You’re Not Behind — You’re Stacking Skills (Here’s How I Did It)

What if nothing you’ve studied, worked on, or struggled through was wasted?In this soundbite from the Black-Liberation.Tech Podcast, Dr. Renee Jordan breaks down what she calls the Strategic Stack — the intentional process of layering skills, degrees, and experiences to move into spaces that weren’t originally “designed” for you.This segment is for the student or early-career professional who:Feels like their degree doesn’t “match” where they want to goHas experience across education, policy, or community work and wonders if it countsIs curious about tech, research, or doctoral programs but doesn’t see a clear path inDr. Jordan shares how she realized she needed a tool — not just policy recommendations — and how technology had been following her all along, from federal work-study in IT to being the unofficial tech problem-solver in every role she held.She explains how her Master’s in Public Policy unexpectedly positioned her to meet the quantitative and research requirements for a PhD in Instructional Technology — fast-tracking her entry into a competitive tech-adjacent doctoral program.This is a powerful reminder that:Your degrees don’t have to be linearYour experience is already speaking — you just need to translate itStrategy matters just as much as passionIf you’ve ever thought, “I don’t have the right background for tech,” this segment will challenge that belief.