Today’s episode welcomes the highly accomplished Adrian Perkins. Adrian is a graduate of West Point, field artillery officer veteran of the US Army, bronze star recipient, Harvard Law School graduate, and Tillman Scholar. Following his military service and law school, Adrian served as Mayor of his hometown in Shreveport, LA, and was Louisiana’s 2020 democratic nominee for Senate with endorsement from President Obama. Currently, he is a Pritzker fellow at the University of Chicago and working in private equity while serving on Service to School’s Board of Directors. This interview explores Adrian’s experiences that shaped his dedication to public service and leadership.
Main Topics
Adrian’s background & introduction (0:33)
Experience serving as first African American graduate class president at West Point, how it paved the way for more to hold the position (3:55)
Motivation to pursue public service & leadership opportunities (6:55)
Experience as class president at Harvard Law School, leveraging background & leadership skills to mentor class peers as a veteran (9:30)
Timeline of preparing to apply to & attend law school, creating a dual track of opportunities (12:25)
Experience campaigning for Mayor of Shreveport while a 3L at Harvard Law School (16:00)
Decision to run for office & first steps to get the ball rolling, balancing investment of data & relationships for campaign strategy (18:20)
Decision & first steps to join the running as the democratic nominee for Senator of Louisiana (21:35)
Securing President Obama’s endorsement for Senate race (24:10)
Experience as a Pritzker fellow teaching at UChicago (25:15)
Civic engagement & getting the youth of America involved in democracy (27:25)
Running for political office as a veteran, managing military service as a way to engage with others without making it your identity (30:40)
Affirmative action decision at higher education institutions except for military academies & the effects on diversity in the military (33:55)
Unique challenges African American service members & veterans face, bridging cultural differences (35:20)
What Adrian is up to now & what is coming up on the horizon (39:55)
Parting words of wisdom (43:00)
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