“The first day of school is the beginning of a new chapter in life”.
(Unknown)
What’s the best that can happen? This is one of my new mantras for 2024. I started leveraging this within the work environment and decided to expand to the Walk into the Future blog.
This is a simple question with the potential for huge returns in daily life and activities.
I decided to bring this concept to life for the first day of the 2024 – 2025 academic year. The first day is always filled with excitement and the promise of big things happening with campus partners, students and employers looking to hire talent.
I made a promise to one of my friends to wear a tuxedo on the first day of classes last year. We laughed at the concept at the time but agreed we would rock tuxedos and walk around so students could see how great we looked. This would have been out of character for both of us, so we were sure to get some weird looks and questions from students, faculty and staff. Why are you wearing tuxedos to work? Well, the first day of school came and went last year but I did not wear my tuxedo as planned. My friend Frank passed away unexpectedly, and I didn’t feel right wearing my tuxedo. I didn’t want to have to explain why I was wearing the tuxedo—thought it was too soon to complete the agreement and didn’t want others to feel bad.
So, fast forward to this year and my mindset has changed. What’s the best that can happen? Wearing the tuxedo was a great way to honor the agreement I made with Frank and put a smile on the face of others. Not many people knew about the agreement so my tuxedo entrance at work caught a few people off guard in a good way.
The ironic aspect of my first day of school outfit was the impact it had on different generations.
People close to my age focused on the tuxedo, my shirt and tie. They were extremely complimentary of my formal outfit and how it made me stand out.
What’s the best that can happen? The students had a completely different view of my outfit. I decided to add a little flair to my outfit by rocking blue and white Air Jordan 1’s instead of formal dress shoes. Wanted to have fun with the outfit and the Air Jordan 1’s gave me a way to enhance my outfit and create conversations at the same time.
Students that never would have approached me kept coming up to introduce themselves and ask me about my J’s (that’s what young people call Jordan Brand shoes). Had no idea what they were talking about but played it off since they were interested in talking to me. The students did not view me as an Associate Vice President but a fellow sneaker head who likes to wear formal clothing while rocking J’s. 😊 The day was filled with smiles, laughter and bonding over my decision to finally wear my tuxedo to work.
My colleagues were curious as to why I was wearing a tuxedo to work and were understanding when I told them the true reason why I wore the tuxedo. I decided it was time to honor an agreement I made, and they fully supported it once I let them in on the secret.
What’s the best that can happen on the first day of school? Rocking a tuxedo with J’s is a great way to get multiple generations talking and sharing experiences. I had the most fun just walking around and saying hello to people—the outfit seemed to disarm folks and made them want to chat.
The experience was great for me and I’m happy I completed the pledge. Will I rock a tuxedo again next year? Yep, I will bring the outfit out again to connect with the next wave of students. What’s the best that can happen? You decide!
Irie!
“The first day of school is a blank page in the journey of education”.
(Unknown)
Walk Into the Future 