Education Revolution: Dr Toinette Gunn of LINK Unlimited Scholars On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education

An interview with Eden Gold

The significance of taking risks. I’ve never been much of a risk-taker, primarily due to the fear of making a mistake or being denied. But through experience, I’ve learned that it’s during those risks and failures that we learn the most — and sometimes there are huge gains as a result of taking risks. In either case, growth happens. I wish I had been encouraged to take more risks earlier. A few years ago, I took a risk to apply for an honor/recognition, even though I felt there were others who were more qualified than I was. I nearly talked myself out of applying, but there was a voice inside that reminded me, “All they can do is say no.” So I applied, and I received the award!

The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Toinette Gunn.

Dr. Toinette Gunn currently serves as President and CEO of LINK Unlimited Scholars. As a first-generation college student, she firmly believes in the power that education holds in breaking negative intergenerational cycles and feels honored to have served at-risk youth and their families in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years. The majority of that time has been spent working in organizations that provide at-risk youth with quality educational opportunities, access to college, supportive services to persist through college, leadership and career readiness skill development, and mentoring.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?

From my early childhood, I had a passion to help those less fortunate. I organized my first charitable campaign — to feed the starving children in Africa — when I was only eight years old. Obviously I didn’t understand all the dynamics of social class or economics then, but I did understand that there were problems in the world and people who needed help. Even from my own low-income family, I could see that the world wasn’t fair, because some people had so much and others so little. I particularly struggled with the question of why those who had so much didn’t do more to help those less fortunate. All this to say, from a very young age, I felt compelled to make a difference.

My desire to help others demanded that I pursue an education and career that focused on service and community impact. I faced the stereotypical challenges of a first-generation college student and first-generation career professional, but ultimately, I found nonprofit programmatic work and loved it. I was promoted to my first executive director position when I was only 27 years old. I didn’t have the most experience and probably never would have gotten the job under today’s standards — but someone gave me the opportunity because they believed I could lead and do the job well.

My passion also drives my personal commitment to service and giving back, and in 2009, I founded the McClellan Family Foundation. Annually, the foundation awards thousands of dollars to community organizations across Chicagoland and beyond to support education and youth.

In all aspects of my life, my passion for breaking negative intergenerational cycles of poverty for underrepresented and underresourced youth through education has been prominent. I strongly believe in the power of education to transform lives.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A number of years ago, in working in leadership with a different nonprofit organization that also serves underrepresented and underresourced youth, I was pushing my team to think about how we could begin to use technology more and look at ways to do some of our work virtually. That was an unpopular request, and I literally got stares like I was from outer space. Less than two years later, however, COVID-19 hit and our organization was required to operate in a virtual world. We learned that what could not be entertained and was seen as impossible only a couple of years earlier was actually possible and could be figured out quickly. The pandemic forced us to innovate, and we continued to deliver programming and support to our students even in a time of global crisis.

Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?

Having been a low-income and first-generation Black college student, I experienced firsthand how access to quality educational programs can bridge the opportunity gap and break the cycle of poverty. As a result, I have dedicated my life to working in leadership roles with organizations that provide at-risk youth with quality educational opportunities, access to college, supportive services to persist through college, leadership and career readiness skill development, and mentoring.

Education is the most transformational experience and opportunity that I’ve had access to in my life, all the way to earning my doctoral degree. I firmly believe in the power that education holds in breaking negative intergenerational cycles, and I’ve seen the evidence time and time again. Simply having access and opportunities are game-changing experiences, especially for Black youth. It diversifies their experiences. It expands their viewpoint of the world and opens up possibilities for them…it’s transformative.

Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?

Despite the recent Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, I’m very pleased that there are still institutions that are committed to focusing on the educational disparities that exist for students of color. For us at LINK, of course, it’s Black students, but these kinds of decisions, efforts, and initiatives are helping all students of color.

Additionally, I will say that there has been some progress in terms of Black student graduation rates from high school and college. If we look at the data, the rates are still very low, but we have made some improvements. I believe that means that enough of us are doing the work and focusing our efforts on moving the needle toward seeing more achievement from our students. Those of us in the field of education have learned a lot over the years, and on the nonprofit side, we have definitely learned how to best support what’s happening (or not happening) in our school systems. We know that our work is necessary because the school systems are not able to manage it all and get to everything themselves.

In terms of learning from our experiences over the years, I think we have accomplished a lot with seeing where our students need help the most and shifting our work and innovating in our work to be able to best support them.

Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?

If you think about the school system as a whole and the journey through the system, it’s got to start at the very beginning. And we know that there is just not enough funding put in place for communities that are heavily populated by people of color. So when we look at specific areas — take Chicago, for example — just based on where a student grows up, what community they’re from, they’re going to have less access and opportunity…and that disparity starts from the very beginning of their educational journey.

