“Nelson Mandela said, ‘I never lose. I either win or learn,’” said Vanessa Cooksey, senior vice president of community affairs for Wells Fargo Advisors. Just as the individual recognition portion of the St. Louis American Foundation’s 7th annual Young Leaders Awards and Networking Reception was preparing to kick off, she articulated the feeling in the atmosphere at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis on Thursday, February 23.
“Tonight I am honored to celebrate each of your wins and your lessons,” Cooksey said. “On your journey you have lived well, you have laughed often and you have loved much. You have gained the respect of children and elders and you are leaving the world a better place than you found it. You look for the best in others and you give the best of yourself.”
The warm and fuzzy feeling was a recurring theme as sponsors and mistress of ceremonies Carol Daniel, KMOX news anchor, shared encouraging words directed towards the 20 honorees who made their way across the stage.
“Let me just say, ‘Aww,’” Daniel said. “I mean, really. I’m in a hard industry. I’m giving you bad news every hour of the day – I’m giving you information too, please know that. But just to see you sends chills from my red patent leather sling-back low heels all the way up to my freshly done sista-locs. I feel a chill and a sense of pride tonight.”
As it has been since the inception of the Salute to Young Leaders, the careers of 20 honorees ran the gamut – they are entrepreneurs, engineers, sales professionals, educators, bankers and not-for-profit managers. Testaments of their affiliations and community service efforts would serve as the extent of the brief formal program, with the exception of brief remarks from sponsors Wells Fargo Advisors, the Regional Business Council, Edward Jones, Webster University and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
“People often say, ‘You’re our future,’” said Kathy Osborn, executive director of the Regional Business Council. “You’re not our future. You’re our present. You have a lot more that you’re going to do. You’ve got the brains, the energy and the determination to really do special things here. Our job is to open our networks to you – and clear the way.”
Osborn singled out Kayla Thompson. In addition to her work as Lee Hamilton Elementary site-coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, Thompson founded The Finesse Center in honor of her brother Tyrell Thompson. She lost Tyrell and their father Tyrone Thompson to gun violence within the span of five years.
“What this woman is about is the amazing thing she did when she lost her father and her brother and she made a positive thing out of it,” Osborn said.
Webster University President Beth Stroble pointed out the number of alums from her school that were being recognized.
“Four of the 20 are Webster alums – that’s 20 percent,” Stroble said. “This is a time where we know we need to lift our voices for all the things that we care about – equality, opportunity, success for all, safety.”
Stroble also proudly noted that Webster has graduated more African Americans with master’s degrees than any private or public non-profit university in the United States, which was met with rousing applause.
“Tell people what you felt here tonight – not just what you saw, but what you felt here tonight,” Daniel said.
“I want you to remember who you saw tonight, the titles you heard, the organizations they created and the giving they are doing. I want you to think about that when negativity tries to enter in, rise up and take away the positive energy that they have established here tonight. Mix it up with your own hope and your own aspirations and say, ‘What can I do?’”
