Ep. 10: The ONLY Black-Owned Dental Academy in Philadelphia, with Sakinah Dawson
On this episode of Self Inventory, Host Brandon Chastang talks to Sakinah Dawson, CEO of Coys Dental Academy. Sakinah has 29 years of experience in the Dental Field, which started at 14 years old. As a young adult, Sakinah got married had twins. The father was a drug dealer and got locked away when the twins were just four years old. As a single mother, Sakinah needed a way to not only support her children, but to leave behind a legacy.
Listen:
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Transcript:
Brandon: [00:00:00] A Self Inventory report is the type of psychological tests in which a person fills out a survey about personal interests, values, symptoms, behaviors, and traits. Self Inventories are different from tests and that there is no objective, correct answer. Self-inventory is the podcast where we investigate the issues of society that don't seem to have any correct answer.
Brandon Chastang blends together history lessons, current events, and talks with people of all backgrounds to provide us as a society with a Self Inventory in order to move forward. We need to look at where we've been and where we are now. It's time for Self Inventory.
You’re now listening to the Self-Inventory. I'm your host, Brandon Chastang, [00:01:00] AKA B McFly. Guess what B McFly stands for? Being motivated comes from loving yourself. Listen. In order to be motivated to doing anything right, you must first love yourself. Without further ado, man, we have a special guest man.
When I say this woman is special, she's very, very special. Uh, she is the CEO and founder of Coys Dental Academy. I need everybody to give a warm welcome Sakinah Dawson.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:01:32] Thank you.
Brandon Chastang: [00:01:33] How are you today?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:01:34] Wonderful. Happy to be here.
Brandon Chastang: [00:01:37] I see you and you got your lab jacket on, you already, you already to teach.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:01:42] Suit it and boot it? Yes.
Brandon Chastang: [00:01:43] Yes man. Where are you?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:01:45] We are at 1010 North Hancock in the Northern liberties section of Philadelphia. Coys Dental Academy.
Brandon Chastang: [00:01:52] Wow. Then so Coy's Dental Academy? That name, what is the acronym? What is the, what is, what does [00:02:00] Coys mean?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:02:00] Coys means Center Of Your Smile Dental Academy. Everything is around these students smiles, build a self-esteem, giving them opportunities. It's all about them.
Brandon Chastang: [00:02:12] So Coys Dental Academy, like where did this passion of dentistry? Come from like, how did it all start?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:02:20] It all started at the age of 14, believe it or not. I started off at a very young age. Um, my mother, I have to pay homage to my mother Florita Dawson, an amazing woman. She introduced me to the dental field. She was an office manager, still is an office manager to this day.
Um, At the age of 14, like most 14 year olds do we kinda like undecided and not knowing what to do so instead of getting into any trouble, my mom said, you're going to work. You're going to get a job. I'm like, I don't want to work. I want to stay, hang out and be with my friends after school.
She's like, no, you're going to come into the dental office and you're going to work as a file clerk where you follow the charts and get everything [00:03:00] prepared for the next day. So at the age of 14, I got exposure of being in a dental practice, working, you know, around professional people, having that professionalism and, um, Exposure to wanting to continue my education and go back to school.
Brandon Chastang: [00:03:17] Wow. So at the age of 14, you said that your mother expose you to dentistry. And from there you just said, you know what? I kind of liked this. Right? So it was important to have our parents around. Growing up, you know, how was your family and your background before we get into, you know, you're, you're, you're mission with dentistry?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:03:42] Absolutely. Um, so I come from the inner city born and raised in West Philadelphia. Um, blessed to say that I come from a two parent home. I have a loving mother and a father that, um, through all of our life struggles, we stayed together as a family. So my father raised the four of us. [00:04:00] I have one brother Tyrique Dawson. I have two younger sisters and I am the second oldest daughter.
So coming from a two parent home, you have certain volumes and certain standards. And one of the standards that our home was like, everybody's getting an education. Education was big in our home. Um, my mom, she didn't play when it came to schooling, you know, she, she ran a tight ship. You know, it was set and it was implemented that you will all obtain either a degree or a certificate in some sort. So, um, you know, that's a little bit about my childhood.
