Where Exposure leads to Expansion With Anthony King

Anthony King has spent over a decade in education, moving from the classroom to the principal's office and now serving as a founder and consultant. His journey has shaped him to educate, inspire, expose, and empower our youth toward higher education. Anthony walks us through the "why" behind the organization, and how the idea of students as the majority stakeholders in education came to life. Stakeholders work best when students collaborate. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

And how the student stakeholder operates is based off of ecosystems. I know that I cannot do it all on my own, right? My wheelhouse and my strength is going to be curating experiences or providing frameworks, right? So I want to collaborate with our local community partners and our national communities partners. It's important that we all take ownership and responsibility of what we are saying, right? Even just like the power of the tongue of how we are talking about our youth and our communities and our schools. Okay. Right? In my speech, I'm like, and our students are leaders of tomorrow. And I then had a student, um, she spoke after me. And in her speech, she's like, student, we are leaders of today. Right? Yes. And she kind of, I feel like she kind of thought of me too. I'm sitting behind her, which was great. And I needed that.

SPEAKER_07 0:58

And that was a learning moment and a learning opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Welcome to Turn Up with Pastor Charlie. First of all, we would like to say thank you to the River Radio Podcast Studio for this space that we now occupy to broadcast to the worldwide. To our visionary Bert and Stephanie Lindsey and the Lindsay Foundation, all of our partners, local churches, schools, 501c3s, and nonprofit organizations who have come beside us for the well-being of the community. Today I am joined in the studio by my friend, Anthony King. Anthony, say hello to the watching and listening audience.

SPEAKER_04 1:37

Yes, hello, hello. Thank you for having me this morning.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Glad you are here. We're excited about what God is doing in your life and the your um your business and everything. So let's talk a little bit about yourself. Um share a little bit about who Anthony King is. I love your story, man. So share with the watching and listening audience.

unknown 1:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:58

So so my name is Anthony King. Um I am originally from Maryland, um, Montgomery County, Maryland, uh born and raised there. Um I then went on to Frostburg State University, which is a small school in in uh western Maryland. Uh, went there to study uh education and also have a coaching minor. Um I then relocated from Maryland um to Florida in 2012. So that's where I began my career in education.

SPEAKER_06 2:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:26

Uh started my career as a teacher, um, Algebra One and Geometry. Um, and then also I was a coach. So I coached fall sports with football. I coached uh basketball and also track and field. Um and then I learned quickly I wanted to have more of an impact within education. So I pursued my um master's in educational leadership because I wanted to uh now become a uh principal. Um so I pursued that degree, completed that at the conclusion of uh my fifth year of teaching. Um I then was promoted to be an administrator. So I I held uh roles um as an administrator for seven years, instructional math coach, assistant principal, and now principal. Um I now have uh resigned from traditional education uh back in June of 24, um, where I'm now the founder and CEO of the student stakeholder. Yes. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 3:23

So you spent over a decade in education from the classroom to the principal's office and and now as a founder and consultant. What moments or experience along that journey most shaped your purpose to educate, inspire, expose, and empower?

SPEAKER_04 3:41

Yes, yes. So I'll actually span back a little bit before my my time in education. I I really believe this started for me as a student, actually in high school. So um there was one point in time, and a lot of people would not believe this, but I I actually had a 1.28 GPA when I was a freshman in high school. And it was actually a teacher, coach, uh mentor of mine still to this day who sat me down when I had that 1.28 GPA. Um and he made it clear to me that that did not define me. Um and he then supported me throughout my high school career. Um and I actually was a student that had to go to summer school to bring my GPA up. I had to go to night school to bring my GPA up as well. You put that extra work in, then you're so those experiences helped really shape me, and that is why I then pursued a you know a degree and a profession in education. Um and ultimately then fast forward um being uh an educator um in two different states. So again, I I I taught and led in Florida, um Lake County public schools, um, and then also Orange County Public Schools, which is Orlando, um, and then served here in Columbus, Ohio. So all of those experiences um have good, bad, and ugly, right? Um has fueled me to see the opportunities, see the needs, and also, you know, provide the solution. So for me, the last seven years of being an administrator, I was blessed to lead in uncharted territories with the pandemic and COVID. Um, and that was also uncharted territories for education. So being able to have that lens and close-up seat to our students, to our families, to our communities, um, it then just showed me um what I needed to do to best support our students and family. So it was truly um all of the experiences that then shaped me to to take that leap.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yeah, that's good. That's good to do. So the birth of the student stakeholder that you mentioned, what inspired you to create the stake uh student stakeholder?

