Today we’d like to introduce you to Xavier Beckwith.
Xavier, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a young, African-American male, raised in the inner-city Houston, I understood that true wealth was not in your possessions or bank account, but in the love and happiness of the life you experience. Despite living in conditions that some would consider poverty, under single-parent circumstances that many would consider impossible to overcome, my family – , my mom (Jeanette), grandmother (Linda), two older brothers (Timothy and Johnathan) and younger sister (Rebecca) – ensured that I was prepared to excel through the expected adversities in life.
Between starting a house fire at the age of 4 years old and surviving a drive-by at the age of 9, I was introduced to a woman, Susan, through the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. After attending 6 different schools from k-8, I received a full scholarship to attend The Kinkaid School, where I was introduced to depression, uncomfortable experiences, and intellectual perseverance. I got to Kinkaid through a summer program, called the Engineering Math and Science Institute (EMSI), which was designed to expose public students to rigorous academic material they may not experience in public schools.
As an 8th grader at Welch Middle School, my Science teacher, Mrs. Baxter, and my Math teacher, Mrs. Oswampke, asked if I would be interested in attending Kinkaid’s new summer program, designed for top academic students within public schools. At the time, I was already slated to attend either Westbury, Madison, or Lamar High school. I had no idea what Kinkaid was, but when I stepped foot on campus, I had a Deja Vu moment, as if I’d been to the school before. When I have those moments in life, I see them as confirmations that I am where I’m supposed to be, for better or for worse.
In the summer of 2005, after my digital electronics class at EMSI, my instructors, who were, and still is Kinkaid’s physics honors teacher, asked me if I’d be interested in applying to Kinkaid. In my head, I did not want to and had very little interest in attending the school. As summer program reached its end, I found myself in meetings with various stakeholders within the Kinkaid community – teachers, principals, coaches, staff. Still, I was set on attending school with friends, on pace to thrive in the NFL.
Nothing would ever stop me from improving the quality of life for my family. There was a better way of living and I was hell-bent on finding it. Flashing forward, Kinkaid spoke with my grandmother on the phone, and afterwards – my grandmother explained to me how attending Kinkaid could set me on a path to change the course of an entire generation of Beckwith’s. So – I did. I enrolled in Kinkaid, despite my initial hesitations. The first day of school, I recall being told that the man who I grew up thinking was my father, was actually not my father and that my actual father, was getting out of prison within a few years.
Neither of the men were around much growing up, but I recall being in a trance that day, with a wandering mind. Nevertheless, I had to persevere, like I was raised to do. As a three-sport Scholar Athlete struggling to find his way in such a new environment and even struggling with transportation to and from school, I sought help from a Kinkaid family. Through God’s grace, this family would pick me up every morning from the metro transit bus center near my house. Most times I would walk the two miles in the morning to get there, but every morning, Mrs. Evans and her son would have breakfast waiting for me in the car.
As time progressed, Kinkaid recommended that I move in with the Headmaster, until alternative living arrangements were made for me. Living in what some call “the hood,” going to one of the most prestigious and oldest private schools of it’s kind in the country, it was recommended that I explore foster care. In between winning Class President as an awkward freshman, falling in love with math/science and achieving success through awards, I was accepted into the Houston Scholars Program – a scholastic boarding house foster care program designed to provide equitable at-home stability for underserved families attending top Houston High Schools (Kinkaid, St Johns, St. Agnes, Lamar, Episcopal, etc).
Although I was not able to grow up in the household with my mom during high school, I have no doubt that this program changed my life for the better. After being elected class president for consecutive years, I was then elected the governing council president, which, apparently was a huge deal, given that Kinkaid had never previously elected an African-American to serve as president of the entire student body. Leading up to that day, I was pulled into a meeting with a CEO of a financial analysis firm who offered me summer work because of the leadership and work ethic that I’ve shown in my time at Kinkaid. Thank one meeting, led to phenomenal work experiences with Morgan Stanley, Texas Children’s Hospital, SCF Partners, and more.
Flashing forward to 2007-2008 school year; After achieving success in the classroom and in athletics and after countless hours of academic support provided through The Houston Scholars Program (HSP), it was time to apply and select a college, even as a First Generation College Student. My life experiences taught me to value education, and in choosing colleges, I elected to cautiously assess my athletic scholarship opportunities and instead, select the institution that would provide the most well-rounded experience for me, with a focus on the academics. However, in the midst of these things, my grandmother became very ill.
As Governing Council President, I am responsible for delivering the student address at graduation. The speech, which was written 10 months in advance, talked about the impact of my grandmother. Since my grandmother was handicapped, having only one leg, prior arrangements were made to have her sitting in her wheelchair, front and center of my speech. (Flashback) At the age of 9 years old, I nearly died in a drive-by shooting directed at my house. From that day, my most consistent prayer to God was that He allowed my grandmother to live and see me graduate from High School. Not college. High School.
