As a young child, Rashaad marched to the beat of a different drum. His family still laughs recalling him at about the age of five thinking he was a real super hero. He would find a stick as his sword, pin a towel around his neck as a cape and run through the yard fighting bad guys to save the world. True a lot of children fantasize about being superhuman, but few rarely take that belief into adulthood as he has done.

 

Rashaad graduated from James B. Dudley high school in Greensboro, NC and then went on to college at North Carolina A&T State University where he earned a Bachelors degree in Electronics Technology. This is the period of his life that helped define him the most. He started off doing very well staying focused taking advantage of the opportunity in front of him. Things didn't stay that way though, the first semester of his sophomore year he had a 3.25 GPA, then things changed. That second semester of that year he found himself starring at a report card that reflected a 1.5 GPA, after that partying became his focus. Socially he was enjoying himself to the max while his grades continued to slide. During this period, Rashaad was learning who he was as a man. He learned some hard lessons, but none harder than the one to come. He finally decided he was done with partying and had to grind the rest of his college career to graduate. There was a hole dug so deep from failing and dropping classes that he had to go before the dean to get permission to take 21 hours of credits (full load is 15) his last semester just to graduate. These classes, by the way, were all upper level courses, nothing easy and did we mention this was his second senior year?

Finally, he was on the road to finishing when he received a very troubling call from his mother. She informed him that his baby sister was out past her curfew and not answering her phone. Rashaad called her thinking she was just out late and didn't want to face the wrath of mom. His phone calls also went unanswered that night, so he decided to drive an hour and a half to his mom's house to calm her down and wait for his sister to return. The next morning there was a knock on the door from two police officers, who informed his mother that her daughter was killed the night before. Time stood still as he tried to process what he had just heard. The pain and shock was a feeling that he still has trouble describing even today. All of this happening in the middle of his last semester in school. Rashaad had to prove to himself that he was stronger than he ever thought he could be. He gathered himself and was determined to still graduate that semester. He fought through emotions and mental struggles like never had before, but he was victorious over them and reached his goal.  Rashaad walked across the stage at the end of that semester because he decided he would.

 

When he graduated,  Rashaad made a move shocking to most, but very in line with who he is. He turned down a job working in New Orleans in field of technology to pursue an unpaid internship with a non-profit organization. Of course this move upset his family, but remember he walks to the beat of his own drum and as a man is determined to follow the path that he believes is right for him, despite what anyone else thinks. Rashaad worked in ministry in various leadership roles while also maintaining a career in Corporate America.  He has traveled all over the country speaking, motivating and impacting peoples live for over 10 years!

 

With the world being his platform now, he has decided to launch ImpactU, which will help people pursue their passion and live their dreams.