Steward Stiles III
Associate Director of Student Recruitment & Family Partnership, St. Louis Voices Academy of Media Arts
Emerging Leaders
I promise you, once you walk into a FOCUS program, you will walk out a totally different person and be better for it.
Steward Stiles III
Emerging Leaders 2024S
What prompted you to apply for Emerging Leaders, and how did the experience match up to your expectations? Some of my professional mentors encouraged me to apply, saying it would be a great experience for me to have, and it exceeded my expectations. Emerging Leaders pushed me professionally and really widened my view of what St. Louis has to offer as a whole. It also shifted my perspective on leadership in understanding I can’t do it all by myself. It allowed me to be not only a better servant leader, but a better community advocate, because I realized that the best leaders have the best teams and the best partners.
What impact have you seen in your life as a result of your FOCUS experience? As a result of FOCUS, I have gained access to a lot of different opportunities. A prime example is serving as a delegate for the Missouri Democratic Party. That opportunity came from a member of my cohort who saw something in me that I did not see myself at the time. I also learned how to rebrand my skills. Before, I often saw my skills as being in one particular lane, but through the experience, I learned to shift my mindset to see how my skills could transfer to different areas and roles and it really allowed me to transform how I think about my work.
What did you learn from your Emerging Leaders Civic Action Project? Our Civic Action Project was a bit of a curveball because it was an organization and work we were not really familiar with. So it really pushed us to stretch. I never thought I could create a multi-level, multi-pronged economic redevelopment plan for a city/county, and in the process, it really encouraged me that I can do a lot more than I thought I was capable of because of that Civic Action Project.
How have you stayed connected to FOCUS following graduation? Our cohort is super engaged; we talk often, lean on each other for advice and resources, and bounce ideas around. In addition, serving on the FOCUS Board of Directors has allowed me to give back to the organization while elevating my professional skills. It’s not only given me board experience but also connected me with C-suite executives, helping me to expand my mindset and network.
What would you say to someone considering applying for a FOCUS program? Do it and go in head first. Accept all of the lessons, engage in all the sessions, connect with all of the people, because I promise you, once you walk into that program, you will walk out a totally different person and be better for it.
