Sheyda Brown says she had already started identifying herself as a leader before joining YPI. “I always thought I was maybe a leader. Coming into YPI, I knew certain things about myself. But YPI helped me to refine my skills and strengths so that they could be maximized to their full potential, rather than standing in the way of what I wanted to accomplish.”

“Looking back at my younger self, I realize I could be overbearing and loud, and take up too much space. [YPI Director Adam Seaman] gave me direct feedback that helped me to become a better leader and team member. We had a conversation about how my energy in a room could really shift the dynamics, and that this was something that I could be more intentional about. It could be positive or negative depending on how I used it.”

“Another thing about YPI that really stuck out was the fact that the experience pushed us as students to stick through hardships and failures and come through the other side. It made me strong in that way. Before YPI, if something started going wrong I would just distance myself or walk away. In YPI, I never walked away during the entire three year journey. The fact that the program gave us the space to fail or mess up and continue through the whole experience was really powerful.”

Sheyda also reflects that YPI played a significant role in shaping her career trajectory. “Any time I talk about my career path, a conversation I had with Adam sticks out as very consequential. I was trying to figure out what to major in. He encouraged my interest in social work - really validated that path based on my interests. He also helped me understand about myself that I wanted to do something impactful and significant with my life and showed how a career path could help me do that.”

Sheyda went on to get degrees in social work for her bachelors and masters education. Ultimately she developed a strong interest in community organizing. “I saw a lot of parallels between YPI and community organizing,” Sheyda recalls. “Working collectively, the role of nonprofits, etc. All these lessons from YPI really prepared me for community organizing.”

After graduating with her masters, Sheyda took a job as a full time community organizer in Houston, TX. “The goal was always to come back home,” she said. “I left Oklahoma to challenge myself and so I could bring value back to my community.”

And come back she did! After three years in Houston, Sheyda returned to Tulsa and took a job at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Sheyda reflects that she felt connected to the Foundation from her YPI days, and also recognized the power of philanthropy as a positive force for change in the Tulsa community.

In 2021, Sheyda moved to her current position at the Terence Crutcher Foundation. “This job was the perfect role for me because it brought together all my experiences - social work, policy, organizing, fundraising, philanthropy, etc. I now feel like I can be the kind of leader that I always wanted to be.” 

Reflecting on her career so far, Sheyda says that one of her proudest moments was a community organizing initiative she spearheaded with her sister in 2021 to change the mascot for Union Public Schools from Redskins to Redhawks. 

“During the pandemic there was a lot of popular attention and momentum around the topic of addressing insensitive public monuments and symbols. Indigenous activists had been trying to change Union’s mascot for decades… this finally felt like a national spotlight moment that we could take advantage of.”

“Our strategy was to show that this was a change that the Union community wanted. I went to Union and my kids will go there one day. We created a Facebook group with alumni, teachers, and parents and mobilized people to speak at board meetings with shared ‘asks’ and goals. We also had an educational component and brought in experts to talk on the issue. It was a very effective approach and took about six months for the district to vote to approve the change.”

“It is powerful for me to think that my kids will go to [Union] in the future. Actually being able to see the difference I am making for them to go there and be proud of their school is huge.”

Sheyda also explained that the experience with Union was symbolic of the kind of changemaker she wants to be in Tulsa. “I am proud of this experience because it was a perfect example of how community organizing can be transformative in Tulsa, and I want more people to know how to do it,” Sheyda explained.

“A personal goal of mine moving forward is to train more young people in community organizing in Tulsa. It would be similar to YPI’s focus on philanthropy and leadership, but with a specific focus on community organizing skills.”