Spotlighting Black Voices During Black History Month: Marquel Kudjo

In honor of Black History Month, we are happy to share the story of our STEM Coach, Marquel Nichole Kudjo.

My Story: Navigating Identity and Heritage– I was raised in the Bay Area. My family on my father and mother’s side is diverse of Creole, Caribbean and Black American cultures. Learning about my culture and diversity has always been an interest to me. In 2016, my family and I took a Genealogy test, and it has shaped the way I view Black History and Culture. From learning about the history behind our foods and dance, to our language. What the schools and American History teach about Black History is not as accurate and I wanted to learn more. An eye opener for me is when I took a trip to Ghana and visited the Elmina Castle, where millions of African Slaves were held against their will and shipped to the Americas. Just being there brought me to deep tears and chills. Visiting Ghana several times was a lifetime experience, and I feel blessed to have visited the Motherland. The connections of Diaspora Identities are evident in all the African Diaspora. I learned when slaves were shipped from the Castle, they brought their identities to the Americas and had to adapt to a new location. The culture was not lost, rather it was a fusion of learning what they had to know and connecting to their previous environment to survive.

Workplace & Leadership “Thriving While Black: Experiences in the Workplace” – Challenges, successes, and advice on navigating professional spaces. In 2014, I decided to leave the profession in the dental field and was undecided on my next career. At Foothill College, there was a job fair, and I had limited resumes with me. I saw a Peninsula Family Service table where I handed a recruiter my last resume. Living in South San Francisco at that time, the recruiter asks if I would like to work with children in South San Francisco at Leo J Ryan. At first, I felt excited! However, I explained I have never worked with children, and I am not sure if I would be fit for the position. The next day, I went for an interview at the main office. I started working for PFS in November of 2014 as a teacher’s aide. As I started to get comfortable working with children, the Site Manager encouraged me to take ECE classes the following semester along with my general ed classes I was already taking. I took a couple of ECE classes, I was set to graduate with a degree in Early Childhood Education and I enjoyed what I was learning! I implemented everything I was learning into my classroom at Leo J Ryan. As time went on, I advanced in my teaching permit from a Teacher’s Aide to a Master Teacher where I was a lead teacher for over 7 years. In July of 2022, I moved on from a classroom teacher to a
STEM Coordinator, where I was teaching hands on STEM lessons to all our sites. And as of January 2025, I am currently a STEM Coach and will be coaching teachers about STEM Education. I am more than grateful for the advancement in my career, and I am eager to learn more every day.

“Leading with Purpose: Black Leadership & Representation” – Everyday when I come to PFS, I am grateful to be a Black woman working in the education field. I feel that it is important for blacks including myself to continue growing, leading and being successful because this society does not promote that. Everything I do, I strive to be the greatest at it. My family did not have that chance. Just knowing in the 1960’s blacks were not able to excel, brings me to strive to do more for my ancestors. Every resource I get, I learn and see how to apply it not only in my professional life, but my personal life.

“Breaking Barriers: Stories of Overcoming Adversity” – Personal accounts of resilience and perseverance in the workplace. For the 10 years working at PFS, there have been a lot of culture barriers. I started working here as one of the less than few black people in this organization. There was not a lot of diversity working here, and I knew that as a black woman, I needed to strive at all I do. Being labeled as an “angry black woman” if I am quiet, is not the right way to judge someone if they are simply more quiet than usual. My resilience, professionalism and my love for Early Learning kept my eye on the prize. I knew I had more to give my students when I was a teacher. Every action, and everything affects them, and I had to be strong for them. I went to work putting the children’s needs before my own.

Community & Culture “The Power of Community: Building Support Networks” – How relationships and mentorship have influenced personal and professional growth. Relationships and mentorship have positively influenced my professional growth. As I stated previously, Early Learning is my passion. I always look for ways to advance myself for the children in our community. In August of 2023, I decided to further pursue an education in Early Childhood Studies at EDvance College and will graduate next year. I strive to be the best student in college and apply all that I learn in my career. Also, building relationships from the leadership team at PFS helps me a lot to be the best I can be.

“Cultural Traditions That Keep Me Grounded” – Celebrating the foods, music, traditions, and values that connect individuals to their roots. Growing up, I didn’t have the best family influence. We did not have a lot of traditions as I was living in survival mode. Until I got older, I now embraced my culture and as a newlywed in an intercultural marriage, I am still learning a lot about my husband’s culture.

“Activism & Advocacy: Driving Change in Our Communities” – Stories of engagement in social justice, community service, and advocacy efforts. Living in the Bay Area over the years has taught me a lot about gentrification. Blacks in the community are more less and are continuing to decrease. In the previous years, I would tune in to black community city council meetings and hear stories of how blacks are getting racially judged and getting pushed out the Bay Area. Still to this day, this is an ongoing issue in our community.

Wellness & Self-Care “Healing and Resilience: Prioritizing Mental Health” – Conversations on self-care, racial trauma, and the importance of well-being. I was raised in a dysfunctional family. There were a lot of things that was taught to be “normal” in my family from behaviors to religion. I didn’t get away until 5 years ago. I started to know my worth and made drastic changes. Now, I am prioritizing my needs and breaking generational trauma. For me to be a good wife, friend, and even an employee, I need to take care of myself and my mental health to be the best version of myself. My family has suffered a lot from individual to racial trauma, and I did not want it to end with me. Everyday it is a challenge to fight my demons, but I try every day.

“Joy as Resistance: Finding Happiness Amidst Challenges” – How Black joy, laughter, and celebration are powerful forms of resilience. Generational trauma amongst blacks has been a torch for years. I feel that even though we are living in a society that does not promote black wellness, coming together as one celebrating our greatness can bring joy to our hearts.

“Hopes for the Next Generation” – Advice and encouragement for future Black professionals and community members. My hope for the future generation of black professionals and community members is to come together, unite and celebrate our achievements. To keep learning and have a growth mindset. Also, breaking generational curses and trauma, our ancestors had to carry to being in survival mode. Take care of your mental health because no one can take care of you but yourself.

“Paving the Way: How We Can Create More Inclusive Workspaces” – Actionable steps to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. I believe that we can create a more inclusive workplace by breaking racial and gender biases. It starts with each individual to realize their biases or prejudices and work hard not to carry that into the workplace.

“If I Could Tell My Younger Self One Thing…” – Personal insights and wisdom gained over the years.
If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to stay true to yourself. Put your needs first and love yourself. Embrace my talents and be strong no matter what life throws at me. Over the last 5 years, I have gained so much and learned about myself more than I ever would. From the workplace to my personal life, I live each day in positivity and to keep going.