Brandon Chastang: [00:04:39] Well, you said, you said you grew up in a aggressive environment, right? So, um, between, you know, the, I guess the time that you were born and up to 14, You know, you didn't, dentistry wasn't in your plan at all? You didn't think about it. You didn't contemplate on it?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:04:57] You know, like any, any other [00:05:00] young black girl from West Philly, we were influenced and some, some of our influential, um, things that happened to us in our life wasn't always good. You know, so I know what it is to struggle. I know what it is to not have. I know what it is to have peers to tell you let's, let's do wild things. Let's Boose less, um, you know, hang out with guys that selling drugs. So I was tempted and I was one of, you know, the normal, you know, the normalcy of, uh, West Philadelphia and a girl coming up in the nineties.
Brandon Chastang: [00:05:34] Right. Because a lot of people will look at, you know, success today and they feel like you know, you don't know what it's like to grow up in an aggressive environment. You don't know what it's like to be poor. You don't know what it's like to struggle, but yeah. The reality is you do, right. Even though, you know, it's a blessing that you were raised with, you know, under a two parent home, [00:06:00] right.
It was still, you know, areas where we lived at, where it was struggling. Right. Um, so, so at 14, like you said, you know, your mother introduced you to dentistry. Now after graduating from high school, Right. Which school would, where did you go? What was the next step?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:06:19] So the next step I applied for Harcum.
Brandon Chastang: [00:06:22] Harcum. Shout out to Harcum
Sakinah Dawson: [00:06:23] Yes. Harcum. I went to school for dental hygiene and it was like, all right. After hygiene, continue going, continue going back to school, go back to school and apply for dental school. Then life happened.
Brandon Chastang: [00:06:38] So when you say a life happened, right? Graduated, after graduating from Harcum university. What do you mean life happened?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:06:48] Life happened. Like most teenage black girls from the inner city, you hook up with a guy. Unfortunately, we get pregnant. Okay. So, um, when I [00:07:00] got pregnant, I was pregnant with twins, twins, girls. I was 22 years of age, 22,
Brandon Chastang: [00:07:07] 22 years old. They said Oh yeah, 22? You gon hit with a double bubble. You're getting hit with a double bubble at 22.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:07:13] Not one came, two came. So at the time my boyfriend drug dealer. Okay. So yeah.
Brandon Chastang: [00:07:22] Wait. So you said, remember, so dentistry university at Harcum university, but you were dealing with a drug dealer.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:07:31] Oh of course
Brandon Chastang: [00:07:32] And the drug and the person that you were dealing with is the father of the two kids.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:07:36] He's the father of the twins, yes.
Brandon Chastang: [00:07:37] Oh we're getting into that. I want to hear more about this.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:07:39] So, um, being a drug dealer and, you know, making the, the amount of salary that I was making at the time as a dental assistant. I'm like, this is nothing, you know, I can get more and have more by being with him. He's providing more. New car, lavish shopping, the things that we [00:08:00] all want, the easy way out. Harsh reality is when the twins turned four months old, he got incarcerated, uh, locked up. So I was left behind to have to raise four, I'm sorry, two children on my own.
Brandon Chastang: [00:08:16] Okay. So the two children that you were raising on your own while their father was incarcerated, did you have a support system behind you?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:08:27] I, I can honestly say I had a, such a support system, but as a parent it's just hard not knowing that you have like two parents. You know, being a single mother is not normal and it's, it's, it's hard and at times you'd be like, Oh, you want to just give up or you just have to keep pushing because of your children.
Brandon Chastang: [00:08:50] So what was the struggles? I wa I want you to break down some struggles for some, our viewers and our listeners at 22 years [00:09:00] old. You know, you have a degree from Harcum university and you still want to chase, you want to go after your goals, right? With having twins, right? What were the struggles?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:09:13] My sturggles was now okay, my focus is on raising these two girls. School is on hold. We stopped school, you know, basically I'm working as a dental assistant to be able to support them and be able to take care of them. And I'm putting everything on hold for sacrifices for these two girls.
