Today we’d like to introduce you to Cornelia Leach.
Hi Cornelia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a 28-year-old African American woman who enjoys watching reruns of “A Different World,” shopping, and spending time with family! In 2011, I graduated from Roycemore College Preparatory School – a small community of families that truly cared about one another’s success. I decided to go to a small University in Chicago – Robert Morris University in the loop, pursuing my bachelor in Business Administration, Concentration Management in 2013, master’s of Business Administration, Concentration Management in 2015, and most recently adding a Concentration to my master in Human Resources August of 2018.
During the time frame of my graduate degree, I worked at PeopleScout to start my HR career, a wonderful call center that showed me the skeleton of recruiting. I then moved on to NorthShore University HealthSystem after obtaining my master’s. Since then I have worked about seven years in Human Resources at various companies and various industries (b2b tech, food, hospitality, pharmaceutical, and non-profit family services). Currently I am working as a Human Resources Coordinator at Metropolitan Family Services helping hire employees all over the city of Chicago and neighboring suburban areas to empower families to learn, earn, heal, and thrive. As for future goals, I plan to earn my PhD! With my PhD I will be giving back to the young adults as a leader, professor, and mentor!
Aside from working full-time as a Human Resource Coordinator, I model full-time, and I am a reigning pageant Queen, Miss Illinois 2019-2021 for Majestic International Pageant! International competition is taking place next month, August 2021, so I hope to bring back the crown! I have also reigned for Miss Globe United States State Pageant 2nd Runner-Up (March of 2019), Miss Black US Ambassador (2018), competed in Nationals June 2018, National Elite Pageant 3rd Runner-Up (2017), and I also competed in National American Miss (NAM) from the age of 9-22 receiving an abundance of awards, state titles, city titles, and placing Top 10 in Nationals (California 2013). My platform is Reach One, Teach One: servicing volunteer opportunities every free chance I get, working to be the best person I can not only as pageant queen, but as an African American leader in today’s generation! Through that mission I reach one in order to teach one!
As for modeling, I am a free agent, but looking for the best fit with an agency! I am a strong, plus size model, who has walked many runway shows: LOLC Chicago Fashion Show 2017, 2018, and 2019 in NYC. BeautifulYouTour in NYC 2018 and 2019, Kentucky Derby Fashion Show in 2019, and The Pageant Experience. I have also been published in international magazines: Meraki Tribe (twice), Con Magazine, GMaro, Lyun Magazine (twice), and much more to come in the future; I promise! I have worked with some amazing photographers over the years as well; Kayleigh with @doozy, Dazzle Shots, Scott Broaddus, Elance, TCO Photos, Reno, Elijah, Brin Hill, Hailey Marie, Aaron Taber, and Darnell Hood. My future goals in modeling include being a household plus-size model name such as everyone remembers Tyra Banks!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My career I would say has been a smooth road overall, but the struggle that I encountered were being so young and so educated. Robert Morris University Illinois was a unique school and I was able to obtain my education through the summers (summer school), therefore I was able to receive my bachelors 2.5 years after graduating from high school. Then once receiving my master’s, I had a small amount of experience but not enough according to the industry, so a lot of companies during my interviews were a candidate in saying they weren’t ready to take the risk on someone young with no experience. I really had to prove that my internships, part-time jobs, and one year of experience were enough to start my career and then continue with companies and gain years of experience.
In my modeling and pageantry career, the road was not easy at all, and I struggled a lot along the way. I started pageantry at the age of 12 and knew nothing about the world. I had a blast at competition learning from other girls, and over the years, I became good at my craft. The difficult part was I hardly saw young woman who looked like me! In all my accomplishments, I can count on my figures how many young girls and women looked like me. I decided in 2018, I wanted to compete in the Miss Black United Stated Pageant, that was also difficult, I felt culture shock. I can say I learned so much about my heritage, made so many sister queens, and walked away from that experience with a newfound purpose in life. I started modeling around 2019, and that is when the struggle continued, I heard time and time again from agencies that I was not “the fit” they were looking for. Never did I let that stop me. I embrace my curves, I love how God created me, and one day an agency will love me just as I love myself! Being a plus size model in 2021 is different from 2019, and I love the changes the world continues to make from stigmatisms, to stereotypes, to not accepting! I am accepted in the industry now than ever before, and I use my platform to reach other models, pageant queens, I help mentor them in ways I wasn’t mentored!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Human Resources Recruiting Coordinator at Metropolitan Family Services. I specialize in working with Recruiters to hire candidates (phone screens, interviews, offers, etc.), I attend career fairs, coordinate and implement recruiting initiatives, develop and execute recruiting plans, assist with high volume recruitment for Early Childhood Education positions, conduct semi monthly New Hire Orientation and annual performance appraisal training, and the list goes on! I really enjoy being a Coordinator at MFS.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me, aside from the wonderful work I do, and how that work is being displayed through industry standards, recruiting, work ethics, and so much more; would ultimately be my family. I work tremendous hours to make sure that they are taken care of. I have two adorable nephews, Caiden and Caleb, they are the sunshine to my days! I have a darling mother, Charlly who has been my Momager and best friend along every step! I have a wonderful support team; my bestie Martha, my incredibly handsome bf Marius, my sister Renaqua, best friend for 20+ years Shoshana, Auntie Rochelle, Auntie Shawn, Auntie Genine, Lil Joe, my sister Mariah, and so many more the list would go on and on! I love everyone and they matter to me most! What I accomplish and succeed is for them!
Contact Info:
- Email: corneliarleach@gmail.com
- Website: https://cornelialeach.wixsite.com/reachoneteachone
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confidentnature/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CorneliaLeachReachOneTeachOne/about/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConfidentNature
Image Credits
Photographer, Kayleigh Kay with @Doozy on all social platforms MUA Myself, Cornelia Leach @confidentnature on most social platforms
