Meet Quinn Woodard: Author | Speaker | Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Quinn Woodard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Quinn, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
When I think of my end goal, for me it’s simple. It’s not a financial goal, it’s not a target related to sales, but all about making direct impact. Making an impact in the lives of children. For me, this will be a perpetual goal. One of my favorite books is The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore. A quote from the book reads, “When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were even here.” It’s a quote that has stuck with me and it serves as a reminder to work hard, give my all, and be of service to others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I’m not working as an engineer, I’m engaging with students by providing an introduction to the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), through my children’s book, Like Me. The book was published in January 2020 and it’s been a fun journey. I recently completed the edit for my 2nd book, Like Me Leaders which is slated for release in a couple months. Although I wasn’t able to visit in person with students last year, I’ve been able to reach many virtually. My favorite moment is when a child tells me what they want to be when they grow up. I’ve had students interrupt me when I’m reading the story to them and I love it. It shows me how passionate they are…the way they’re able to project boldly without hesitation and fully articulate what they want to be and be and why is awesome. Those are moments I’ll remember forever. A lot of times I think the children inspire me more than I inspire them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Although I’ve lived in the city for a little over a year, I haven’t been able to explore everything on my list. However, if a friend came into town there are a few places I’d recommend. Visiting the BLCK Market (Buffalo Soldiers National Museum) would have to be at the top of the list. It’s an indoor/outdoor market featuring black owned businesses and entrepreneurs. You can find whatever you need and it’s a great place to grab something unique. There are also great food offerings. The next place would be Premium Goods. I’m a huge sneaker guy so it’s worth checking them out to see what’s on the shelf as well as the latest streetwear offerings. The last place would be Moonstruck Drive – In. I always love a good movie. This drive in has made it easy to still get the big screen experience during the pandemic. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I look back on my life, there are so many individuals that were instrumental to my success: coaches, professors, teachers, parents. I was fortunate to have so many helping hands, so many individuals pushing and pulling me forward. Without them I definitely would not be where I am today. I’d specifically like to dedicate a shout out to my grandmother, Gloria who passed away in September of last year. She was my biggest cheerleader and she would always leave me with a life lesson on every phone call or visit.

Website: likemebook.com

Instagram: likeme.book

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinn-woodard/

Twitter: qwoodard2

Other: qwoodard.com

Image Credits
Kenwin Jones