Behind the Scenes at the White House

Last summer, National Student Advisory Council member Odunola “Ola” Ojewumi was an intern at the White House, where she hosted a briefing on the importance of youth mentorship in low-income communities. Last month, Ojewumi spoke with the White House’s Andrea Turk about how she became the director of services at the president’s house.

What does it mean to you, as an African American woman, to work for the first African American president?

It means a lot, but probably not for the reasons you might think. As a returning student, I was enrolled in the seminar in political science course. My professor asked the students who believed that Sen. Obama would win the Democratic nomination and win the presidency to sit on one side. Those who thought otherwise were [asked] to sit on the opposite side. I was sitting by myself! Some thought he would win the nomination but lose the race, and others didn’t give him a chance at either. Not only did I believe both, but I predicted that he would be president of the United States after hearing him speak during the Democratic convention in 2004. Yes, this presidency means a lot to me, but not only because I’m an African American woman. This presidency means a lot because the president has been an incredible leader who energized so many Americans — and it allows me to say “I told you so” to everyone who doubted what I was saying.

In 1987, you began your academic career as a student at Florida A&M University. You returned to college much later in life upon realizing the importance of an education. Can you describe the struggles and challenges you faced as an older student returning to college?

Honestly, my main challenge was convincing people that I was 37 years old. I may have pulled out my driver’s license 40 times before word spread around campus that I was telling the truth about my age. When I left school in the early 1990s, it was because I wasn’t focused or mature enough to apply myself. … While I didn’t do well in school, I continued to work hard and gained a lot of valuable experience working in the private and public sectors. My work experience actually helped shape my educational goals, and this experience allowed me to bring a lot of professional experience into the classroom. My maturity and focus made me rise above potential distractions and keep my eye on earning my degrees — with honors.

Your journey to the White House has been remarkable. You began as an intern, and now you serve as director of White House services. Can you describe your experiences as one of the administration’s first interns during the summer of 2009?

As an intern, I realized the magnitude of the opportunity and was determined not to squander one moment of it. I didn’t know what the organization’s personnel structure would be, but I assumed that I would be one of the older interns. I knew that I probably had more real-world work experience than most of the interns would have, so I decided I didn’t want to force myself or what I knew on anyone. I did, however, want to be a resource to my team and to be looked upon as someone that everyone could count on. I worked hard and volunteered for every event. I absorbed everything and noted whenever someone made a statement that motivated me. The experience was, and is, awesome. I am still giddy whenever I go in to work.

What has been the biggest struggle or obstacle you have faced in your journey to the White House?

My main struggle has been the time I’ve spent away from my two daughters. When I came to D.C. for the internship, it was the first time that I had been away from my daughters [for] longer than a week. I had to keep telling myself that I was doing it for them. After being offered a job, I relocated to Maryland without my daughters so I could get things ready for them to join me. I was here for three months looking for good middle schools, preschools, and a place for us to live. My parents moved into my home in Tallahassee, Florida, during the week and took my daughters to school and all of their extracurricular activities. They took them to their home in Gainesville, Florida, on the weekends so they could maintain their own home.

I love and miss my family dearly, but I truly missed my girls and am excited because they were able to join me early in 2010.

Can you describe your experience during your tenure as director of White House services?

My experience has been great. I always brag about my department, the Office of Management and Administration, because the leadership team has a genuine interest in the success of everyone. We say, “We are committed to the success of those who serve the president,” but I think that statement should be expanded to include the commitment to our M&A team members. Everyone’s job is critically important to the overall success of the team. I feel blessed to be a part of a team whose leadership takes time to express how important everyone’s role is.

As a single mother of two, you undoubtedly serve as an inspiration to your daughters and countless mothers who wish to restart their careers and education in spite of many obstacles. What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother or student?

Getting enough sleep!

When I was in school, I thought it was really neat for my older daughter, Ariyana, and me to study together. I would come in and get to work and would tell her that she didn’t have any excuses because “mommy has to cook, clean, tutor, and do her own work.” There were times when my younger daughter, Summer, would be fussy, and so I would put my study time off until she settled down and was sound asleep. Sometimes that was at 3 a.m., so I would look at my lack of sleep as a small sacrifice. The only thing I knew for sure was that I could not preach education to my daughters without finishing mine.

What words of wisdom or advice can you give to the thousands of young women and girls across the nation who wish to follow in the footsteps of successful women like you?

Don’t give up on your personal goals and dreams. Don’t compare your status to anyone else’s or allow anyone else’s successes to deter you from trying to be just as successful. Look for perfect examples of how you’d like things to turn out, but don’t get caught up in a perfect way to make it happen for yourself.

I looked at working mothers who were married, single mothers who finished school, single mothers who never went to school, pastors, heads of service organizations, members of sororities and fraternities, and numerous others. From these individuals, I found a good batch of perfect outcomes. I was never afraid to ask how they got there, I was never embarrassed about asking for help, and I will always be willing to learn new things. Now that I have achieved several items on my list of goals, it is my responsibility to reach back and help others.

This post was written by National Student Advisory Council member Ola Ojewumi.