North Carolina A&T GlobalMindED Leader Shares Insights to a Successful Freshman Year and Professional Life Launch: Meet Carsten Grandy-Richardson

We are pleased to introduce and share a personal reflection on the GlobalMindED Leadership Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University . Meet Carsten Grandy-Richardson , a driven young entrepreneur in the business school as he shares some of his personal story, goals, and how he has grown with the support of a mentor in his life.

Tell us about yourself. What events have led you to where you are today?

A series of life events have led me to where I am. I would say it began with the death of my father at age 3. My family and I ended up moving from Japan to North Carolina. We lived in Jacksonville, NC for several years then ended up moving to Raleigh. All I knew growing up was basketball and a love for clothes and shoes. I was supposed to be playing basketball in college, but due to COVID and a couple of family deaths during my senior season I decided I no longer wanted to play basketball and wanted to go to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University I tried track because I wanted to leave high school with a state championship. I ended up getting hurt the first week of practice and having to sit out for the majority of the season, but I did end up winning the triple jump state championship on a bad leg.?

Fast forward a little bit and I decided to start my brand Grandyworldwide L.L.C. in July right before I headed to school. I enjoyed my freshman year and made some pretty big strides with my brand and expanded myself creatively. I finished with a 3.53 cumulative GPA last year and a 4.0 GPA with a Chancellor’s List appearance in my spring semester and summer school. During the summer I was able to land an independent contracting job and did that for a little over a month. I was also able to go to the Amazon HBCU Beyond The Yard Conference in Washington D.C. and gained valuable knowledge and connections in the professional world with the possibilities of several different internships and job offers down the line. Recently, I joined Project Destined as a commercial real estate intern this fall semester. So right now, I am balancing a new drop for Grandyworldwide, my sophomore year, Project Destined internship, and getting Artboys Company off the ground. All of this has only been possible due to God’s favor on my life.

What was your experience like freshman year participating in the North Carolina A&T GlobalMindED Leadership Program?

My experience with the GlobalMindED Leadership Program during my freshman year was solid. I had done most of the curriculum work during the summer before I stepped foot on my university's campus. It was not hard work but indeed valuable information that helped me navigate college in my first year.

What did you learn from working with your GlobalMindED business mentor during your freshman year?

I learned a lot from working with my GlobalMindED business mentor my freshman year - Kwesi Edwards from Amazon Web Services. We developed a strong bond fast and were able to talk about everything ranging from school, business, and what else is going on in our lives. He gave me great advice on some things to do to advance myself professionally and just gave basic life tips as well. He was definitely a blessing to have.

How did the program and the experience enhance your confidence and your sense of your own professional development??

The program helped open my eyes to all of the different opportunities out there. I did not know of many opportunities that were available to us prior to my being a participant in the program.

Based on your GlobalMindED Leadership experience freshman year, what are your internship and experience goals from now until you graduate?

My goal with my current internship is to figure out what sector of commercial real estate I would like to get into so that I can firmly establish myself in that field and focus. For the rest of my college experience, I would definitely like to engage in more internships and opportunities that would get me in the door to the many things I want to do in this life.