Generation NEXT: Two East Liberty sisters aspire to successful career paths

Chandel first thought she would be a teacher, but participation in a high school workshop at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, along with hearing a presentation by a young female contracts attorney, sold her on becoming an attorney. At Oakland Catholic, she maintained a 4.0 GPA and was the school’s representative on the City of Pittsburgh Mayor’s Youth Council.
“Chandel is a natural leader, evidenced through her participation in such activities as People-to-People, senior class president, student government and Maximizing Adolescent Potentials (MAPS), a University of Pittsburgh program that fosters youth leadership,” says Florence M. Rouzier, Ph.D., executive director of Crossroads Foundation, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that helps youth pursue higher education. “I see both these young women as future leaders and outstanding role models.”
Cieayrra, the younger of the two, is a senior at Temple University studying neuroscience. She’s fascinated by autism and Alzheimer’s disease, which cover the lifespan of neurological disorders.
“These two conditions are not really studied like they should be,” Cieayrra says. “I’m interested uncovering some type of pre-diagnosis for them.”
Cieayrra was an honor student at Oakland Catholic as well and was involved in Oakland Catholic Confronting Racism (OCCR), a group that came together to improve race relations.
“The administration was unaware of some of the issues facing the African American girls,” Cieayrra recalls. “We basically formed the group so there would be a platform for dialogue.”
Participation at the National Student Leadership Conference on the Campus of University of Maryland further added to the development of Cieayrra’s leadership skills.
Chandel’s legal career is headed in an equally ambitious direction.
“I’m interested in intellectual property, specifically, copyright and trademark law,” she says.
“All major companies use copyright and trademark attorneys. For instance, the (NFL’s Washington) Redskins organization is an example of where this type of attorney would be used—they are in the midst of a lawsuit because of the use of the name.”
Excelling all through their education, engaging extracurricular activities that supported their scholarly achievements and having positive role models all have factored in the outstanding results of their efforts. For Chandel, a family friend from church, Douglas Allen, an attorney at Reed Smith, was a role model. And for Cieayrra it’s her aunt, Keyne Thomas of Florida, a celebrated neurosurgeon in her own right.
For all their accomplishments, both girls feel challenges that belie their success. Like many young women, Chandel struggles with insecurities and self-doubt. “I seem to always be seeking approval of others, and no matter how many things turn out right, like getting accepted into law school, I still doubt that I’ll be good enough for the next thing,” Chandel explains.
Cieayrra says her challenge is in her lack of focus. “Sometimes I’m short on focus and don’t act on planning the way I should,” Cieayrra says. “Sometimes I just go with the flow and don’t take things as seriously as I should. But, you get to college and it’s clear there is no one here making you finish projects or turn things in—staying focused is the key here.”
Their mother says both girls have far exceeded her expectations for them.
“My goal for them has always been for them to be better than me—to at least get out of high school without becoming a single mom, like I did. I hoped that the boundaries and rules I set and kept would keep them on track—and they did. But more than this, I am so thankful that they were in the right places and the right times for people to see their gifts.”
 
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