Bryant Parnell (Detroit Cohort 1) joined our Intensive Immersion Program in 2022 as a member of our inaugural Detroit cohort. Beyond learning how to be a programmer, team player, and well-rounded professional, he shares how our program taught him how to ‘lock in and get to business’. Bryant is currently applying to colleges with the goal of attending an HBCU. We sat down with him to learn how The Hidden Genius Project has continued to support his growth.
We know that you were a part of the first cohort in Detroit. How does that feel?
I am proud to be a part of the first cohort in Detroit as my brothers and I have laid the foundation for the Geniuses coming after us. We know the example we set from this past summer is what this cohort (Detroit Cohort 2) is following. I think it’s beautiful to be an alum and help other Geniuses after months of putting hard work into the program ourselves. I wouldn’t have changed this experience for the world. If I had to start over again, I would have signed up sooner.
How have you been?
My life has been good so far as I’m busy applying to colleges as I’d like to attend an HBCU this fall. Most of my time has also revolved around playing football and participating in clubs at my school. I recently joined the Midnight Golf Program which teaches youth how to golf and professional networking skills.
I don’t have a job at the moment, but I’m interested in becoming a Youth Educator (YE), which is an alum who undergoes training to come back and teach the next generation of Geniuses. The main reason why I want to become a YE is so I can give back to future cohorts of Detroit Geniuses and support their growth.
What was your experience in the program like?
One of the leading factors that kept me in The Hidden Genius Project was all the people (William Malcolm [Detroit Site Director], Miracle Baynes [Detroit Support Services Manager], Nadia Shelton [Detroit Alumni Coordinator], and my fellow Geniuses) who were constantly supporting me. When I first joined the program, I was debating whether or not I should stay. After getting a chance to meet everyone and learn from them, I was 100% certain that The Hidden Genius Project was the place for me.
Being able to go on business trips to places such as StockX, Bedrock Detroit, and the University of Michigan was one of my biggest highlights because it allowed me to learn about the different career paths I hadn’t thought of before. In the program, I also had the chance to learn about businesses and what it takes to create one as an entrepreneur. Going on business trips helped me understand the different types of business techniques and what certain skills and knowledge jobs require nowadays. This experience also provided me with the opportunity to network and meet new people who could help me later on in life.
Describe the app you designed during your time in the Immersion Program.
I made a website called PawSearch with my partner Jeremiah Scheday (Detroit Cohort 1 Hidden Genius Alum). Both Jeremiah and I love pets since we both have dogs and cats at home. In our community, we noticed how many animals that were walking around with no owners. Because of this issue, we decided to team up and create PawSearch, which allows any person to contact our platform to help them find their missing pets or identify strays in their area. Some of the tools we used to create this website were HTML, JavaScript, and Python which helped us to create a contact page to collect user information to either claim their pet or report a lost stray.
Throughout this experience, I learned how to lock in and focus on the task of building my website project. Working together with Jeremiah gave us both the opportunity to learn from one another when it came to our code. There were plenty of times he would help me change the color of a webpage and I would help him organize his code so anyone could read it clearly. There were even moments when I would get frustrated building my website because just when I thought my code was ready, it wasn’t as I had a whole bunch of errors. With the support of my brothers, I realized I often had the code right, but I would leave extra spaces in my code when it wasn’t needed. In the end, I learned how to take my time and work slowly to minimize errors and frustrations.
What specific skills learned in The Hidden Genius Project have been most beneficial for you?
Throughout my time in the program, I’ve learned how to code, be a better leader and collaborator, and a professional. Because of The Hidden Genius Project, I know when it’s time to be casual and when it’s time to lock in and get to business. I believe this is one of the reasons I got into my new Midnight Golf Program as I showed up to the interview in a full suit. I know appearance is important in interviews so I wanted folks to know that I knew how to carry myself and was ready for this opportunity.
What was the most important thing you gained on a personal level (development, relationship, community, etc.) from participating in The Hidden Genius Project?
Truly, I’d have to say the most important thing I gained is the bond and brotherhood I’ve made with my brothers. I talk to those guys every single day and we will often meet up with each other and hang out. They are also the people that I share the most with whenever I am going through anything personally.
When you imagine yourself before starting The Hidden Genius Project, what’s different between that version of you and the current version?
I have far more knowledge and confidence in myself than before. I am more confident when it comes to my public speaking and how I communicate with people. I have always had proper manners and have been professional, but the way I interact with people overall has changed thanks to The Hidden Genius Project.
In what ways have you remained involved with The Hidden Genius Project since completing the 15-month Intensive Immersion program?
To this day I still keep in contact with my fellow Geniuses and still help out at program events. Right now I am working to become a Youth Educator so that I can help support the next generation of Geniuses in Detroit. It’s nice because The Hidden Genius Project actually cares about us and our development as a person.
The team continues to call and check in on me. Everyone has been great in supporting me with my college applications. There are a lot of factors that go into applying for college that I wasn’t aware of. I am happy to have the support of The Hidden Genius Project during this process.
If you could talk to yourself just before you applied, what is one thing you would say?
I would tell myself that this is something you will never forget as long as you live. This is one of the best decisions I have made when it comes to my life. You won’t regret this because you have met some amazing people.
What words of encouragement do you have for future Geniuses?
This will change your life forever, so don’t be scared to meet new people and build new bonds. This is an experience you will never forget or regret!
Since 2012, nearly 10,300 students have revealed their genius through our Immersion, Catalyst, and Community Partner Programs, and so many more are waiting to shine.
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