Hello, my name is Kenya Matthews and I am a 5 8" 200 lbs.36 year old mother of four children ages 19, 17, 16, and 7 and the wife of a wonderful husband Robert. I grew up on the south side of Pittsburgh in the Knoxville / Beltzhoover area. I believe in networking, growing in all aspects and continuous learning so that I can not only help myself but others. I had my first child at the age of 17 and had 3 children by 21st birthday! Instead of allowing my circumstances to deter me from becoming a productive member of society, I made it my motivation to become prodigious, so that I could be a positive role model for my children, family and friends. While at times, the balancing of full-time employment in a management position, with course work and family demands was challenging, I never-the-less continued to meet my deadlines and earn my Bachelor degree in Information Technology and Information Assurance graduating Cum Laude in May 2014. I am currently in Graduate school obtaining my Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, while also working full-time in Information Technology as an Analyst. Working in the IT field can be challenging as a black woman, and on top of that, I am the only African American person in my department. Breaking barriers.
My various life experiences have taught me the value of perseverance, dedication, and determination to embrace many challenges. Early in life, I learned the meaning of family unity through difficult times and sharing with others. It was these experiences that shaped my steps in wanting to give back to the community and to become a life-long learner. I believe that my Master’s degree will assist me in enhancing my critical thinking skills and problem-based learning abilities to become an effective and motivational leader for others. For these reasons and more, I am a Beautiful, Brown, Bold, Woman!