Brandon Chastang: [00:09:32] Give me some more though, because I want people like, this struggling it was just what got you here today. I want to hear just a little bit more like more struggles because it's a person out there watching this is going to be watching this video or listening to, or podcasts or stuff in between podcasts. And they like yo, that's me. Or wow I [00:10:00] thought I had it bad but she got through it. I know I can get through it if she got through it.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:10:06] Like, like any other single mom I had evictions. Okay. There we go. Um, I have to move back home. One thing I can say through the struggles, I maintained the job and that is the reason why I'm so passionate about Coys because ups and downs and things of that sort, I was always able to have a source of income.
Brandon Chastang: [00:10:29] A source of income. Now I know you mentioned, and I know before I move on to the next question, you know, having two children at 22 years old, you know, you gotta take them to the doctor's appointments and it's like, yo, listen, you had them.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:10:46] Right. Having two sick babies.
Brandon Chastang: [00:10:48] Having two sick babies, up late nights, early mornings, these things are serious and this is why we [00:11:00] always teach the younger generation. Listen, although I got to where I'm at today, you can do better.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:11:10] Right, right.
Brandon Chastang: [00:11:11] Don't have a child to say, yo I struggled and I made it right. So not only did you have twins now, later on in, in, in your life you had more children, right. Okay. So how many more children did you have?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:11:29] I had two more children.
Brandon Chastang: [00:11:31] Two more children.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:11:31] And yes and eight years later, I'm back at it again. So, um, I'm married at this time and I had two other children. So now I am with four children, you know, not always being a single mom. I did have a husband at some point. Um, and it's even still with having a husband, having four daughters and having four [00:12:00] young women look up to me.
I kept saying to myself, I got to give them more. Got to give them more. I have to give them an example, meaning a better example of what it is to be a mother and, and greatness and giving them something that my parents gave me but something more, which is leaving the behind a legacy.
Brandon Chastang: [00:12:20] Leaving behind a legacy. That's I think like in the inner city, We don't, um, it's the same that most of us don't have a legacy so far, you know. Um, for a lot of reasons, right. Drug-related reasons, the economy. Yeah. So on and so forth. So in the process of you having four children, you know, I know it, wasn't just dental assistant. Right. What else did you [00:13:00] do?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:13:01] At one point I had ventured off into another business, but it wasn't for me. You know, I said, my passion is dentistry. That's my, all, all being and that's what I am good at. And this is what I'm used to doing. I've taught at dental assistant schools. We have started a program called PADA, which was Pennsylvania Academy of Dental Assistants at the dental, um, facility that I was employed.
I was the office manager at the time. So we had started our own program in there. Then I taught at Thompson Institute as a dental assistant instructor as well. So through these times I'm like, that's my passion. I love to speak, I love to talk and if I can do anything, I can teach someone an understanding of dentistry and I can break it down.
Brandon Chastang: [00:13:46] So was there any other, besides what you, you know, teaching and at different places, any other you know background with dentistry before we get to where you at right now?
[00:14:00] Sakinah Dawson: [00:14:00] When you say other background?
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:02] Like besides teaching?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:14:04] We're talking 15, 16 years of dental assistant experience. And then, and then when, office management. So from my work as a dental assistant for 16, let's say 16, 17 years, I then was able to promote to management. So I managed the dental practice 20, 29 years.
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:26] Well, it's safe to say it's safe to say that you really.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:14:30] We're old out here.
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:30] Well, not that. No, no, no. You are knowledgeable and you have an understanding
Sakinah Dawson: [00:14:38] of all aspects.
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:39] Of all aspects of the industry. Got to put some respect on Sakinah Dawson's name and we want to put even more respect Sakinah Dawson's name because we have more to talk about. So not only 29 years of, you know, knowing what you know, right? [00:15:00] You stepped up and said, I want to pass my knowledge down to the next group. Anybody under me. Right. And that's where Coys Academy comes from. Coy's Dental Academy. We talking about the only African American person in Philadelphia with a dental Academy. Right? How did you, what lead you come up with, with this? How did the, how did this start?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:15:32] Um, I would have to say my personality. I'm a caring. I want to be able to give and through giving, if I can give anything, I can give them an education in dentistry. I can give them exposure, to want to see, okay. This is an amazing field. It's an amazing field and this is something that [00:16:00] when all else else fails, they have theirself a trade to be able to fall back on, to be able to support themselves.
