Jul 22, 2024
BTE Student Stories
“‘Have a plan, plan to work, and work the plan,’” Pathways Alum Timi Adeshokan recites. This is the advice he received while interviewing a professional during the Pathway to Success program. “And that has been the golden advice. I use that advice for everything,” Timi says – for school, for planning his engineering career path, for his military development, and even for preparing for this interview.
Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Timi moved to the United States with his father and some of his siblings when he was 14 years old. Entering a new school system in a new country, Timi’s school counselor recommended he join Bridge to Employment.
“BTE helped me stay disciplined and focused,” Timi says. “I had a fantastic experience in BTE and applied for Pathways.”
The Academic Part
The programs, which encourage students to explore STEM2D and healthcare pathways as they develop key college and career readiness skills, turned out to be a great fit. Timi was already interested in engineering, having developed a knack for fixing flashlights while in Nigeria. “When I thought about engineers, I thought, engineers solve problems. BTE and Pathways have helped me explore deeper.” Timi’s on track to complete his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering next year.
“When you chase a goal and finally accomplish that goal, it’s a different feeling. If you don’t set goals, you won’t get anywhere,” Timi shares. Applying this focus, Timi recently earned his associate project management certificate (CAPM) – an important step toward his larger goal of becoming a project manager.
Keeping a clear vision of the future and sticking to goals isn’t always easy, though. “In 2022, I actually was going to leave school. I was just going to become an electrician, even though I didn’t have a solid plan on how I would do that.” The people Timi met through Pathways, however, encouraged him to keep striving toward his vision of success. “Pathways has been like a guiding rock for me. Through Pathways, I met a lady who told me, ‘You’re a junior, you’re almost done. My son was in the same boat as you, and I told him to finish college. Then, if you want to do something else, go ahead.’ It encouraged me to keep pushing.”
The People Part
Timi visits New York City
While academic exploration and skill building have been important components of BTE and Pathways, Timi says, “My favorite part of the program is the people I get to work with and the knowledge I get to learn from them. You get to meet people from all walks of life. The majority of the people I’ve met have had a positive impact on my life.”
He has plenty of examples, too. “My BTE group leader was Mr. Mel Thompson. Just seeing another successful man, how he handles things, his composure – that gave me a role model. It gave me another idea of what it means to be a man.”
“Ms. Erica Spangler [BTE Site Coordinator] showed me what it means to be a servant leader. She would try her best to incorporate our feedback. Seeing her do that has had a positive impact on my life as a team leader. I ask my team, ‘How can I help?’”
“Ms. Yezenia Ramos [Global BTE Champion] and Mrs. Tiffany Nesbey [Pathways Project Director] worked with me during my internship with Trane Technologies. I had a project for a regional and national level competition. Ms. Yezenia and Mrs. Tiffany would review my slides and they would pick up on little things like the pages being misnumbered – I learned from them that sometimes you have to pay attention to little details. We won the regional level – it’s because of their help that I was able to win.”
Timi has seen the skills he’s learned in BTE and Pathways – emotional intelligence, empathy, conflict resolution, and collaboration – translate into other parts of his life, helping him talk and work with people from all over the world.
The Military Part
Timi would have completed his degree this May. However, he is also part of the National Guard and is currently on deployment. He was inspired to join first ROTC and then the National Guard following Hurricane Maria, sharing, “I would like to be part of the disaster response team if that ever happened in Pennsylvania.”
In this field of Timi’s life, he says, BTE and Pathways have also made an impact.
“When you’re on a 9-month deployment, if you get in a fight, it’s not like you can leave,” Timi says, “You sleep and eat in the same place. It’s better to squash the beef immediately and come up with a compromise. That is a skill I learned in BTE. I definitely did not learn that on my own or from watching YouTube videos.”
Timi has also taken to heart that all the services he’s received through BTE and Pathways were provided for free. “We never had to pay a single dime,” he says, “I learned what it means to be kind. It’s taking care of other people. We’re going to go through the good times and the bad times together – it’s better that we try to take care of each other. That’s something I learned from being in the program.”
Looking Forward
Timi visits a Community Garden with his cohort
As Timi achieves goals and sets new ones, makes plans and schedules, and works his plans, he also takes time to reflect. He sees the positive impacts the Pathways program has had, not only on himself but on others. And he looks for opportunities to keep making a positive impact in the world around him.
“Knowing that my family in Nigeria counts on me inspires me to keep driving forward,” Timi shares. “It’s a responsible thing to lift those around you if you are in a position to do so. This value pushes me to do my best.”
One way Timi hopes to contribute is “to solve the problem with the electrical grid in Nigeria. They need people with integrity in the business. I’d gladly be on the team – it’s a cause I believe in.”
One step at a time, Timi will keep turning plans into achievements.