We need investments on the early side (preschool and elementary) and continued investments through middle school, into high school, and then on the college side. At the college level, there has to be something more done to either lower the cost of quality education for students or to give more financial assistance to those who need it the most. There are a lot of things to be accomplished from that early pre-k point through college, but it’s all connected to dollars. We have to be able to ensure that the opportunities students receive in wealthy, well-resourced communities are the same or similar in these other communities.

Accessibility is key because it changes students’ entire life trajectory just to have the resources needed to succeed. People have stronger backgrounds and experiences when they have more resources. Everybody needs the bare minimum, but if you look at smaller school districts or schools in areas where they just don’t have a lot of money, they can’t offer the same curricula that other schools offer. And how can a kid ever compete in a situation like that?

I was an example of that, coming out of a Chicago public school as an 8th grader and going into a suburban high school where students had already been exposed to certain things in younger grades, like foreign languages. I didn’t have foreign language in my community or school district, but now I was in class with students who had already had two years of foreign language before I even had a chance to begin.

I like to use the example of the game Monopoly in the sense of a real-life scenario. If I play 10 rounds of Monopoly before I even let you in, and then when you get in, I give you less money to start with and tell you that you can only buy the cheap properties, could you ever win at Monopoly? Absolutely not. You were set up to fail at the very beginning. You have all these restrictions and limitations while I just continue to go around and around buying up all the properties and building wealth. It’s my world now, and it’s impossible for you to catch up. That is the equivalent of how systemic racism developed and the way it has continued.

Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?

First, we have to realize that one approach won’t work for every person. No one model is the model. LINK Unlimited Scholars offers a model that works, but it is not the only model. We have to do this collectively, working together and approaching the problem from different angles.

At LINK, we approach everything from the belief that academics is going to be the surest route for our students to get to and through college. We believe education is the best path to getting out of poverty and joining the middle class. We can compare LINK to an octopus — academics is our core, and there are tentacles coming out from that. We boost what the students are getting in the classroom: we cultivate their leadership skills, help them navigate the processes along the way, expose them to careers and people within those careers who look like them, diversify their thoughts around who they can be and who they can become, and strengthen their self-identity, encouraging them to be proud of being Black and to utilize that to show up in their careers and their communities.

We provide counseling sessions to ensure that students get the best college packages and opportunities through their academic profile. We’ve created our model to mirror what well-resourced families provide to their children to help them get into highly selective colleges. We help students become prepared to navigate and go through the challenges, to build their growth mindset to approach and overcome challenges, and to build social capital and a network of assistance and information.

We’ve all heard that information is power, and it really is. When families don’t know, when students don’t know, it creates complex challenges because they simply don’t know how to navigate them. Wrong decisions pile on, and progress slows. For some students, that can mean dropping out of college when they hit a snag. LINK provides community and a network to help students navigate situations, to bridge gaps and fix problems when they arise.

In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?

We know our model works because LINK Scholars are graduating from college at twice the national average for Black students (56% vs. 28%, respectively). That’s our evidence.

In our Class of 2023, for example, our 31 Scholars had a 100% college acceptance rate, with more than 218 collective college acceptances. They received a combined $16.1 million in scholarships, with 45% receiving full tuition plus full room/board funding and 66% receiving full tuition funding. That group also included three Jordan Wings Scholars, one Posse Scholar, one Amazon Future Engineer Scholar, and one Questbridge finalist.

In the midst of this success, we know there are still things we can do within our model to increase the graduation rates we’re seeing — we’re working toward strengthening our college support piece, for example — but our model is a strong example of a model that works, because it’s comprehensive. It’s not just “give them a scholarship.” We’ve all learned over the years in this field that just getting students to college is not enough. Just writing a check is not enough. So the model has to include what LINK provides in the way of educational support, access, opportunities, and resources.

And it has to be a long-term commitment. We’ve begun to say it’s a “lifetime journey” we’re on with our Scholars, because we keep learning that just when we think it’s okay to let them go, other barriers present, many as a result of the systemic oppression that has existed for so many years. It is far-reaching in keeping people behind, even when they’ve attained some of what we say are the things needed to be successful in life. We recognize this is a life journey that has to be holistic and comprehensive.

How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?

Since our model is centered around education, that graduation rate is our true north star, our true indicator of success. But, as I said, we also think of success holistically, including our Scholars’ social-emotional state, which we know is an important factor in their journey to success. That’s why our model includes Scholar Support Associates who act in a case management role, checking in with families on a monthly basis to see how they’re doing, helping them navigate challenges and remove challenges so they can stay on track. Our Mentors also spend time with our Scholars regularly, exposing them to events and activities throughout the city and just spending time with them.

Staying connected is crucial, and it also puts us in the position to be knowledgeable about our Scholars’ circumstances and to refer them to other resources to support them, because we can’t do it all. We collaborate with a number of other organizations to provide more comprehensive support.

What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?

