African American History Month Program
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare Systems Management & EEO
Officer/Special Emphasis Coordinators, Pittsburgh, PA
8 February 2002


Good Afternoon,

Mr. Biro, Mr. Moreland, honored guests, veterans, men and women of the Pittsburgh Healthcare System. It is indeed a pleasure for me to be here this afternoon. Thank you for inviting me as guest speaker for your special emphasis program.

This year’s theme is most challenging, “The Color Line Revisited: Is Racism Dead?”
Even though we have made monumental strides, some suggest this is a work in progress. Today, I will address some of my insights on how to become more successful and briefly describe my personal history and career as a model for others to emulate.

As the second year of the new millennium begins, we are a nation at war, drawn together with a sense of unity, born of the event of September 11, 2001: our new day of infamy. The United States suffered an unprecedented loss of life and casualties due to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. This event has forever changed our lives. Remember, as President Bush stated in his Address to the Nation after the attack, “Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.” “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” “A great people have been moved to defend a great nation.”

I say together we will succeed. A war on terrorism is a new form of war for most Americans, but we learn quickly how to meet new obstacles to freedom. Duty, honor and pride. These words reflect the spirit of generations of Americans who have sought to defend the rights and freedom of others. Whether you are in the military or a civilian - this applies to all of us. Working every day striving for excellence. Think back to September 11th - look at the additional requirements placed on VA.

Now, let me tell you about my challenges and professional career success as a model. As a young woman, I took an uncharted flight from the cotton fields of South Carolina to the pinnacle of success as a registered nurse, mentor, role model and military officer. This flight made unscheduled stops, ran into turbulence, reached unexpected heights and traveled internationally. You may ask how this journey got started. Yes, I had a dream and a vision. In a cotton field in South Carolina in the 1950's, I saw an airplane flying over and I said to my 10 sisters and brothers - one day I will fly and work on an airplane - we all laughed - because we knew that was an impossible dream! Ten years later, I proudly walked upon the stage and accepted my silver flight nurse wings at the Aerospace School of Medicine, Flight Nurse Branch, Brooks AFB, San Antonio, Texas.

This journey was begun when my church and high school united to share their resources with me by providing a scholarship for nursing school. When I graduated I invested in the human potential stock market instead of that sports car, new clothes, and a stereo. I shared my resources with 10 sisters and brothers to help them get their college degrees or with small business ventures. One went to medical school and became an Air Force Flight Surgeon, another a pilot, others completed degrees in nursing and social science, and three are successful small business owners in Aiken, SC. Family values, unity and support from the entire community clearly empowered me to become successful. It truly does “take a village.” The Air Force and National Guard helped me realize my dream to fly. Senior leaders mentored me, nurtured me, educated me, and offered me many challenging opportunities. I served my country as a flight nurse examiner, chief nurse executive, commander, advisor to the Chief, Air Force Nurse Corps, for Readiness and Nursing Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard for Human Resources Readiness retiring September 2001 as a major general. My civilian career has been just as full and rewarding. I have served as chief nurse executive, university professor, senior policy specialists and Director, Northeast Region, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC and recently appointed by the White House as Director for the Center for Women Veterans.

Even though my dream was realized, like many of you in the audience today, I have had my share of challenges, obstacles and disappointments. Just like you, I delivered newspapers and worked in fast food restaurants. There have been many good times and a few bad times - however, in the bad times I am reminded of Maya Angelou's poem, which inspired new hope in many Americans, she said:
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived; but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."

Talk to yourself and say that you are somebody:

· I am somebody - I am an advocate of Justice in Sandra D. O’Connor
· I am somebody - I am the world’ greatest golfer in Tiger Woods
· I am somebody - I am an intelligent pen in the hand of DuBois
· I am somebody - I take care of veterans for the Pittsburgh HCS

Do not allow your past experiences to impede your future, but join the palace of success, not the prison of failure. In spite of numerous roadblocks, my goal was to turn obstacles into steppingstones and move up the career ladder - because I was determined to serve this Nation and be a role model for my family, my community, my state and my country. Now, I would like to share a model of determination and commitment from one person’s experience.

Let me tell you what made me successful:

· Commitment and determination to hard work always striving for excellence. Just getting by is not acceptable.
· Taking advantage of every opportunity to learn and to improve myself.
· Preparing myself by seeking advance education, challenging projects and visualizing the future, and
· Mentoring from several outstanding leaders, civilian and military.

At this point I would like to stress mentoring as a key to helping young people achieve their career goals.