(Back to Spring of 2008) There is no beautiful or lengthy or even easy way to type this, but my grandmother passed away in March, less than two months before my graduation speech. Needless to say, I was devastated beyond belief. At that moment, while in the hospital, my life had no value anymore. It was as if my existence was tied to the Love and comfort that she gave me. In a controlled, yet emotional speech, I delivered one of the most memorable speeches I will ever give. I recall, immediately after ending the speech, wanting to disappear as if I was never on stage. The emotional responses from the audience was overwhelming, but as the night progressed, it was empowering.
And surprisingly – my grandmother, in all of her wisdom and wit, anticipated her death and sent a letter to Kinkaid that would be included on my yearbook page, after graduation. So when I opened to my yearbook page, expecting notes and quotes that I selected, I opened to a letter from Her; from Linda Beckwith – and she became alive again, only this time, within me. By that point, I was committed to attend the University of Rochester, where I would major in Business and Legal Studies while progressing my athletic career. That summer, before traveling thousands of miles away from home to attend a new school, my 1st cousin, David was shot and killed at the age of 22.
Needless to say, my first year of college was a rebirth phase, as I slowly learned to live a life without my grandmother. My mom was very supportive and kept me encouraged. Till this day, she always tells me, “Don’t be peer pressured. Don’t be intimidated. I expect excellence.” Staying focused on the present challenges allowed me enough time to escape the truth that my life was forever changed. To summarize the upper-teens, adulthood, professional portion of my life – I graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.A. in Philosophy of Law and Ethics and a minor in Legal Studies.
After turning down a quite lucrative job offer as a regional sales rep, I elected to attend graduate school, to enhance my technical and political knowledge of the factors impacting our education systems today. I graduated with an M.S. in Education Policy and was alone recipient of the Walter I. Garm’s Award for Educational Leadership award.
Although I received many accolades, awards, and acknowledgments while in college and grad school, this particular was special to me because it was a confirmation that despite my change of professional course, I made the right decision.
After living in Rochester New York for nearly 7 years, I traveled by down to Houston and began teaching, while completing my M.A. in Teaching. In less than a year of being in Houston, I purchased a new home that I extremely grateful for. While in Houston, I started my own private practice, where I provide a wide range of services to variant age groups. As a certified teacher, a certified public speaker, and an experienced athlete with training experiences, I was able to provide, tailored, high-quality services that aligned with my gifts.
In doing so, I have connected with some of the most beautiful families in Houston, impacting both children and adults. Simultaneously, I was beginning to master the art of teaching and the art of professionalism. While there were many self-inflicted growing pains, my time in the classroom within KIPP changed my life for the better. After strong consideration of opportunities to pursue leadership and/or policy experience, I elected to return back home, to the Kinkaid School, where I now teach 6th-grade math, while coaching.
While I know that I have aspirations that may involve chartering my own network of schools or things alike, I understand that the growth experienced through the journey is more meaningful, as it continues to shape my world and enhance my thinking.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
– Being raised in underserved communities with a single parent and having to shoulder the weight of being “the first” to do much of what God allowed me to do, can be challenging at times.
– After recently meeting my father, (3 years ago), I am understanding more how the absence may have caused subliminal anger and rebellion. To be aware of that, for me, has lifted a weight from my chest.
– Experiencing the loss of people that mean so much to you can be uncomfortable and if handled inappropriately, as I sometimes did, can cause self-inflicting, near-permanent damage to a person.
– Code-switching was difficult, as I often struggled with my identity, once I was exposed to different experiences, starting with meeting Susan at the age of 7, then continuing with my experiences as a student at Kinkaid.
– Living with the headmaster and enrolling into foster care was a difficult experience for me. I started meeting with a counselor in high school and even after all these years, I still, on occasion meet with the same woman. She is truly a gift from God in my life.
– Moving away so many miles from home, not knowing anyone presented some challenges at first, but my coaches and the faculty at U of R were very supportive and helped me along the way.
– Growing up before your peers can make it difficult to connect and to form lasting, meaningful relationships.
– Stress-induced illness.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Kinkaid School story. Tell us more about the business.
In teaching, I am set apart in my ability to connect with students, ensuring that Math is relatable and fun. To give back in abundance what was given to me in sprinkles of experience is the greatest form of gratitude.
In business, https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/MyLifeCoach
I also graciously serve as the Vice Chair for the KIPP PALs Executive Board.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. My grandmother would always say, “Luck is for Leprechauns.”
This is not to ‘poo poo’ on the notion of luck or to debate the validity of referring to an experience as luck. It is to say, however, that I believe that there is a divine order to this world and the more we align ourselves with that quite, but still, inner voice that will navigate and guide us, the more we reap the blessings that are meant for us.
Casually, could one say it was “luck” that I graduated from Kinkaid? On the outside, looking in, yes – it would be plausible to think that. However, once you hear the full story or how my existing at Kinkaid stemmed from a series of unexpected moments + deliberate responses to the moments, it allows the listener to appreciate the journey, overlooking what “luck” could have been in play.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10731 Prillaman Trails Dr, Houston, TX, 77016
- Phone: 7138840613
- Email: xavier.beckwith@kinkaid.org
- Facebook: Xavier Beckwith
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