Guest blog post by Shareen Bundy, Program and Management Analyst, Office of General Counsel, Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP)

I am honored to be nominated to represent my culture for the U.S. Department of Commerce during the 2021 African American History Month celebration. My name is Shareen Bundy, and I am a Program and Management Analyst with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) within the Office of General Counsel. I’ve been with CLDP for 14 years, and it has been a great experience. I play many roles for CLDP including collaborating and consulting with CLDP senior staff, attorneys, and international program specialists and ensuring that their travel, IT and logistics needs are being met. I also work closely with our Office of Financial Management travel office and other OGC administrative staff.

I grew up in Landover, Maryland and spent my summers in Washington, DC. At the age of 20, I moved to Washington, DC permanently. My grandmother worked for Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and it was just amazing to me that she had a small part in helping our country explore space. Growing up, I always helped others by volunteering, mentoring, and just trying to make someone’s life better. In 2008, I was a recipient of the Habitat for Humanity program and had the opportunity to build a house. It was the most amazing experience to build my own home. As an African American woman, this was a dream for me to give my kids a home. I wanted to teach my children that education, hard work, and prayer were the keys to success. In 2018, I went back to school and received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University and a master’s in the Science of Psychology in 2020 from Walden University. Today, I am working on a master’s degree in Biblical Life Coaching at Liberty University. I am very active in my church, the First National Deliverance Center, where I sing in the choir and recite my poetry. I also enjoy celebrating and participating in autism walks and activities in honor of my autistic son.

This month is the perfect time to remember where we came from - including the struggles, the bad times, the good times and the lessons that have been passed down from generation to generation. Black History Month also is a time to step back and express gratefulness to those who came before us and hope for those who come after. As an African American woman, it is important to embrace the past and create your future – remembering that love is the key to it all.

There is so much pride and joy in being a civil servant. Serving someone other than yourself is the greatest reward. There is an amazing array of careers you can pursue and a ton of experiences you won’t get anywhere else. The best advice I can give is to take a chance on a role or project even if you don’t think you check every box needed. I’ve had the most rewarding experiences when I have challenged myself with a task I didn’t think I could do. I frequently share the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. with my mentees and children: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Ed. note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce series highlighting the contributions of Department of Commerce African Americans during Black History Month.