Beyond Business: The Bridge Builder
Creating spaces that make a real impact. That’s the motto Jerome Smalls (B’19, G’22) has lived by his entire life. “Go to a neighborhood, a town, a city, and just make that place better.”
While growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, Smalls looked for ways to empower those around him through volunteerism and entrepreneurial ventures.
“I started a website business with a friend, joined an organization that equips Lowcountry youth with entrepreneurial and business skills, and sold candy in my neighborhood, amongst other ventures,” Smalls said.
Before his time on the Hilltop, Smalls pictured his professional career taking off in a high-rise building in New York City working for a large corporation. After completing his first year at McDonough, he decided this path wasn’t the best fit for him.
“I quickly learned that the world of corporate America was far beyond what I could have ever conceptualized it to be,” Smalls said. “Once I was exposed to it, I didn’t feel as aligned to it anymore.”
As Smalls navigated this chapter of self-discovery and weighed his career options, he said it created an internal conflict that wasn’t always easy to deal with.
“I felt a bit of survivor’s guilt,” Smalls said. “As a first-generation, low-income student going to a school as prestigious as Georgetown — all while many of my friends didn’t graduate high school or tried college and it didn’t work out for them — it caused me to wonder: ‘Why am I able to have this opportunity to attend a school like Georgetown when many of my friends could have been just as successful?’”
As difficult as these feelings were to manage, Smalls knew he could use his personal experience to positively influence young minds and educators alike. He wrote his first book, Small Talk: One Youth. Seven Stories. Countless Lessons., which offers tools and educational resources for students and teachers through storytelling and cultural competency lessons.
“The more I spoke with young people, the more it became evident that they weren’t being heard,” Smalls said. “These students were dealing with immense trauma, challenging situations, and navigating their own identities.”
In March 2023, Smalls felt a calling to return to his Charleston roots. He moved back home where he serves as the developer of youth outreach programs for the city’s police department.
“I don’t have a background in law enforcement,” Smalls said. “However, the role has been the perfect blend of my passions. I am applying my marketing background by communicating the police department’s brand to our youth. I am also applying my educational background through my efforts to use local law enforcement to best serve and empower our young people.”
Smalls said he looks forward to serving as a mentor and leader in this capacity and hopes to use his personal story to empower others to go and make positive change in their communities and beyond.
This story was originally featured in the Georgetown Business Fall 2024 Magazine. Download the Georgetown Business Audio app to listen to the stories and other bonus content.