Member Service Representative at Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union
Seychelle Allison Hercules is the middle child of three daughters born to Rawle and Marilyn Hercules. She was born in Ft. Benning, Georgia, and has since then lived in Columbus, Georgia. During her elementary school years, her parents divorced. Seychelle was raised along with her two sisters by a single mother, Marilyn. Seychelle admires her mother because she did any and everything she could do to provide for her girls. Marilyn works as a paraprofessional for the Muscogee County School District, and has worked with children that possess special needs for over 15 years. In addition to that occupation, she held two additional jobs during the summers and weekends as an in home living assistant to elderly in order to ensure her girls were always adequately provided for. Because her mother would have to work extra jobs year round, she enrolled the girls (from age 6) in Girls Inc. as a way for them to not only have access to fun activities and be around children their age outside of school, but also to ensure the girls were in a safe environment that would mentor and intellectually stimulate them while she was at work.
Marilyn will forever love Girls Inc. and she credits the organization with teaching her girls many social and life skills she was unable to tutor due to her absence as she worked hard to cater to the needs of the family. The many programs and opportunities presented to the girls allowed them to grow and develop into beautiful, strong, smart and bold young women. Seychelle was a timid child that typically followed her elder sister wherever she went, but through the help and mentoring of the Girls Inc. staff, she has blossomed into a confident, social and well-spoken young lady. One thing Seychelle especially credits Girls Inc. for is relaying to her that attending college was an attainable and realistic goal. Not only did they help her to see that, but they also saw enough potential in her to take her on college tours around the state of Georgia as well as invite her to participate in college readiness programs such as the Bold Moves program presented by Teresa White at Aflac. Seychelle was unsure whether or not college would be a part of her future after she graduated from high school; however, because of the guidance and direction she received from programs such as Bold Moves, she was able to work hard toward finding an institution that proved to be the right fit for her.
The cost of college proved to be the biggest battle faced during her search. Because this would be an immense obstacle to her continuing her education, Seychelle was directed toward scholarship searches and was given the tools and advice needed in order to stand out among other competitors. Due to this scholarship insight and help, Seychelle was able to receive a full ride scholarship to Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, where she studied International Business, Business Administration, and Communication. Seychelle credits the Bold Moves program in particular for aiding in honing her resume writing and interviewing skills, as well as allowing her to meet and interact with wonderful strong women in business who took time out of their schedules to also get involved in their community. Her favorite portion of the Bold Moves program was being able to listen to the experiences, hardships, and advice of the businesswomen who have come before her and interact with these ladies up close and on a personal level. As a woman who hopes to make a career in the business sector, these experiences solidified and enforced the type of businesswoman she wishes to be: one who is not afraid to speak up, stand out and give back. Seychelle believes that she would not be where she is presently without the mentoring of the staff members and program directors of Girls Inc. as well as the wonderful example of a hard-working provider she is blessed to call “mom”.