Brandon Chastang: [00:16:08] How long has Coy'sAcademy been? When did you start accredited?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:16:12] Accredited. Two and a half years, or we're going into our third year.
It was a lot of no, no, no, no, no until I eventually just kept going. I had so many doors close saying no, no, no, no. I didn't give up on myself. And I always tell my students not to give up on theirselves.
Brandon Chastang: [00:16:38] So how long is the program?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:16:41] The program is 12 weeks. It's an accelerated program. It's 12 weeks, three months. So in as little as three months, my students get three months of lecture inside the classroom. And then three months of clinical exposure where they have to do an internship. The internship is 150 hours [00:17:00] required and then they sit for a state board exam.
So the state board exam gives them a license to practice as a dental radiologist tech so they have a radiation health and safety license that they, that they sit for after the 12 years of the program.
Brandon Chastang: [00:17:19] Break down the steps one more time. Real quick.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:17:21] So 12 weeks, 12 weeks. Okay. 150 hours. Yes. First six weeks is, the second six weeks. The second six weeks is 150 hours of internship. So they start their clinical internship six weeks into the program.
Brandon Chastang: [00:17:38] And then once they get, once they pass, pass, because not only are you the CEO, yes. And the founder, but you are the professor, you are the teacher. I want to say professor slash teacher?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:17:54] And behind the scenes, the liaison to connect these, to connect these [00:18:00] students to dental offices. So this way, when it's, as far as internship, they don't have to like search around and try to find a facilitator.
Brandon Chastang: [00:18:07] You already put them in a position. So they get a certificate. Yeah. But you still have to take the state board in order to be a dental assistant?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:18:18] In order to be a certified dental assistant. Certified thein state of Pennsylvania and other surrounding States as well. So they can sit for this board and this is a, this is a trade that they can, therefore, if they travel out of the state of Pennsylvania, they can get certified in Atlanta. They can get certified in Jersey. They can get certified at any state that they serve.
Brandon Chastang: [00:18:44] Certified.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:18:46] Right? So I give them all of the tools that's needed, to no matter what state they go to, they can sit down and pass those boards.
Brandon Chastang: [00:18:54] This can be very challenging for you. And the reason why I say this can be [00:19:00] very challenging for you. It's because it's like, you're doing everything by yourself.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:19:06] Yes. Right.
Brandon Chastang: [00:19:08] How many, how many people have you had in your Academy?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:19:16] So yesterday, and it's so interesting that you said that. I looked at my books for two and a half years I had 126 students come out of the program.
Brandon Chastang: [00:19:24] So you gave 126 students an opportunity. Yes. in the fifth or sixth largest city in America, we talked about that just started off as all women. Right. And then what made you bring the men?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:19:42] Let's talk about that. So the program was originally designed because of me and being passionate of who I was as a woman, as being a single mother at one point. And like, if I can't do nothing, I want to be able to help the single mothers out here be able to obtain a certification, a trade [00:20:00] to lean away from being in the welfare system. I am very, very, very, very, very passionate about the system that you use to feed you, can starve you as well.
So if this is all that you depend on, if it fails, then you left without nothing. You Left without nothing. So I always tell my students don't don't don't look for those handouts. Continue to believe in yourself, invest in yourself, get yourself a career and work and continue to work and go back to school and get your education and get a degree.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:44] So what did, when you bought the gentleman in?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:20:47] So Reasoning behind bringing the gentlemen is because of what's going on in Philadelphia today. So all of the crimes, the murders, the shootings, and, you know, um, it's just, uh, it's just a [00:21:00] tragic moment that we're living through in the city of Philadelphia. I said to myself, in order to help our people ,meaning the African-American, inner city youth, we got to start with the men because they're the head of the household.
Um, when we start with the men that has given the young men an opportunity to be a man and to be able to support. So the same way in the same passion, um, way that I was for the women. I was like, you know what, let me include the men. Because without including the men, um, We have a separation. We have some young black women thinking they don't need a man. Okay. So when you think that you don't need a man, you have separation in the household, and this is what I didn't have as a kid, I was able to be blessed to have both a mom and a father.
