay for it,
based on your tuition benefits,whatever.
So, okay, I'll do that.
And enrolled in Mason and tookthat sociology class and sat in
that first class, I was likethis is not, you know, because I
like engaging with people.
So I was like you know, workingwith people.
I thought this was a thing.
(37:10):
This is not, you know, becauseI like engaging with people.
So I was like you know, workingwith people.
I thought this was a thing,this is not me.
So I stopped that and happenedto walk in the office of the
assistant director forprogramming in student I think
it was called student activitiesback then an African-American
woman who was a then and stillis a member of Alpha, kappa
(37:36):
Alpha, and she had on her desk abook, a catalog for Duke
University Divinity School, andI was like what is this?
And it just struck me.
(37:59):
It struck me and then I startedresearching.
I researched Duke and I waslike, well, that's not going to
be that feasible.
I'm working and living here innorthern Virginia.
And so I think she at thatmoment, or a little different
moment, shared with me about theHoward University School of
Divinity and I researched thatand decided to apply, got
(38:23):
accepted.
Now, listen, I didn't go totheology school to be a minister
.
Chantée Christian (38:31):
Wait a minute .
David Atkins (38:34):
Did I not say that I have an interesting journey
in life?
Yes, I did.
I did not go to theology schoolto become a minister.
I went there, one to satisfy arequirement of my hiring
condition, fair, and two, it wasa topic or a study area that
(38:58):
was of interest to me.
I'm certain that it was aninterest to me based on my life
experiences, and so I studiedthere and it was an amazing,
remarkable experience.
I had never had that type ofeducation before and in every
(39:21):
class, for the exception ofmaybe two professors, all being
African-American men and womenwith PhDs.
It was absolutely amazing.
Very supportive environment andeven while there I wasn't
really thinking about becoming,and even though there were
ministers who were also theregetting their degree and I
(39:44):
wasn't really thinking aboutthat until they started started
being those.
I call them human confirmations, david, and so when I started
receiving those, it took me backmentally to my own pastor when
(40:05):
I was 16 years old and I don'tknow what I had done in church
that Sunday or said but, youknow, after church you go home
with the big family, you haveyour Sunday dinners, all that
kind of stuff.
The phone rang.
Mom answered the call, she'shaving a conversation.
It was the pastor and she saysDavid, the pastor want to talk
(40:26):
to you.
And I said okay, so hello,rabbi Morgan.
And he said uh, dave, you know,head to low you know, chit chat
(40:48):
whatever not not too long.
And then he said um, god hascalled you to preach.
And I still have a littlesassiness today.
So you can imagine at 16, howsassy I was.
Even with my pastor.
I said Reverend Morgan.
I said not answered, I have notanswered.
(41:13):
That was nowhere in my thoughtit was not.
But it was so rewarding to methat when I did accept my
calling that he was still aliveand.
I was able to call him and Ithink at that point he was
probably 82 years old.
I was able to call him and lethim know I was inviting him but
(41:35):
he was not in health enough toactually come to the initial
sermon.
But he shared some veryempowering, encouraging words
and reminded me when you were 16, I told you this.
When you were 16, I told youthis and it's fine.
People are charged or encouragedto do things, you're mentored
(42:05):
to do things, you get youradvice and you know it may take
you years before you heed tothem, and that was my case in
this particular situation.
So yeah, you didn't know that.
Chantée Christian (42:12):
I did not Y'all.
I'm like, oh my goodness, Ilove that On so many different
levels.
Because one I believe that oursteps are ordered, and so often
(42:36):
we find ourselves fightingagainst the tide of the steps,
and then there comeopportunities that put us back
in alignment with the steps, andwe don't even know it.
And then there's a moment whenwe know it and then we're like
no, it can't be, it can't be.
And then when we realize it is,it's so, it's, it's actually.
(43:04):
Words are hard to put around it, because it's those moments
when you realize I'm doing whatI was put here to do and I'm
actually falling in alignmentwith what God has in store for
me, and if I just continue tokeep letting go of the wheel, he
(43:25):
will literally take it.
And so for you to say, you knowwell, I left Mason, but to come
back I had to have a master's,and I went into a class and I
was like this, ain't it?
And then you went to theologyand you were like I'm just kind
of here.
And then it was like hold on,wait a minute, you're here for a
(43:46):
reason.
And those human confirmationswere confirmations, because he
was like oh so you didn't you,you didn't you still, you still
don't get it All right, cool,let me help you Right.
And and to me that is sopowerful because that's really
when you step into who you arefully, you know.
David Atkins (44:08):
So I love that and I'm going to say the word that
just popped in my head thosehuman confirmations, which is
oftentimes not shared orreinforced with people.
What they were saying is thatyou are worthy.
Chantée Christian (44:28):
Yeah, yeah.
David Atkins (44:31):
You are worthy, yeah, and that is what I believe
I needed to hear.
Chantée Christian (44:38):
You are worthy.
Yeah, yeah.
I think that's powerful and Ithink that it's a perfect time
for me to ask you the questionthat I have been asking everyone
for all of the seasons priorwhat would you like to leave the
(44:58):
people with?
David Atkins (45:00):
Because we talked about so much we did talk about
so much, and I'm going toactually I'm going to narrow
down what I want to leave thepeople with.
Okay, and it is in the lastsection of my chapter An
(45:22):
Awareness Put you Oncommunicates where we live our
lives as we go through thisjourney in life way that
(45:50):
capitalizes on personal growthand serves as a conduit that
touches the lives of others in amanner that is positive.
And then I'm going to add onefinal note that we be as open
(46:19):
and available to those aroundyou, but be earnest at the same
time in protecting your ownwell-being.
That's all I got for you,Shantay Amen.
Chantée Christian (46:42):
I love it.
I love it.
So if the people wanted to findyou outside of going to George
Mason's campus on a random day,how could they get in touch with
you?
David Atkins (46:52):
Look for me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook.
I'm even there on Twitter, butI'm not that active there.
Chantée Christian (47:03):
And we'll have your handles in the podcast
notes so you all can find David.
You can also Google him,because Google works Okay.
David Atkins (47:14):
Google works and I'll come up.
Chantée Christian (47:16):
He will come up and I just want to say again
thank you for everything andthis is full circle for me,
right?
You joining me on Awareness,Put Me On and joining me on my
podcast is really full circle.
So, 23, 24 years later from thisperspective, and for us to have
(47:42):
started my whole PR andcommunications world together,
and then for you to be a part ofmy personal third bestselling
book, but for my company to comeout of the gate swinging with a
bestseller.
(48:02):
As a co-publisher and as avisionary for this, I could not
have thought of another personthat I wanted to share that
moment with.
So I just want to say publiclythank you.
David Atkins (48:17):
I thank you First.
I'm going to pause before Ithank you.
I want to say thank you for one, for inviting me to be a part
of something that is sotransformative, honestly, and
(48:40):
thank you for creating theplatform for Black and Brown
people.
This is absolutely amazing.
The work that you are doing isoutstanding and we are proud.
When I say we, George MasonUniversity, the Black Alumni
Chapter, we are overly proud ofyou and how you represent our
(49:03):
institution.
Thank you, Shontay.
Chantée Christian (49:07):
I received that, thank you, and we're going
to cut this because y'all arecrying.
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