Read how volunteering with the Ciena Solutions Challenge made a lasting impact on both a Ciena employee and an Atlanta-based high school student.

Torrie’s journey from volunteer to mentor

In 2023, three Atlanta schools joined the Ciena Solutions Challenge Model Schools program. The Ciena Solutions Challenge is a global design challenge inviting students and educators to come up with solutions to real problems facing their communities. The Model Schools Program is part of the Ciena Solutions Challenge that began in Ottawa, Canada which provides select schools with additional resources to engage in challenge-based learning. These resources include learnings from employees at Ciena and Digital Promise, as well as technical equipment for the execution of students’ innovative and creative ideas.

In spring 2024, Ciena team member Torrie O’Gwin attended an event held by Benjamin Mays High School, one of our Ciena Solutions Challenge Model Schools based in Atlanta. The event was an opportunity for the students to showcase some of their projects that help to address sustainability challenges in their communities.  As Torrie toured the school, he heard a voice from across the room that he recognized. That voice belonged to Jaydan Price, a senior at Benjamin Mays High School. Jaydan had hosted a podcast for his contribution to the Ciena Solutions Challenge and Torrie had been one of the volunteer judges to provide feedback.

Torrie not only recognized Jaydan’s voice—he remembered the podcast fondly. The project was called “Health is Wealth” and it provided a platform for Jaydan to interview student athletes from his school on the subject of mental health. As a coach of student sports, Torrie immediately recognized the value in providing this space for student athletes to build connections and have important conversations. Torrie noticed how young athletes tended to spend their time joking around together, that is, when they weren’t too tired to talk at all. He listened to every episode of the podcast and thought to himself, “Wow. This kid—he has something there.”

How feedback and support are impacting Jaydan’s future

Jaydan remembered Torrie too. Once they made the connection in person, he didn’t shy away from Torrie’s feedback and questions—he embraced the opportunity. Jaydan realized that he and Torrie were on the same page about the podcast, saying “I never looked at this as just a project, I saw it as an opportunity to show what I’m capable of.”

When it comes to planning for the future of his podcast, Jaydan is ambitious. “I am going to take it as far as I can and make it as professional as I can,” he says, “I’m already working on the brand.” His ambition and desire for feedback illustrated a maturity that Torrie admired. He shared with Jaydan the importance of setting himself apart from others, “You can’t think like everybody else; you’ve got to think outside the box.”

Taking on Torrie’s feedback, Jaydan started preparing to grow his project. He’s already working on advancing his interview skills, as well as researching the resources that will be available to him in college. Jaydan says that he has, “definitely benefitted” from Torrie’s feedback and that he appreciates the support he has been given.

Jaydan has also been inspired to begin his own life-long journey of giving back to others the way Torrie has supported him. He’s joined a school program that helps incoming ninth grade students know what to expect from their high school experience and provides advice.

How Ciena supports giving back to our communities

“I think it’s always very important for us to look for ways to give back,” Torrie says about his fellow Ciena employees, “volunteering is very important.” One avenue through which he gives back is through his involvement in the Black at Ciena employee resource group (ERG), where he is a leader. His work with the Ciena Solutions Challenge and the Atlanta Model Schools cohort stems from a collaboration between the ERG and Ciena’s Digital Inclusion program.

Ciena also provides paid time off for employees like Torrie to volunteer in support of the causes that are most important to them, through the Ciena Cares employee volunteer program. Looking back on his experience with Jaydan and the Ciena Solutions Challenge, Torrie says that he believes, “it’s been more impactful for me, to be honest. He [Jaydan] might have gotten some benefits from this, but I’ve gotten a lot.”

Interested in how Ciena prioritizes giving back in our company culture? Learn more about how Ciena gives back to the community.