We had our ups and downs, but we had two [00:22:00] parents. So, you know, give, given the men, um, A feeling of being a man and being able to come home with a decent amount of salary every two weeks makes them feel like, okay, I got a purpose out here.
Brandon Chastang: [00:22:17] I just want to tell you that in my years of being at school, whether it was elementary, junior high, High school and even college, we weren't introduced, but
Sakinah Dawson: [00:22:37] You just taking my thesis so it's alright. Go ahead.
Brandon Chastang: [00:22:41] We years of being in elementary, junior high school, high school, and even college, we were not introduced to dentistry the way we will probably introduced to working working as a construction worker or a [00:23:00] police officer. Um, you know, we hear the word doctor, you know, we hear the word lawyer, but a lot of us weren't um, challenged it to, you know, bring in different things to our brains oh, you know what? Maybe I can try that.
Our, our daughters and the in the city are raised to be more independent than our sons. So for you to bring that aspect and that, and that opportunity to our sons is amazing. And again, now what people don't understand that you do come from and the rest of background. You do come from a place where you had your ups and downs, having twins at 22, then eight years later, having two more children. You know, being, you know, you know, a lot of ups and downs. [00:24:00] You are a black woman, the only black person in Philadelphia with a Dental school, academy and you're Muslim.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:24:14] Yes.
Brandon Chastang: [00:24:14] Is there any challenges with that?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:24:16] Absolutely. Absolutely. In the past I was told you may not be able to wear all of that. I'm like, are you kidding me? This is who I am. I'm gonna wear my Hijab and I'ma wear it with honor. Okay, this is a crown meant for me. So, um, yeah, I, I say to anybody that, that is. Um, challenged with life and then told they can't, turn those cant's into cans. Like we can. We can do anything we put our minds to.
Brandon Chastang: [00:24:48] How many people that graduated from Coys Academy received their, um, became a certified dental assistant.
[00:25:00] Sakinah Dawson: [00:24:59] So this question here, um, I want to be able to give you accurate numbers. So I'm not able to give you accurate numbers. I can give you a percentage. So we have a percentage of maybe like a 30 percentile of our students that get it, their state board certification.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:17] That's great. You want to know why it was great? Because you just started two and a half years ago
Sakinah Dawson: [00:25:23] I want to push for 50 to 60 to 80%.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:28] Listen.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:25:29] And I'm going to get it.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:30] You just started this two and a half years ago when you had 30%, that's extremely great numbers. I feel like it's only going to get better when the more year, as the years progress, because you're going to get better. Right. And you're gonna get bigger. The businesses gonna get bigger. And instead of you being the professor and the teacher, the educator, you gonna have more professors, teachers, educators.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:25:56] Well, no, but my students will tell you I'm so passionate about this. I [00:26:00] don't think I can see someone else doing me. There is only one Sakinah.
Brandon Chastang: [00:26:04] You got good problems and you got bad problems right. And the good problems is when they, when Coys Academy gets bigger, you ain't going to be able to be teaching everybody.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:26:15] I think I still will be hands-on. That's just absolutely.
Brandon Chastang: [00:26:19] Well, no, there's nothing wrong with that, man. It's not wrong with being hands on. It's definitely nothing wrong with their hands on. But that being said, right, the podcast is called Self Inventory. For me, you know, being sober for three years, I had to figure out who I am as a person and what time realized who I was as a person. That was a lot of things that I didn't like about myself. I'm talking about like things that I didn't realize for 14 years.
So facing those fears of who are you and fixing those things, I had to do a self [00:27:00] inventory on myself. I say this to you now, this is the question to you. What is your self inventory? What is your personal self-inventory and what is your Coys Dental Academy self inventory?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:27:15] Okay. So my personal self-inventory will be accepting that everybody is not going to think like Sakinah, everybody is not going to be, um, who I am and accepting people for who they are. Um, Understanding that in life, you're going to have to just agree to disagree with certain things.
And when I say that, I say, um, I wake up in the morning and I'm like, Oh, so passionate about, we're coming to class today. It's their last final day, the students is getting cap and gowns, everybody's should be. Not everybody is going to think that way and I have to accept the fact that when it comes to something that is a passion for me may not [00:28:00] be a passion for everyone else.