SPEAKER_04 6:00

Yes, yes. So it's first to bring awareness that students are stakeholders within their education and their learning in their communities, right? Right. Um, while also they are the majority stakeholders. So, you know, there are more students that are.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah, I don't think people see it that away. So I I think it needs to be, I think you need to there need to be processes to make people aware of that. You know, so so explain that some more. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 6:26

Yes, yes. So so one, that's that's why the name of the business and organization is that, right? To first bring that awareness, right? They have vested interests in their learning. And again, as I mentioned, led in uncharted territories within the pandemic, where we saw, you know, declines in attendance, right? And increase in truancy rates, um, while also looking at the decline of graduation rates, um, and also some behavior challenges that, you know, uh our country has faced throughout that due to our students and families' needs truly just not being met.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Truly.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

So ultimately, for me, I've been in the seat as a principal where I'm creating the policies with my team, right? Um, creating the systems, creating the certain frameworks for the school. Um and oftentimes those policies, those systems and frameworks may not be effective. It may not be what's best for your school environment or your culture or your students that you're serving. So I think any leader within education has had those instances, right? Um, and oftentimes when you look at it, there are not students in the room, in the meetings, having the conversations to create the policies, the systems, the frameworks or initiatives for the school building, right? Um so ultimately, I I I believe through those experiences for me, um where I've had challenges and best meeting my students' needs, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

Then learning that I need to involve them in that process. So um I was blessed to have success in education as a teacher and also an administrator. So some of these frameworks I was able to implement, right? Um, and that helped support and yielding success. So as a principal, I was able to accomplish 100% graduation rate three years leading.

SPEAKER_05 8:27

Strong.

SPEAKER_04 8:27

Yes, sir, and also 100% college acceptance rate as well.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

So just extremely important there.

SPEAKER_04 8:33

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And and with that, I say those data points, but also those metrics. I also understand that 100% of my students were not college and career ready.

SPEAKER_06 8:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:44

Right. Um, and also 100% of my students did not matriculate to the next level. But ultimately, um, with that, there's work to be done. Uh, but with those success points, seeing uh our school culture change, seeing the students thrive by being able to have voice and also be a part of the decision-making process, truly is then what showed me that I that I needed to take a leap. Um and it was really, you know, faith and and and I didn't I didn't know um at the time.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

At the time at the time you realized the faith in it, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:18

100%. But God, I was obedient and God showed me um to move forward in that. Um and my goal is to to support more schools, more youth organizations, districts, and really for us as adults to just get out of the way, right? So from a consulting standpoint, we provide those frameworks, those resources, those strategies really to just activate what's already exists in our students, right? In our young people, um, but giving them the opportunity to um voice what they would like to see within their student life experience.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

So would you say that is the why behind the organization?

SPEAKER_04 9:56

Yes, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

That is the why, and um some of the ideals that the students, as the majority stakeholder in the education, came to life through during that process. Yes. Okay. Your model emphasized student-led and uh experience and expose-based learning. How does the student stakeholders translate that mission into action? And what impact have you seen or on students and schools and communities thus so far?

SPEAKER_04 10:27

Yes, yes. So outside of the consulting, um, we also lead and plan experiences. So those experiences that we curate are called exposure leads to expansion experiences, right?

SPEAKER_06 10:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:41

Where we want them to be exposed to diverse pathways, college, career, and beyond, right? We want them to be exposed to different individuals, cultures, backgrounds, et cetera, to best support them, right? As they are learning and navigating through their high school experience and their education to identify what else exists outside of Columbus, Ohio, right? And for me, again, born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, very diverse area, relocated to Florida, and then now reside here in Columbus, Ohio. So I've now lived in three different states, yeah, multiple cities. And for me and my learning, every step of the way, I got exposed, right? Right, right. Um that truly, truly helped support me and still supports me to this day to have an open mind.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Open your eyes and take some blinders off.

SPEAKER_04 11:38

Yes, yes. And so, so, so for that, for me, it's now me paying that forward to our students. So with the exposure leads to expansion experiences, we take students across the country. Um, we have now done Atlanta, Cincinnati, uh, Chicago, DC, um, and we are now um gonna be expanding the different markets that we take our students to. Uh, but we've had a lot of success in being able to expose our students to different pathways, different cities, different cultures, um, and then see uh one, like how they are ready, right, for these opportunities. They just may not know what exists, right? Right, right. Um, so to see them just thrive in those moments, um, but then on the other end, to see them be uncomfortable at times, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:32

When they're on feeling a little awkward and everything. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:35

