Roxane Jett, a management assistant at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Investigations has always had a service mindset. It started with her mother, who involved Roxane and her siblings in service projects during their childhood, such as feeding the homeless and singing at the seniors’ home. Roxane cherishes those moments with her mother and attributes her passion for service to her mother’s example.
“My mom was the foundation of my service,” Roxane said. “It was amazing to see what she would want to do for others.”
Roxane is now married and has three grown children who also share their passion for service.
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Roxane’s service mindset was later magnified as an adult when she attended a three-day workplace training, Diversity and Inclusion Change Agents, which empowers employees to make a difference. During this training, Roxane had the opportunity to meet employees from different backgrounds from across the Department of Homeland Security. The training focused on how their many differences contributed to, and could enhance, TSA’s organizational culture.
During the training, they were told that employees could make a difference by just being themselves. “I matter,” Roxane recalled. “These two words rang in my ear as I sat there as a new TSA employee. TSA cares for me, and I matter.”
This change agent training transformed Roxane and has had a significant influence on both her personal and professional life. After the training, Roxane changed her perspective on life and started living to fill up her bucket and pour out to others. The bucket, Roxane explained, was each person’s ability to make a difference. The change agent training helped fill Roxane’s bucket, and the support she receives from her family and leadership also fills up her bucket.
Roxane enjoys her job as a management assistant at TSA and sees it as an opportunity to be of service to her colleagues. She’s always learning how she can be more effective and efficient and says it gives her joy when she can help her colleagues find answers to a particular issue.
Roxane also finds joy in the many charitable projects she spearheads in her office. Her leadership supports her passion of helping others and has even provided her with a dedicated space in the office for collecting items for donation drives. At any given time, the area is overflowing with food, toys, or supplies. Roxane is grateful for the support she receives from her leadership.
Roxane is overjoyed that her family participates in and supports her various endeavors, such as when Roxane wanted to throw a birthday party for Mr. Michael, a homeless man in their neighborhood. Her family helped Roxane pass out hand sanitizer, pizza, and cake and then sang Happy Birthday to Mr. Michael.
“They joined right in because mama wanted to do it,” Roxane said. “Or, ‘my wife wants to change the world! She took that class!’”
Another service project Roxane spearheaded in her community was Pillows of Hope. As the weather became cold, centers to house the homeless opened and reached capacity quickly. A lot of the homeless population still had to sleep on the cold cement, and Roxane realized they didn’t even have a place to lay their head.
“I felt so sad in that moment,” she recalled. “But then I started thinking ‘we’re a change agent! what would a change agent do?’”
Roxane decided that the homeless needed pillows, and she felt it would be nice to include an inspirational message for them, such as ‘I am my brother’s keeper’. She immediately began working on the project, with help from her sister and brothers. Once the project was complete, Roxane’s family and work brothers joined her in distributing food, hand sanitizer, and pillows to the homeless.
Roxane is energized by participating in service projects like these and making memories with her family while serving together. Her family has rallied around each other during difficult times and worked together to make a positive impact. When Roxane’s oldest son was 5 years old, he was hit by a car and suffered brain damage. The doctors did not think he would survive, but he overcame the odds.
“He motivates me,” Roxane explained. He always likes to say, “Mama, I’m going to be right here.”
When Roxane sees her son smiling and joining the service projects, wanting to be a change agent, it makes her want to tell more people about what she considers a life-changing program.
“You may be one person, but you can make a difference! You can change the world!”