So when teaching dentistry and teaching someone a trade, if you are passionate as a teacher, you want your students to be exactly the same. Harsh reality is they're not. Some will, some won't. So just accepting that. Um, being more business savvy. You know, uh, business as a team. Giving, um, delegating things, having a management, having a accountant, having a financial, um, uh, department, someone that handles my books and things of that sort and not having it be all on me.
Because I am going to do and give with my heart, where somebody from a business team will be like, no tuition needs to be paid. It gotta be paid. Life happens. I get it. If you don't have it, then you'll just revisit us when you do.
Brandon Chastang: [00:28:58] So you have a poor man's heart?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:28:59] I have a [00:29:00] poor woman's heart. Okay. Just do what you can pay, pay what you can. You got 10 bucks and that's not always a good business practice because people walk all over you.
Brandon Chastang: [00:29:13] And you know, I have, you have a poor womans heart. I have a poor mans heart. It comes from being from the same environment. And I don't think the younger generation understand that, right. We didn't have social media.
We didn't have technology. No. All we had was us. There was more, and I'm talking about, I needed you to come to school to make me laugh. I needed you to come to school to talk to me. I need you to come to school to like share this moment with me.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:29:44] That was our outlet, school.
Brandon Chastang: [00:29:45] That was our outlet man. Because you know, we come from, we come from the crack epidemic where, you know, I'm talking about, I see my mother in zombie land, right. Like literally in real life.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:29:58] And I seen my father. [00:30:00] Right.
Brandon Chastang: [00:30:00] So, you know, w you know, being being mentally abused, being physically abused. You know, this is real life thing. So when I talk to these kids, I say, yo listen, you can't tell me that. I don't know nothing about pain, right. Because I've been through it.
so if trying to give you the tools, I'm not expecting you to learn right away, but I'm expecting you to say Damn. If you got through it, maybe I need to listen to people with the results. So when we have these poor women and men hearts, it's like, Yo, I feel bad that they got it right now, or I feel bad that you can't do it. But guess what? If I keep feeling bad, I've only enabling.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:30:46] It's not giving them tough love. My parents was different. Remember what I said? She had me working at 14.
Brandon Chastang: [00:30:55] I was paying bills at 14.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:30:56] At 14. Our kids is sitting in front [00:31:00] of on a, on a cell phone, watching TV, getting up, coming downstairs and enjoying life. No, I said she said anything that you're going to get, you're going to earn. I have to earn it.
Brandon Chastang: [00:31:13] And see it's nothing. See, I understand.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:31:17] So if you like nice sneakers and I'm sorry to cut you off, if you like nice sneakers, you like nice things. You have to get a job at 14. And you have to buy the things that you like. And it taught me that in life, nothing is just given you.
Brandon Chastang: [00:31:34] It's not given to you, but there's more, I think what you're giving them is more than just get up and get a job. It's it's, it's, it's more than just responsibilities, right? It's about putting yourself into a position at a young age so you don't be starting Coys Academy in your forties, forties.
Right. You know, [00:32:00] and it's nothing wrong with what you did. Right. But if I'm at, if I'm, if I'm 18 years old, well, I need to start now. Right. So I understand how you feel, you know, Sakinah, when you say that poor woman is heart because we, we been there. We been there, but at the end of the day, as a business women and men, we look at MC Hammer.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:32:31] I know. Trying to help the whole community.
Brandon Chastang: [00:32:33] I'm bringing the hood, I want the projects to come. I want everybody to come because I said when I was a kid, man, when I get big, Im coming back..
Sakinah Dawson: [00:32:42] And keep in mind I still continued to do this during a pandemic, when schools were shut down. There was no schools, everything was online, it was virtual. I kept Coys going. I kept the school going because if you home, you're going to be homeon the computer.
Brandon Chastang: [00:32:59] You did [00:33:00] at graduation?
Sakinah Dawson: [00:33:00] Yes a drive by.
Brandon Chastang: [00:33:02] You did a drive by graduation in the middle, in the height of the pandemic. It was the height when everybody was like, man, God rest everybody's souls that passed away, you know, through COVID like that's. That was one of the.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:33:22] Tragic.