· When you mentor you invest in the human potential stock market
· When you mentor you build bridges for others to pass over

Mentoring helped me to understand many of the unwritten political rules and issues related my career.
In order to become successful and remain successful - you must remain vigilant and never give up:

· If I had given up on my dream to fly, I would not have a star above my wings.
· If I had given up when I was told I would not progress beyond the rank of major, I would have 2 stars.
· If I had given up when I was denied admission to the first nursing school to which I applied, I would not have a master's degree from Yale and a doctorate from Columbia.
· If I had given up on my desired professional goals, I would not have been inducted into the Teachers College, Columbia University Nursing Hall of Fame and into the Yale University Public Service Honor Roll.

I am very proud of my accomplishments, but my greatest treasure in life is mentoring and helping others to reach their potential and goals. I hope my experiences and accomplishments will inspire and propel you to immeasurable heights in your personal and professional endeavors.

Let's not forget - we are here today because African American pioneers chartered the course and made it possible for us to serve in significant roles in the military and civilian arenas. I simply followed the path of successful pioneers to achieve my goals. You young people out there will extend this path to immeasurable distances because you are destined for even higher roles and greatness! We must forge a sense of community that surpasses cultural, economic and political boundaries if we are going to reach our goals and help young people to create and achieve theirs. We need to share our knowledge and expertise to help others achieve their goals. The question often asked is - is there something missing in our lives?

Even before September 11, 2001, on April 24, 2000, The Washington Post published an article stating: Everywhere you look, people are focusing on faith and searching for meaning in life. Americans attend church far more often than the residents of other industrialized countries do. Ninety-four percent of us, when asked, say we are religious. Angels are popular on television. Books for the soul are bestsellers. However, there is great concern that we are not reaching our younger generation and the dissatisfaction some people feel with their lives. I am reminded of a message written by a Columbine High School student that's right on the mark.

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality. These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose to either make a difference...Or just hit delete!" Each of you can make a difference by your determination and commitment to excellence in all you do for your family, community, state, country with emphasis on veterans. You see, it is not enough for us to be successful - we need to give back and help others.

So today, I encourage you be become a drum major for caring.
There is a hungry veteran out there
A drum major for hopelessness
There is a lonely veteran out there
A drum major for housing
There is a homeless veteran out there

Remember as President Kennedy said, “to those who are given much - much is expected.”

To the men and women here today - I offer you some advice on designing your career as a roadmap to success. Whether you are beginning your career, advancing your career or looking for a career change.
First, you must take care of yourself and maintain a balance, that is physically, mentally, socially, economically, politically and religiously - and don't forget to pray.
Second, in order to become successful, you must get a good education, that is basic and graduate. Education was the hope of the past and it is surely the hope for the future:
Third, do your very best in the job that you have. You may not be able to change the world, but you can shine a light where you are!
Fourth, you must dream and visualize the future.

Eleanor Roosevelt stated this point succinctly. She said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” With this - remember that the future is the bright light ahead of you. Walk toward that light, and enjoy your leadership journey:

· Embrace the challenges. That should be your motto.
· Reach out for opportunities. That should be your goal.
· Accept your responsibilities. That must be your mission.
· Embrace high standards and values. These will sustain your success.
With preparation, hard work, education, mentoring and God's help, nothing can stop you. Never stop striving and growing, because there are challenges as we go boldly through the new millennium, namely terrorism, economy and ensuring OneVA care for all veterans.

We are all on a mission for our veterans and country:

· A journey to do our best job for our veterans
· A journey of dignity and respect
· A journey for equal opportunity
· A journey to inspire others to excel

The question is - how can we systematically help the masses of young men and women in VA to reach their potential while caring for our veterans? I don't know the answer; however, we must care about each other.
Dr. Martin Luther King said that we must care about each other because:
"We are bound together in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." I have discussed my thoughts on how to become more successful and given you a personal model of success. In closing, we are all simply working together as a team to add value to America - because we have promises to keep for our family, veterans, our community, our state and our country. Do we have the intelligence, humor, imagination, courage, tolerance, love, respect, and will to meet these challenges?

I say yes, because it is the human spirit that will propel us to success:
Money cannot buy it,
Power cannot compel it,
Technology cannot create it,
It can only come from the human spirit

Dr. Irene Trowell-Harris, Maj Gen, USAF, Retired
8 February 2002

A Special Thank-You to Joyce Lane-Nelson,
who invited Dr. Trowell-Harris to Pittsburgh!
Joyce is our EEO African American Coordinator for University Drive.


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