Meet Carnell Tate | Mechanical Engineer and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carnell Tate and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carnell, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
In his second book, Rock Bottom to Rock Star, Ryan Blair teaches us all some of what he’s learned through trial and error so that we can all become “rock stars” in whatever we choose. Each chapter is a different tip, told in his very readable and down-to-earth tone and with anecdotes showing either how he learned this and/or applied it. And although some of the lessons are more obvious than others, they’re all valuable. Tips include knowing your superpower, working backward, funding first, what weakens strengthens you, the wrong type of success, and many others.

I am far from having a long rough upbringing or a life of hard knocks, but several moments have forced me to square with disappointment, humiliation, and desperation where I needed to get my act together and climb through an upward battle that did not have a foreseeable conclusion in the short term. I got evicted during COVID before my last year of undergrad and I remember some of the passages from that book and it helped keep my spirits up.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It was not until I became a certified tutor during my sophomore year in college that I realized I could make a direct impact on my peers. Growing up as an only child, I was miserably unskilled with people. I was always bright and likable, but my lack of deep, authentic relationships was a mystery to me. Outside of my friend group, I could not understand how easy life was for some people socially; I envied people with social skills and influence, and until I was equipped with the tools to empower people, I was stuck wondering what I was doing wrong socially. I wanted more friends, more people to listen to me, and I did not realize that having a tutoring job would open me up to other people’s challenges and perspectives.

As a confidant to students, I posed challenges to encourage people to think differently and I became an authority in my subject. Within a few minutes, I could take a complete stranger and get them to feel comfortable enough to try their best and contemplate their effort, and then I would give them tools to critically think in ways they did not imagine before. Working with these students, I learned to not only listen to people but also empathize with them. To this day, I use the method of Socratic Questioning that I execute during a learning session whenever I am negotiating, networking, or even casually talking to or comforting a friend or family member. Repeating back what people say and truly understanding their viewpoint has opened doors for me to say the least. Although I have retired from my five-year mathematics tutoring career, I used that passion for education and empowerment to lead teams to this day, and I see myself continuing my passion for education well into my career.

In 2018 I got involved at the university with the student chapter Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), as well as the National Society of Black Engineers, and began to educate myself and other students about sustainable topics by hosting meetings and events with professionals in the industry.

As a result of my leadership, my officer team and I won the chapter over $17,000 in scholarships, and eight chapter national awards with the AEE for three consecutive years spanning 2019 through 2021 (in spite of the pandemic).

Today, I am a recent Spring Class of 2022 graduate in mechanical engineering at Kennesaw State University. I serve as the Programmatic Committee Board member of a youth-focused nonprofit called Men Impact Change and we connect, advocate for, honor and educate the black males while preparing young entrepreneurs through training and leadership development opportunities. I attribute most of my success during undergrad to leadership skills. You can go far by yourself, but you won’t make an impact until you know how to communicate with people. Throughout my career, my fascination with understanding emotional intelligence has been my most valuable skill.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The journey would start early in the morning on Saturday at Copper Coin Coffee in Woodstock with a keto bowl of avocado, eggs, cheese and bacon paired with a bold and rich chai latte. From there, I would drive about 15 minutes south to Cheatham Hill is a lesser-known hiking trail at Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield State Park. There is plenty of place for shade and the elevation is light but rewarding because you reach the top of the Illinois Monument which is dedicated to Union Civil War troops. Further south about 12 minutes, you’d get to Eddie’s Trick Shop in downtown Marietta to look at costumes, and it doesn’t need to be Halloween to have an excuse to dress up; they have colorful accessories that you can add to almost any outfit, especially their superb hat selection.

Then I would refuel at the Red Pepper Taqueria and refresh with a lime mint margarita with either a braised pork quesadilla or a shrimp fajita skillet depending on my mood. To top out the night, I would go to Apache XLR in Atlanta to catch a dose of spoken word and live music. Atlanta’s thriving community of internationally renowned poets like Queen Sheba or entertainer Bailey Brinson host events weekly there that will not fail to inspire and uplift.

On another day, Round 1 Entertainment in Cumberland Mall offers bowling, arcade games, and karaoke which is hours of fun. When indoor activities get stale you can take an outdoor trip to Etowah river at the Castleberry Ridge canoe dock. This dock is best-known for the quarter-mile “mining” tunnel from the heyday of Georgia’s gold rush.

From there, we can spend the rest of the week visiting the more touristy spots and well-known places like Krog Street Market, Ponce City Market, Little Five-Points, and the Beltline.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to The Exchange group in Atlanta. It’s a band of men led by Trey Humphreys who is an author, life coach, and Harvard Business School alumni.

We meet up weekly over coffee to have real conversations that lead to healthier relationships in our lives. Whether it is being a better father, husband, or leader at work, we have a strong community of men who we can can open up to and be vulnerable to address challenges that make us stronger.

Website: carnelltate.com

Instagram: @ready2master

Linkedin: linked.com/in/carnelltate

Image Credits
Matt Laczko, photographer and founder at Laczko Art