Nadiyah Coleman’s success story has been filled with twists and turns and pleasant surprises. Borrowing a phrase from Alicia Keys, this girl is on fire.

She has been a flight attendant, “I wanted to travel and see the country,” a nurse, lawyer, summer camp director, lieutenant governor’s aide and now Director of the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development. Recently, Nadiyah addressed New Orleans Job Corps students during the Center’s March Awards ceremony and she cautioned  the group not to be discouraged if their first career choice is not everything they expected.”

After all,persistence is everything she says.

“Even if you change your mind and decide your first choice is not what you thought it would be in terms of your profession, keep moving forward and keep seeking,” said Nadiyah.“And if you’re always in the mindset of how do I serve, how do I make something better for somebody else, then you’ll always be satisfied with your career.”

Nadiyah’s work ethic didn’t go unnoticed as she administered a summer youth program at Xavier University while still in law school. One day an aide to then Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu visited the summer camp at Nadiyah’s request. After an awards ceremony, the Lt. Governor’s staffer  approached Nadiyah about coming to work for her boss-Mitch Landrieu. Nadiyah wasn’t sure if the woman was serious until she followed up and invited Nadiyah to interview with Landrieu’s Chief of Staff. That led to a meeting with the Lieutenant Governor himself. Several weeks later, Lt. Gov. Landrieu offered Nadiayh a position in his administration. After he was elected Mayor of New Orleans, Landrieu persuaded Nadiyah to join his team once again.

“I don’t know the last time I actually applied for a job,” Nadiyah told New Orleans Job Corps Center students. “I’ve been approached for every career move that I’ve made in the last ten years. It’s been someone coming to me and saying ‘we see what you’re doing and it’s fantastic and we’d like to offer you an opportunity to do something else- something bigger and better Always do your best because you never know whose watching.”

Nadiyah urged students throughout her speech to pursue a cause bigger than themselves when selecting their life’s work.“I want to urge all of you that as you consider your career choice that you do it with the mindset of caring about other people,  caring about the future of this city-not just yourselves. And, then, all of the things you want in life will happen.”