04:50
Interview
If you’re going to be a trailblazer, you must be your authentic self. You’ll get lost otherwise.
About Angelou
- I was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- I knew from a young age that I loved the outdoors—I often got the chance to take a break from my urban city and spend summers at my family’s 54-acre plot of land in upstate New York.
- I was striving to become a famous actress, but my plans took a turn when my parents decided I needed to move to the South and transfer to Spelman College, an all-women school.
- While studying for my bachelor’s degree, I took a family member’s advice and changed my major from drama to English, which I’d be able to apply to many career fields if I wanted to.
- I realized I wanted to go into a career field that would allow me to impact the world, so I decided to go to law school.
- While practicing corporate law as an attorney for the State of New Jersey, I realized that it wasn’t quite the right fit for me.
- I transitioned to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and worked on farmland preservation.
- After feeling lonely as one of very few Black women in my field, I started the Greening Youth Foundation, which provides opportunities in conservation and sustainability for underrepresented youth.