NSBE - March/April 2009 - 9

“I think your life is full of opportunities and full of greatness!” — Brother E.D. Khalil: How old were you when you realized you wanted to become an engineer? Brother e.D.: I was a senior in high school. I didn’t want to become an engineer. My counselors saw that I was good in math and science, so they told me they wanted me to become an engineer. I didn’t know anything about engineering. I thought an engineer was someone who drove a train…. At your age, you know more about engineering than I did when I left for college because of what you learned in the SEEK camp. Kalonji: What made you want to start SEEK summer camp? Brother e.D.: Several reasons: There are not a lot of blacks going into engineering, and the reason why we’re not going into engineering is because we don’t know about engineering. By the time we learn about going into engineering, it’s too late. We don’t have our study skills or math skills down to a science. So, I wanted to start a camp that would get to you early, (when) you’re very young…. I want to bring as many blacks in engineering around you as possible. So, when you go to school, you’ll think, “Maybe I want to become an engineer.” …I’m trying to expose as many black children to engineering at an early age as I can so that I can produce hundreds of thousands of young black engineers. Khalil: Do you want your children to become engineers? Brother e.D.: Absolutely! As a matter of fact, I want you both and my sons to go to the Naval Academy. It’s one of the best engineering schools in the world and it could potentially be a free education. That education right now is valued at $350,000 for four years! I got a chance to ride in a submarine with the commander of the USS Texas. This submarine is the most technologically advanced submarine in the world! I was watching young boys who had finished at Annapolis…commanding this multibillion-dollar piece of equipment, and the entire crew was answering to them. So, when you get ready to go to college, I want you to always think about going to the best schools. If you continue on the route that your mother and father have you on now, there are phenomenal opportunities out there, if you are prepared. Your brain will get you everything you need! www.nsbe.org Kalonji: What piece of advice would you give us? Brother e.D.: Listen to your parents! Always be very good boys and be respectful, just like you are now. Your mother and father have you on the right track. You’re not their equal; you don’t know what they know. So, you should always be respectful and listen to them. They will always tell you to do good in school. So, when it comes to school, take it seriously. Do your homework before you play with your friends. Work before you play. Khalil: Is there anything else you’d like to share? Brother e.D.: Yes. I want to tell you how proud I am of your mother and your father. Right now, what scares me the most is that most black children — over half of all black children — are dropping out of school…. Your mom and dad have done an excellent job. I want you to always think about (how) everything you do is a reflection of them. If you do something bad, they’re going to be embarrassed by it, our people are going to be embarrassed by it. But, you can make us so very proud, just like Barack (Obama) became a senator first, and now the president…. I think your life is full of opportunities and full of greatness! My second piece of advice is this: I want you to always know who you are as black people. So, I’m going to give you a gift. This is a copy of my Black History Month Calendar. Every day, it features someone out of black history. It takes about two minutes a day to read about these great African Americans. When I learned about black history and began to understand the experiences of our people in this country and how wrong this country had been to us…I made a decision as an educated black man that I owe. I have a responsibility to stand up against injustice….There are a lot of young black kids coming behind you who have no knowledge of you (or) you of them, but you owe them.■ Kimberly K. Parker is a parent liaison for Prince George’s County Public Schools and the author of “Out of the Mouths of Babes: Spiritual Insights for Practical Living” and “I Am Somebody!” (www.writingmomma.com). She and her husband, the Rev. Kenneth A. Parker, a principal for D.C. Public Schools, live in Temple Hills, Md. The Parkers have four children: Kalani, Kalonji, Khalil and Bricen, a history major in his second year at Virginia Union University. • march/april 2009 • 9

NSBE - March/April 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - March/April 2009