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Stan’s Story
Stan Lemons grew up in an African American, working-class neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. He attended the public elementary school in his neighborhood and was a member of the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club, where he routinely spent time after school and on weekends.
Preschool Student, Dallas, TX
Kindergarten Graduation, Dallas, TX
Martha Easley, the librarian at the Boys & Girls Club, identified Stan as a candidate to enroll at Greenhill School, a private K–12 independent school in Dallas. With the benefit of a scholarship through the Boys & Girls Club, Stan enrolled at Greenhill in the sixth grade. His transition to Greenhill was not easy. Stan traveled for more than an hour each way to get to and from school. He also faced the social and cultural adjustment that came with attending a school in a predominantly White, upper-income community so different from the neighborhood where he grew up. Even so, Stan succeeded and graduated from Greenhill.
Greenhill School Graduation, Dallas, TX
Stan then moved across the country to attend Amherst College, a small, highly selective private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Attending Amherst was, once again, a major step for him. As neither of his parents attended college, Stan had to navigate an elite New England college environment on his own. By all accounts, he was successful at Amherst, both inside and outside the classroom. He co-founded the Black Business Association of Amherst College and was elected treasurer of Amherst’s student government. One of Stan’s proudest moments came when he graduated from Amherst, becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree.
Amherst College Graduation, Amherst, MA
After Amherst, Stan served as a Coro Foundation Public Affairs Fellow in St. Louis, Missouri. In that role, he worked in the nonprofit, government, and business sectors. Stan later made what he now describes as a life-defining decision: he joined the Peace Corps.
Stan moved to West Africa with the Peace Corps, where he served as a small business volunteer. He also led a renovation project at a local elementary school. His experience at the school left a lasting impression on him. He witnessed the desire and eagerness of so many children, bound by limited opportunity, to get an education. That experience gave him a deeper appreciation for his own educational opportunities and left him wanting to do more.
Peace Corps Volunteer Training Center, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, Guatemala
Due to unstable diplomatic conditions, Stan and the other Peace Corps volunteers were evacuated from the country. He returned to the United States and moved to Los Angeles, California, to attend graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
UCLA Graduation, Los Angeles, CA
After graduating from UCLA, Stan accepted a job with Citigroup in Chicago, Illinois, and moved there. He continued to build on both his college education and Peace Corps experience by traveling and working on projects with Citigroup in countries around the world, including Argentina, Austria, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Poland, and Singapore. Reflecting on his global experiences, Stan writes in his Expanding College Opportunity book: “As a kid growing up in Dallas, Texas, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to travel to all these countries.” With both pride and humility, Stan acknowledges that his spiritual foundation and educational opportunities opened the world to him.
Stan Lemons’ story is an American story. Through hard work, perseverance, and grit, Stan has capitalized on his educational opportunities. Through his teaching and writing about education, along with his leadership of TheSecretToWriting.com, Stan continues to help others realize their dreams.
Doctor of Education Candidate, Houston, TX
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