Leaders to Leaders 12-1-2011

 On Thursday, December 1, Mr. Jamel Perkins came to talk at Oracle’s inaugural meeting of the Leaders to Leaders speaker series.  Mr. Perkins, the former CIO of Delaware North, Assistant VP at Bank of America, and current professor at Canisius College's MBA program, took the time to meet with 20 students from Oracle Charter School to share his personal and professional experiences with the group of young leaders.  Mr. Perkins, who grew up in the Buffalo area, spoke of the power of self-actualization, a concept he discovered while he was in high school.  He discussed the importance of goals and perseverance, particularly in the face of uncertainty (taking risks) and loss (Mr. Perkins lost several family members within a year of one another).  His empowering message, combined with his wide sweeping interests (he produces music and has been a competitive snowboarder), served as powerful connectors to students who reflected on how his life story could help them establish and reach their own goals.