Yeah. So so you see some of that uncomfortableness while they're on Morehouse's campus or while they're at Fried Olay for our career panel. And that's also good to see because they're being stretched, um, they're learning, they're they're they're being developed through that process. Um, and then also what we do outside of the career and college aspiration on these um experiences, we have fun, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we go out and enjoy the city, explore the city, um, do different social experiences, um, but then we also do professional sports outings wherever we go as well.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

That's been a blessing for them as well. Yes. Uh, thank you for keeping us in the loop with some of the video clips that we receive as um when your turn partners, we are able to see that of some of the activities that you have and activities and events that you have um taken the youth to, um, these students to um ball games, NBA ball players, and seeing them and NBA games and yeah, that's and NFL and or so forth, just visiting the other cities. So it's great look.

unknown 13:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Um so again, thank you for that. Um what's next in 2026 and beyond? Where are you looking ahead to um what kind of big plans for the spring for us?

SPEAKER_04 13:53

Yes, yes. So we have a a lot of great things on the horizon. Um, as you mentioned, um, each of our experiences include college visits, career exploration, community service, and professional sports outings. So we've done MBA, NFL, MLB. Um, we just did a local experience back here in October, where we also did a Columbus Blue Jackets game. So we've implemented uh NHL. So I guess from that standpoint, from the professional sports outings, we want to continue to increase that. Uh we want to do WMBA, we want to do um uh MLS as well and some other uh professional sports that exist locally and nationally.

SPEAKER_06 14:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:33

Um from uh a market standpoint, we want to continue to um visit the cities that we've gone to as we are developing some great partnerships and relationships um with um organizations and schools in these cities, uh, but then also looking to expand uh to different markets um as well, while also the next phase being uh bringing more students in schools and youth-led organizations to Columbus, Ohio.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

That'd be nice.

SPEAKER_04 15:04

Yeah, so there's a lot of great things. Yes, sir. Yes, there's a lot of great things that exist here. So we want to increase our um visits to where we're bringing students from out of state to be exposed to the career pathways, the individuals, um, the colleges, the universities that exist here.

SPEAKER_05 15:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:23

Um, while also not missing what we can do with our local students um and expose our students to what exists in the beautiful city of Columbus as well.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Could you be surprised uh how some of them just been only gravitated to their own neighborhood and never been on the other side of town? So, yes, it's it's just as important to expose them um and bring awareness to what is in the city on the other side of town, which they've probably never been on. I mean, I I I can recall as growing up in inner city and um growing up at East High School, never driving out to Pinkerton. I mean, I've never we didn't drive out to Hilliard unless we played uh, you know, played them as sports or went to the cells and ran on their track or something of that nature. But other than that, you know, um yeah, you kind of stick in your own neighborhood. So the exposure of what's around you is very important.

SPEAKER_04 16:18

Very, very important. Even like for me, again, being from Montgomery County, Maryland, which is right outside of DC, we didn't go visit the White House often. We go to the museums and take advantage of the opportunities and the things that you know people are traveling all around the world to see. So, you know, that that just naturally happens wherever you're from. But ultimately, it's important that one, we bring awareness to those things. Yeah. And then how can we ensure that we're exposing our students to the great things that exist? But then also it involve them in that process of like what do they want to see within their city, absolutely within their communities as well. So we're looking to strengthen that and increase our local experiences. Um, outside of that, we have some some great internship opportunities on the horizon. Okay. Okay. So we're extremely excited and blessed uh to have a partnership with Lead the Way Learning Academy and AMP, which allows our our um allows us to be able to pay students. Um we'll be releasing here in uh December our application process to hire high school age students where they can get paid up to $15 an hour. So they'll learn all of the behind the scenes and the workings of how to curate and plan experiences. That's great. So I'm extremely excited about that. And then they'll have the opportunities to go on the experiences as well, right? It makes money too. Yes, exactly. So they'll be happy about that. So, so, so be able to pay them, they get the behind the scenes and internship opportunity, go on these experiences out of state, and then also be the student leaders and student advocates for our other students that attend. So in spring of 26, we have three experiences currently on the horizon. Um we have Atlanta, um, where that will be April 6th to April 8th. We have Washington, D.C., which will be April 19th to April 21st.

SPEAKER_05 18:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 18:21

And then we have just a one-day experience um in May, uh, May 23rd to Cincinnati. So those are the great things that are currently on the horizon.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

Great. How can um the community members and organization, uh, local partners get involved? Um yeah, how can they get involved?

