By: MMM Editorial Team
You’ve likely heard of rapper Ice Cube, former NFL Hall of Famer James Lofton and even Barbara Billingsley of Leave it to Beaver– all of whom graduated from George Washington Preparatory Senior High in South Central Los Angeles. But they’re not the only accomplished alumni. Sophia Casey is another graduate that must also be noted among them. Casey, a Master Certified Coach (MCC) and the creator of ICLI RISING, the International Coaching & Leadership Institute Rising, has reached the highest level in her profession, and is one of the only black women MCC’s in the entire world out of a total of 2,200.
Casey attended the school during the tenure of principal George J. McKenna III, who was immortalized by Denzel Washington in the movie The George McKenna Story. Since graduating in 1984, she has worked with two presidential administrations where was on a task force that was responsible for reinventing and creating government programs, many of which Americans use every day. Because of her commitment to delivering world class customer service, a former VP's senior advisor gave Casey the title, "Director of First Impressions.” Casey was also on the history-making campaign call, Win with Black Women, for presidential candidate, and current Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris.
Reflecting on her time at George Washington Prep, Casey said, "I’ve been thinking how fortunate we were, although many would not see it that way because of our surroundings/underrepresented communities," she said. "We had a principal and teachers that cared about our education and LOVED their work. Unfortunately, education hasn’t been put at the forefront, teachers are not paid their worth, therefore, teachers are leaving, and college students aren’t even pursuing education as a career."
“I’ve also been thinking about how so many leadership qualities still get me by watching the faculty's commitment to their craft, how much they trusted us to be creative, and how committed they were to the community. I started a group called Africans for Justice, and was a part of the honor Society. Those two experiences along with having teachers who introduced me to Shakespeare and the Renaissance. I know now had a profound impact on my desire to be a teacher, and now a trainer,” she added.
Casey says she’s often the only Black woman in these spaces and wants to raise awareness about this work to inspire the next generation to become accomplished life coaches as well because it’s allowed her to be in the room with not only two Presidents and a VP but also Google, Target and TJMaxx execs!
Interested in talking with Sophia Casey about how her schooling at George Washington Prep helped to contribute to her becoming the highly accomplished coach she is today? Contact publicist Brian Geldin at bgeldin@tiannamanon.com to set up an interview.
Comments