By Shawna Ryan, T-Mobile Stories

问埃德维格·鲁滨逊（Edwige Robinson）是什么让她勇敢地踏上了她没有导师，没有成功的成功之路的领域，踏上了一条勇敢的职业道路，她的回答可能会让您感到惊讶。

“我喜欢这个问题，因为它将帮助许多人 - 您看到，几十年前我偶然发现了技术领域。”

正如一个人说她只是“偶然陷入技术领域”的人，鲁滨逊当然将她的大门变成了她27年职业生涯的最高途中的大步走，曾在一个由男人主导的领域中占领领导角色，尤其是一个人在Verizon Wireless，Time Warner Cable和Comcast NBC Universal等著名公司可用的少数行政席位中。

“For more than two decades, I have had the honor of leading diverse organizations at all levels and delivered terrific products and experiences for customers around the world,” explains Robinson, who joined T-Mobile as Senior Vice President of the Central Regional Network Engineering & Operations this past October. “I realized early on in my career that leadership is not just a job for me. Leadership is my calling and a way of moving through the world that makes others want to follow. Though authentic leadership requires sacrifice, I have found tremendous joy in igniting people to uncover their gifts and blind spots so that they can reach their highest potential and have maximum impact in their roles! It is such a privilege, and I get to do it every day.”

她是“业务战略，创新和技术执行”之间的自称桥梁。她的卓越成就记录以高级客户体验为重点，她为领导的团队带来了净启动者分数和ROI的巨大提高。她在5G，物联网（物联网）和窄带iot方面的专业知识旨在实现各种各样的新设备和服务，人工智能以及机器学习，使她无缝地适合自己的最新合资企业188bet上不了T-Mobile, where leading the nation in wireless 5G has been a laser focus for the brand.

由多样性研究公司Aleria命名为“很棒的黑人女人，每个人都应该知道” and lauded by the global women in STEM organization百万茎作为一个启发下一代女孩的可见榜样显然，鲁滨逊的影响并不是所有数据点和机械能力。

A native of Ivory Coast, West Africa, who came to America in her early twenties before learning to speak English, she says being a woman, an immigrant and black meant she was a “triple minority” laying new ground for those who dreamed of careers in tech but unable to find mentors and supportive allies in such a challenging field.

她的故事是目的之一。

“I have been committed to helping me and my family have a better life since I was 14 years old,” says Robinson. “This is why I work so hard. This is why I took the leap of faith to come to the USA — sometimes you have to be your own hero. You have to be willing to fight for yourself and others. You have to trust that you have what it takes.”

她致力于培养多样性和包容性，促使她帮助组织理解和利用该代表的公平；在参与，充满活力和赋予员工能够应对他们面临的挑战方面的一切。

Here Robinson opens up about how she fell in love with STEM as a young girl, the adversity she faced, her advice to women who might not have role models they identify with in their chosen fields and why she’s most grateful for her first after-school job in America, working the graveyard shift on a motherboard manufacturing assembly line.

您何时首先认识到您对STEM的热情，以及您是如何首次进入该领域的？您在象牙海岸的成长如何影响您成功的动力？

我的最初学位是银行和金融。但是，当我到达美国时，我必须找到一种方法来上学时赚钱。我的一位教授与我们分享了一个用于制造的工作广告。这项工作要求您在第三班时工作，也称为墓地小时。那时，您必须完成纸质申请，所以当我到达地点申请时，招聘人员看着我说：“你为什么在这里？”当我告诉他我想申请职位时，他认为我没有经验。但是，我告诉他我已经准备好学习，两周后，我每天下午3点至凌晨2点在主板组装线上工作。

I learned about AC/DC, resistors and transistors, different temperatures to test hardware, how to do audits, etc. I was the only female, but I did not care — I was able to take care of myself and also send money back to the Ivory Coast to take care of my family. It was hard to go to school full-time and work 10 hours after school, but it paid better than working in department stores. So, while I entered a field to help myself financially, I quickly felt in love with troubleshooting and uncovering different ways to get things to work. It turned out to be the best launchpad I could have ever asked for. This is why I always tell people to stay open to what life has to offer. You may be wonderfully surprised of the outcome.

I am known to have a relentless perseverance and tend to be an optimist. While the Ivory Coast is a beautiful country, it is not an easy place to live, to say the least. Growing up, we did not have much — so I learned to find joy in the little things, like a great meal. I remember growing up wearing one pair of shoes for several years. I learned that you always have a choice and sometimes your choice will demand a lot of sacrifice from you. You see, life is a game of decisions. Some decisions are more complicated than others, but ultimately, we must choose. When your aspirations are more significant than your worries, life has a way of putting you in a situation where you can only say yes to the opportunity. Sometimes in life you have to be your own hero. You have to be willing to fight for yourself and others. You have to trust that you have what it takes. From that point, the mentors and advocates will come.

尽管您的教育和职业成就令人印象深刻，但您曾说过，您首先要从您作为黑人妇女和美国移民的经验来获得冠军并倡导他人。您能告诉我们更多有关此的信息吗？

我看到是唯一一个看起来像我的人或在会议上像我这样说话的人，这是一种巨大的特权。因此，我看的方式是这个，而不是说我是唯一的人，我说我有特权展示自己的成就，我会在这里 - 我会做得很好，以至于他们别无选择，只能寻找更多像我这样的人。如果不是我，谁？成为障碍者需要勇气和很多牺牲，因为每个人都在看着您的工作方式。有些人默默地祈祷您成功，而有些人只是在等待您是否会失败。因此，尽管遇到障碍，您必须学会鼓励自己并继续前进。为什么？因为一切值得付出的代价。您必须决定自己愿意牺牲什么。 I sacrificed leaving everything I knew and left it behind for a country that I didn’t know, where I was unable to speak the language. Upon arrival, I embraced it and went out each day with a spirit of wonder and curiosity.

我从梯子工作的最底部开始，从那起，我回到学校，利用雇主的教育援助来完成我的学士和硕士学位。全职工作并抚养我们的男孩真的很难。我丈夫有很大的帮助。我总是提醒自己，如果您不首先为您而战，谁会？生活是你自己创造。您会得到一百倍您投入的东西。

You have been recognized as a visible role model by the global women in STEM organization百万茎和Aleria作为“每个人都应该知道的令人敬畏的黑人女人”之一。这些荣誉对您最重要吗？

For me, being a role model for young men and women is so important. It is difficult for people to become what they can’t see. As a triple minority, I take great pride in showing that it is possible to become what you dream of in secret. I want little young black girls and young men to see that their dreams are valid, too. I feel tremendous joy when I get an email or note viaLinkedIn来自刚进入该领域的女性。“当我见到你时，埃德维奇，我看到这对我也有可能。如果像您这样的人可以不说英语并达到您的水平，我相信有一天我也可以达到并超越它。这不是童话。对我来说，这也可能是现实。”这就是为什么我要做的事情，这就是为什么我可以以卓越的方式执行 - 别无选择。