SPEAKER_04 18:39

Great question, great question. So I'm big on speaking about ecosystems.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_04 18:47

And how the student stakeholder operates is is is based off of ecosystems. I know that I cannot do it all on my own, right? My wheelhouse and my strength is going to be curating experiences or providing frameworks, right? Um, so I want to collaborate with our local community partners and our national community partners. And you know, Turn has been a great uh partner for us as well. So with that, it's like, what point of the ecosystem do you want to be a part of? Right. So the doors open, right? The doors open, and you know, there's infinite entry points to that ecosystem. So I understand um with my business that there's different phases, uh you know, you know, I I and things are seasonal. So let's say um at one point throughout the year, it only makes sense for you to like potentially come speak to some of the students that we're serving. If that's all you got for 15 to 30 minutes, hey, we take it. We we we welcome that. Um that could also be on the other end, you may want to host students to come visit your business or your organization, right? Where we can do a tour, do a career panel and expose them to the opportunities, or even creating internship pathways and pipelines to your organization, right? So again, those are just like small examples of that. Uh, but it can range from donating meals, right? Okay, to just showing up and volunteering, yeah, to as big as potentially supporting from a uh sponsorship or funding standpoint. So again, wherever it makes sense for a partner to be involved, um, we want it to make sense for that partner. Absolutely. And we welcome any support as our students um are learning, right? Um, and I want to expose them and we want to expose them to the diverse individuals, pathways, um, and opportunities that that may exist for them.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

So um let's take a tone, let's take a moment and and share how people can reach you in regards of um, so they could, if they were interested in donating or volunteering or something like that. How can they reach you? Yes, yes, what are some of your handles?

SPEAKER_04 20:57

Yep, so we can be found at thestudentstakeholder.com. So everything is the student stakeholder. Um, so that is our website. Um, on our website, you can contact us. So our our um email is there, our contact information is there. Um, there's also opportunities for you to subscribe also you can learn more information on a periodic uh basis. We also are on Instagram, um, TikTok, and YouTube, and all of those handles are at the student stakeholder. That's awesome, great, great.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Um I'm gonna give you uh about two or three minutes. If there's something in um that's on your heart that you wanted to share, like you know, as I was driving over here, I wanted to make sure I share this with the watching and listening audience. Is it something that you wanted to um plug or share that that you want to make sure you make sure you covered?

SPEAKER_04 21:50

Sure, sure. I was just saying first, thank you for this opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

Man, I appreciate you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 21:55

I greatly, greatly appreciate it. You know, I'm I'm I'm a big supporter of what Turn is doing, what You're doing and what you all have been doing, you know, for a lot of time. So thank you for continuing to curate these spaces for individuals like myself and other local community leaders as well. Um is very, very impactful. Um and also kind of just with that, the entrepreneurship life or leading a business life is not easy. So just being able to have that community, have that fellowship is very important to me. So just wanted to just share that from that standpoint. Um and ultimately, I also just would want to share that, you know, speaking more specifically to our youth and our students.

SPEAKER_05 22:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 22:41

Um, I think oftentimes things are even about education, right? Oftentimes what may get communicated or shared massively, there's a lot of negative connotation to our youth, to our students, to our communities, and what may be happening within schools. And it's important that we all take ownership and responsibility of what we are saying, right? Even just like the power of the tongue of how we are talking about our youth, right? And our communities and our schools. So I think just with that, just being cognizant of you know the power of the tongue and what's shared, while also with that doing your our due diligence of looking at the positive data, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Um and I say there is some positive data.

SPEAKER_04 23:30

There is some great positive data, and I see it every day within our young people, right? And the purpose and and the why also behind the student stakeholder is that, right? Yeah. Exposing our adults, right, right. Exposing people all across the country that our students are ready, that they are quick, that they are intelligent, that they have goals and dreams, right?

SPEAKER_06 23:55

Right.

SPEAKER_04 23:56

Um, and and there's also a level of exposure and learning that the adults can take from them. So, so ultimately, because I I have not really shared that in this conversation, when I began putting together some of these frameworks or or or these experiences, the learning that it did for me and the impact that it had on me helped you first. Yeah, it helped me first to be able to approach our students differently, you know, to shift my mindset a little bit, uh, to best meet their needs, right? Um, so so there's also a level of of that where I want our adults, our educators, our community leaders, you know, to take time to listen, right, um, to our students and pay attention to the great things that they are doing.

SPEAKER_06 24:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:44

Um and and partnering or collaborating with us is one step for that to come to fruition. So I say all that to say, you know, the doors are open. Um, if anyone's interested in learning more or wanting to collaborate or partner um with the student stakeholder, we we welcome that. Um and I'm just excited to continue to see the great things that our students are doing, not only uh within our programming, um, but then also what they are now doing in their prospective pathways, right? Because now some of our students are in internship um pipelines or some of our students are walking the college campuses. Yes, right.