A problem that so many of us are facing right now with our students has to do with engagement. Presence and engagement. Whether that’s attendance in the school system or involvement in our programs, we’re all seeing challenges with this. Absenteeism is up across the nation. The New York Times recently reported that, nationally, an estimated 26% of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15% before the pandemic.

For us, the challenge is ensuring that our Scholars are involved in the programming that we know is critical to the LINK model; because if they’re not getting those things, they’re not going to be able to move successfully through their journey. So we have tried to be creative in what we do to ensure that students are showing up.

Some of it is competing priorities. Our students are talented; they’re ambitious; so they’re involved in other things, too. But we try to ensure that they see the value of our program and understand why it is important that they attend. We try to connect it to the end result so they can best understand it. To appeal to them, we’ve built in more community-building activities to make it feel less like a school environment, even though this is an academic program.

We have also listened to our Scholars and changed things where we could based on their feedback. For example, they told us they wanted hot food at our meetings rather than cold sandwiches, so we made that change for them. We just keep listening and switching things up and trying to find ways to increase attendance and engagement.

As an organization, we’re also working to develop a more equitable system, because we also know that a number of our students are involved in athletics, which often challenges their schedules and their ability to be available for all the things we are offering them. But athletics are important, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is potential college scholarships. So we don’t want to punish any Scholar for not being able to participate in our programming because they’re involved in athletics, and we are working very hard at building alternative systems — perhaps on virtual platforms — to ensure that when they are absent, they can make up the work and we can make sure they are getting the material that we have deemed important.

Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences,” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?

Yes. For example, if we were using a virtual platform to make sure that students had an opportunity to make up missed sessions, there would have to be some limitations to that. Their whole LINK experience can’t be virtual, or they would be completely disconnected from the program. When Scholars engage with us and feel connected to us, they understand the value of the program and the impact LINK is having on their lives and their future. They come to feel like LINK is their community, and they stay in touch with us when they get to college. They tap in when they need help, and we’re there for them.

Students flourish when they feel connected to a community. Research tells us that students are more likely to stay in college when they have a community and feel like they belong. We’ve learned that if students can’t find community or build community, then, whether it’s school or a job, they won’t stay there. So we know it’s going to be important for them to stay connected with LINK throughout their journey because they are going to hit some snags along the way. Even if they’re intelligent and talented, they’re going to hit some snags. And we want them to think about us when they hit those snags so we can help them.

What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?

For now, I’ll share the top three things I wish I knew when I first began my career:

1. The importance of building relationships and networking. As the old saying goes, “It’s not about what you know, but who you know.” I believe it’s a combination of those things, but it’s certainly true that who you know can be extremely beneficial and impactful. I didn’t completely understand the value of networking when I began my career. Today, however, my network and the time spent cultivating those relationships is not only important but also one of my top priorities. My network has helped me to make other valuable connections, elevate my candidacy for the last three roles I’ve held, secure resources for my organization and charitable causes, expand my knowledge and skills, and grow professionally.
2. The need for self-advocacy and negotiating. It’s crucial to ask for what you need and what you’re worth. Negotiating is a skill that centers around one’s needs, worth, and value. It’s important to be confident about your worth and the value you bring to the table to ensure that the relationship is mutually beneficial. There have been times in my life and career when I didn’t advocate or negotiate for my best interest. Over the years, though, I’ve learned the benefits of self-advocacy, from getting small things (like additional time to complete a task) to big ones (like a salary increase).
3. The significance of taking risks. I’ve never been much of a risk-taker, primarily due to the fear of making a mistake or being denied. But through experience, I’ve learned that it’s during those risks and failures that we learn the most — and sometimes there are huge gains as a result of taking risks. In either case, growth happens. I wish I had been encouraged to take more risks earlier. A few years ago, I took a risk to apply for an honor/recognition, even though I felt there were others who were more qualified than I was. I nearly talked myself out of applying, but there was a voice inside that reminded me, “All they can do is say no.” So I applied, and I received the award!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite saying is “Live. Laugh. Love.”

It’s funny, because this saying has become pretty cliché and the butt of jokes, especially since the debut of the Progressive Insurance commercials, but I have it featured throughout my home. The three words are catchy, but it’s more about how interconnected they are and how concisely they capture what I’ve learned about life.

Life is short, so we should make every effort to live it to the fullest, make it count, and do some good. We need to make an impact and leave a legacy.

Laugh often, because life can be difficult and filled with challenges. You have to make the time to laugh and enjoy yourself. After all, laughter is good for the soul and has a soothing effect.

Love is powerful, and I think we all want to love and be loved. It’s also important to love yourself first, so you can give and receive it. It’s love that drives our desire to help others and to make the world a better place.

We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

I would really love to meet the folks at The 1954 Project. We have the same core values and a shared vision of investing in Black excellence through education, so I would love to sit down and talk with them.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Check us out online at https://linkunlimited.org/ or on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!

About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.

Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold