Christopher Collins-McNeil
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Tiffany D. Jackson
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2012 MHVC Graduate |
MHVC Graduate |
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Some people take a meandering path to find their ideal career, but Christopher Collins-McNeil heard the call when he was just 14 years old, after Barack Obama was elected president. "Like a lot of young black people around the country, and the world even, I was sort of inspired - and not just in a sense of, 'Oh, that's cool, I like what Barack Obama represents' - but actually called to act and called to participate in our political system," he says.
As an associate at the public affairs firm Mercury, Collins-McNeil says he works on wide range of accounts: "From the government of Qatar to Rev. Al Sharpton. That's the span." Growing up in Westchester County, Collins-McNeil participated in political clubs in high school, and while at SUNY Oswego, he served as student government association president. Soon after graduating, he went to work in New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's office. "I used to say I wanted to build world leaders, which is something still in the forefront of my mind as I progress in my career," he says. Christopher is eager for more young people to dive into government. "Wherever you see your opportunities as a person, a young person of color, just get involved," he says. "Don't let whomever tell you it's not your turn out of care for you. The people who've changed this city, this state, this nation, this world, weren't people who sat by and were told to wait their turn." |
Tiffany D. Jackson is the author of Allegedly, Monday’s Not Coming, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A TV professional by day, novelist by night, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University and her master of arts in media studies from the New School. A Brooklyn native, she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking. You can visit her online at www.writeinbk.com.
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