Follow Your Dreams

Rakeya " Brighty" Wiley had dreams when she was growing up. Just before she finished high school, she wanted to attend Baylor University. One thing that was certain in her life, and that was her desire to leave Monroe. A relative told her to get out of the city while she was in the ninth grade. Success, she was told, would be easier to attain outside of Monroe, and even Louisiana. Wiley would go on to attend McNeese State University located in Lake Charles, LA which became home for her. By the time she was 21-years-old, Wiley had a child. Things were not going the way that she had planned, but she was determined to make something out of her life, despite not finishing college at that time. She said that she didn't have the discipline for studying, and that she wasn't where she wanted to be. A relative that was living in Virginia at the time, told her to come and stay with her in 2009. Though the nation was still in a recession, Wiley was able to get a job working for the state. There, she felt good about her chances for success. Wiley would land another job working at NASA. Her biggest break came when she began working at the Federal Aviation Administration as a Program Management Analyst. While at the FAA, she continued her education by transferring her college credits, and she is expected to graduate in 2021.

Wiley says that working at the FAA has given her a whole new perspective about life. She says that sometimes opportunities are outside of one's environment. She said that she had to leave Monroe and that she believes that more young people will leave if the opportunities aren't there for them. Wiley says that she bears no animosity toward the city, but things will have to change if the city and the state want to keep their bright minds at home. She also said that children's minds must be developed at an early age as other industrialized nations are doing. In addition, Wiley says that our children should travel abroad more and learn about different cultures. Foreign kids Wiley added, come to the U.S. because of the freedoms that we enjoy, but they also come to study.

Wiley knows that she had to move if she was going to make a life for herself and her children. While living in what is called the DMV area( D.C., Maryland, Virginia), Wiley knows that the cost of living is higher, but good-paying jobs compensate for the expenses. The schools are better, but she believes that schools should be more equal, meaning that a child should not have to compete for an education. Wiley says that she wants to inspire children to do their best. She also knows that they must be taught discipline and that they need to be given guidance and mentoring to do their best. She also wants to see young girls (and boys) compete more in the male-dominated professions such as air controllers. Being involved with the FAA, Wiley has visited air control towers across the nation and seen an overwhelming presence of white men.

"Working at minimum wage jobs should not be our children's future." says Wiley. Good paying jobs are what will keep our young people home in Monroe and Louisiana, creating a workforce that can sustain a community. Wiley is happy where she is, as she is also happy with her decision to leave Monroe, not questioning what would have happened if she didn't follow her dreams. She says that hopefully in the future, she can return to Monroe with a message of hope for those children who want to have a job that is better than what some of her contemporaries have.

"The jobs are out there", says Wiley. "You just have to go where they are."