Keyshawn Phelps

Keyshawn works for a Defense Company as a System Architect Engineer in Melbourne, Florida. He graduated from Virginia State University earning a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in 2019 and is actively pursuing a master’s in Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology pending graduation May 2024.

He is the oldest of five (5) in a single parent household, growing up in Newark New Jersey, in a community that is one of the poorest in the United States. He watched his mom work multiple jobs to support their family and valued her advice that “sometimes having a Plan B can be a blessing”; meaning that although we might be determined to pursue a specific goal, life may take us in a different direction.  For Keyshawn, that advice has led to a successful and blessed journey.  He is highly respected amongst his peers as a role model, trailblazer and community leader at work and in both his local and childhood community.  

Keyshawn desired to be a positive role model for his family by being a difference maker.  To achieve his desired outcome, he realized that completing his education was essential as his mom taught him to focus on the bigger picture, and not to let their economic circumstances dictate his future.

Post-graduation, his self-determination and his passion to inspire others in his community led him to create the organization “Just Want to Inspire Inc, a non-profit. Through this non-profit, Keyshawn influences underprivileged and disadvantaged youth within his community to pursue higher learning especially STEM.