SPEAKER_00 25:21

That they can be mentors and so forth.

SPEAKER_04 25:24

Yes, yes, yes. So I'm just excited to see the great things that our students continue to do. Um, and I look forward to um strengthening our partnerships and our relationships with individuals that want to be a part of that vision and mission.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

And something that you said too that remind me of our task as the ultimate resource network as term, uh, when we were making our contacts with the schools, you know, we didn't go in and say, hey, this is what we offer. We went in and said, what is it that you need?

unknown 25:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

So we found out what the need was, you know, what the students' needs were, and then that's what we supplied. We didn't go in and say, okay, we're gonna give you a grant money for a thousand dollars. Or we we went in finding out what it was. They needed um phone chargers for their for or laptop chargers. And um one school they needed um the sports team needed uniforms. I mean, so we found out what the needs were and we met the needs, and that allowed our doors to be open, um, allow them to open their doors and allow us to walk through and be able to have a relationship, versus, you know, oftentimes we think writing a check is is our way of supporting, or you know, we doing our good diligence uh due diligence where it really satisfying us and not them. So um the true objective is to satisfy and help those who are in need. So I appreciate the way the method and the vision and the mission of your stakeholder and position. So thank you for what you're doing in the lives of our young people because our next generation have people like you and your team, and so there is a bright future ahead. So I'm excited about our future.

unknown 27:15

Yes, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

You're welcome. Thank you. Anything else? Anything else on your heart?

SPEAKER_04 27:20

Yeah, I would I would just share this to that point. Yeah, it was actually uh when you talk about our students. Um I was doing a commencement speech as a principal.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

Okay, right?

SPEAKER_04 27:32

In my speech, I'm like, and our students are leaders of tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I then had a a a student um who she's now at Duke University's extremely bright. Um, she spoke after me. And in her speech, she's like, student, we are leaders of today. Right? Yes. And she kind of, I felt like she kind of side-eyed me too as I'm sitting behind her, which was great. And I needed that, right?

SPEAKER_07 27:56

And that was a learning moment, a learning opportunity for me.

SPEAKER_04 27:58

And I'm like, you know what? You're right, you are truly right. You are the leaders of today, right? Um, so again, always continuing to just have that lens.

SPEAKER_06 28:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 28:08

Um, and I would just say, you know, lastly, as far as like what we all provide uh at the student stakeholder, if anyone that's interested. Um again, as we mentioned, the consulting services.

SPEAKER_05 28:18

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 28:19

So we will come in and identify, you know, what the needs are, right? Through the the voice of your students so we can best support them. Um, we offer the public experience, as I mentioned, the three that are on the horizon.

SPEAKER_05 28:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 28:32

Uh, but then we also can develop private experiences as well. So, example, if you are a school or youth organization that just wants an experience specifically for the students that you serve, um, we have a menu of options where we then involve your students in the decision-making process to curate that experience, right? That's good. Um, so that is also another opportunity that exists in addition to supporting with bringing in local community partners to strengthen the school community, right? So again, as you mentioned. Yeah, anything that the student stakeholder can't provide, here we want to point you in the direction of the other local community partners that can provide that said service or resource for your school. Um, and that could, you know, be a wide range of things. If you want community partners to come in to speak, we can support with curating those those panels or those opportunities. Um, you want financial literacy, we can point you in the direction of those partners that can support in that um arena. So just using that as an example, yeah, that's great. But also just wanted to ensure all of the listeners have a full scope of everything that we provide.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

Yeah, that's good. That's good to know. All right, appreciate that. Um, yeah. We like to take this time to um thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule and visiting with us today in the studio. I'm so proud of the work that you are doing. I mean, I am excited about your future and I love the connection that we have. Um, we've been seeing one another quite frequently here lately. We've been involved in some good circles and you're doing some great things. So I'm excited about that. Um, so with that said, we'd just like to go ahead and close up and wrap up the session this afternoon. And uh I want to thank everyone for watching and listening to Turn Up with Pastor Charlie. And we like to thank the River um Radio Pod Studio, Podcast Studio for their space that we now occupy um for the broadcast worldwide. To our visionary Burton Stephanie Lindsay and the Lindsay Foundation, all of the partners and local churches, schools, 501c3s, nonprofit organizations who all have come beside us for the well being of the community. So we say thank you and have a blessed day.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

So much. All right, amen.