“I Am African & I Can” is a women’s empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women’s struggles and successes.

Guyanese-American Tai Abrams’ first encounter with systemic racism was in the 7th grade, when she and 6 other Black students took the 9th grade Math Regents and she scored 100. The principal did not believe that she was capable of acquiring such a perfect score. She had to retake the exam, but still scored 99 at a school where the average score was a 60 or 70. The second time around, she got credit but no apology for undermining her intelligence. Being underestimated at a young age inspired her to not only make sure that she succeeded in life, but also helped others tap into their potential.

“Systemic racism can impact Black people to the point where we have the implicit bias that we don’t believe we can be successful to beat the odds,” Tai expressed about the time when her principal, who was Black, underestimated her ability to score high on her Regents.

Tai was a go-getter from a tender age. She took on leadership roles, was on the math team at Bronx Science for 3 years, and competed in national competitions where they ranked #5 at the time.

While in middle school, she had the opportunity to visit Ghana, and there she learned how to be a confident woman. The numbers girl later attended a specialized high school where few Black and Latinos were admitted.

When it was time for college, she got accepted to Ivy League schools. She decided to attend Duke University. While pursuing her degree, she interned on Wall Street as an investment Banking analyst, and later went to work for a government consulting firm in D.C. before returning to New York to work with Charter schools.

In 2016, she decided that she wanted to be her own boss and founded the nonprofit organization “AdmissionSquad,” a program that prepares students for placement in high performing high schools and then competitive colleges. Tai, the founder and CEO, says that the program is designed to help children realize their potential and bring brilliance out of them. Since, the organization helped many students secure internships, study abroad, learn second languages, and 3 of them have started their own businesses while in high school.

Tai’s biggest desire is to help others succeed. “I know that I am successful when I help 1000 people achieve their goals,” she expressed.

She manages a team of 28, and has built a close-knit relationship with them. “I hire based on people’s strengths, passions, and goals, people who have a serious commitment to adding value. It’s a win-win situation. I hold them accountable and acknowledge them when they do good work,” Tai said.

AdmissionSquad is held during the summer— when students are out of school—Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Her activities include meetings with her team, speaking to parents on the phone, organizing workshops, checking emails, and providing diagnostic testing to keep parents informed about their kids’ performance. Since the pandemic, they have transitioned the learning program to fully virtual.

Tai is an author of 3 books, an Amazon Best-selling author of “Who Am I? An A-Z Career Guide for Teens,” a speaker, and entrepreneur. She is the creator of Taicoon University, founder of AdmissionSquad, and holds a Masters in Mathematics from Brooklyn College. Thus far, she has achieved the following: Caribbean Life Impact 2016 Award Recipient NCNW 2017 Award Recipient, Cultural Icon Award for Harlem Fashion Week 2017, and Malik Foundation Education Leader Award 2018.

Valerie Brown, Tai’s business colleague, says: “I've had the pleasure of knowing Tai for over 10 years. During this time, I've learned a lot from her as she has great wisdom as a young woman and entrepreneur. She is active in her community and is brilliant at what she does in educating youth. She is doing her part in being the solution. Tai takes the calling on her life seriously and therefore is making a difference in the lives of others as they become their best selves.“

“When I'm around her, she champions me to level up personally and professionally. Throughout her professional life, Tai has evangelized the goals and value proposition of the education space through training, development, and mentoring. She is brilliant and does not disappoint. I'm excited about her being featured as a powerhouse because that accurately describes her,“ Valerie added.

Tai could have doubted her abilities because of her principal’s inability to see her aptitude. Instead, she used that incident as a motivator to excel in her endeavors. This powerhouse tapped into her area of expertise and is continuing to close the information gap surrounding the importance of going to top high schools and colleges. Her success story shows us that we must always believe in ourselves despite others’ perception of us.