Brandon Chastang: [00:33:22]Yeah. 2020 was one of the worst years I've ever witnessed and you still was able
Sakinah Dawson: [00:33:26] to give hope.
Brandon Chastang: [00:33:27] To give hope. You said, yo listen. We driving through these neighborhoods, we're going to give him a drive by graduation and I was there.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:33:34] Yeah. And you was a part of that. Thank you. That was dope.
Brandon Chastang: [00:33:39] Um, so we got graduation coming up.Why don;t you lift one of those up, man. Lift one of those up.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:33:46] Lets get one of the students that lifted up right. And show what you have. This is one of the cap and gowns
Brandon Chastang: [00:33:59] Okay. [00:34:00] Wow. So let me ask you a question, right? We have two students say, this is a group thing. And we have a guy and a woman here. Are you guys ready for the next level?
Grad 1: [00:34:13] Yes.
Brandon Chastang: [00:34:15] And was dentistry ever like brought to your attention?
Grad 2: [00:34:20] No.
Brandon Chastang: [00:34:22] Right. That's that's where we hear about growing up. Right. And I got years on you so that means if I'm telling you as a kid, I was saying the same thing. We're breaking the generational curse. Not saying there's something wrong with a police officer, but it's more than just hammering on, you can be a police officer.
Grad 2: [00:35:01] Definitely more opputunities.
Brandon Chastang: [00:35:04] It's more opportunities man. So I just want to say congratulations to both of y'all.
Grad 2: [00:35:07] Thank you.
Brandon Chastang: [00:35:08] You know, especially with you being a young black man coming from an inner city where the homicides was second in the United States behind Chicago. And for you as a [00:35:00] young woman, not, you know, jumping into the realm of all, we might have 80,000 kids and living on welfare and just not doing nothing on day. I want to pay homage to both of y'all. Bless and thank you so much. And I wish you nothing but massive success. Go ahead and get certified.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:35:17] Yes. Dont stop here.
Brandon Chastang: [00:35:20] Don't delay. It's no stopping. How old are you?
Grad 1: [00:35:21] 26.
Brandon Chastang: [00:35:21]How old are you?
Grad 2: [00:35:22] 21
Brandon Chastang: [00:35:22] 21. It is no stopping. Oh, your self-inventory was making sure that, understanding that people were not going to think like you and you know, you have to understand that. Listen, I got to just accept the things that I can't change. Accept the things that I cant' change, because what we will, we live off of expectations, we get hurt at the end.
I' expected you to be like me and we get hurt at the end. And what Coys is, is. You know that [00:36:00] poor woman's heart, like you have to start giving more self love because when they leave from Coys, nobody's going to give them that., Oh i know.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:35:22] Oh, that motherly, yeah.
Brandon Chastang: [00:35:23] I know what you're going through. It's yo, I got somebody over here that's ready. If you're not ready, get out of here.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:36:02] Exactly.
Brandon Chastang: [00:36:10] Man. I just want to say thank you. You're very welcome. I want to say thank you for going through your ups and downs and your trials and tribulations. You're a black woman, a Muslim black woman.
Sakinah Dawson: [00:36:28] And not giving up on myself.
Brandon Chastang: [00:36:30] And not giving up on yourself with four children having two at 22 years old and you're passing that knowledge down to not only in a city, black children or adults, you're passing it down to everybody. All types of you had all types of people.
Hispanic, African American, Caucasian.Sakinah Dawson: [00:36:53] Yes. So this is for those that people told them that they could not do. [00:37:00] You know, I, I am the one that's going to be yes, you can. I'm that voice don't let them tell you can't. Keep going.
Brandon Chastang: [00:37:08] Even if, and even if they'd be like, Oh, Ms. Sakinah, Ms. Sakinah I can't but they know it's coming from love. Right. Uh, so with that being said, Thanks for tuning in. Thanks for listening. This is the Sakinah Dawson. My name is Brandon Chastang. the top motivated in the world and your sober messenger. Let's go.
Self-inventory is a podcast produced by Brandon Chastang and Studio D Podcast Production. You can listen anywhere you get your podcasts. If you'd like to support the show, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about Self Inventory.