Future 15: Meet Christine Bekyir

GREEN BAY – “I am the daughter of a Ghanaian immigrant father and a white, Protestant, Midwestern mother: the embodiment of what it means to be African-American. The second daughter to my parents, I was raised here in Green Bay, Wisconsin by my mother with the help of her parents. My father settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and while I visited him, we weren’t as close during my childhood,” said Christine Bekyir.

“My father came to the United States as an international student, which is how he met my mother. My maternal grandfather was a teacher and then became principal of Cormier Elementary School in Ashwaubenon.

“Education has always been a value for my family. From a young age, I learned that education can serve as the pathway out of poverty.

“I am a proud product of public education.”

Bekyir graduated from Green Bay West High School and went on to pursue my associate degree in paralegal studies from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

“In my second year at NWTC, I became a mother to my oldest daughter, Safiya. The staff and faculty at NWTC supported me as a young mom and that experience changed my life,” she said.

“My daughter attended my graduation and while she was only two years old, it was an important milestone in our lives.”

After graduating, Bekyir worked at Humana in their subrogation department for several years where she learned how to negotiate claims recoveries from settlements.

“This is also where I learned how to navigate corporate America as a Black woman,” she recalled.

“My employment ended there in spring of 2009, while I was five months pregnant with my son.

I took losing my job at Humana as an opportunity. I applied for all the economic assistance that was available to my family at the time and immediately applied to UW-Green Bay to pursue my bachelors degree in democracy in justice studies with a law and justice emphasis. My son, Quadir, was only three months old when I started that journey; and again, the staff and faculty at UWGB showed me how supportive our community is. My multi-cultural advisor, Mai Lo Lee was instrumental in helping me navigate through parenting two young children, excelling in my studies and deciding whether to pursue law school.”

Bekyir graduated Magna Cum Laude from UW-Green Bay in 2014 and worked for the Brown County Corporation Counsel for seven years.

“In 2017, we started the journey of building our home with Habitat for Humanity and the following year — just months after we welcomed our third child, Aminah into the world — we officially became proud Habitat Homeowners.

“It has been an honor to show my children, my extended family and friends how all of my dedication has allowed us to live the lifestyle that was simply images on my vision board just six years prior.”

In 2021, Bekyir began a career with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), first as the executive assistant to the vice president of learning and then as the executive assistant of talent and culture (HR) and diversity, equity and inclusion.

“I have been empowered by my VP, Dr. Sara Lam to leverage my skills of relationship building, coaching and my extensive education in justice, equity and community advocacy to influence the campus community as we work towards NWTC’s vision to serve as a cutting-edge, lifelong learning college that transforms, strengthens and inspires.”

Bekyir said that taking ownership of her personal development has been the most impactful part of her career development.

“In my 20s, I started learning about how to develop a growth mindset and my confidence grew exponentially. I began reading books in the personal development genre and eventually started listening to podcasts by thought leaders like Brené Brown (Dare to Lead), Simon Sinek (A Bit of Optimism) and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford (Therapy for Black Girls) as a means of self-education. “Eventually, I found that I could leverage social media to connect with other women of color through Facebook groups and paid membership communities who share my values, operate with a growth mindset and foster positivity.
“I’ve been extremely intentional about who I choose to be in community with both in person and online. When you have a group of women who “gas you up” with every win and fix your crown each time you feel like you’ve failed or become frustrated, you show up differently.”

Leading up to the 2025 Future 15 & Young Professionals Awards banquet on Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Oneida Casino Hotel, we will be highlighting the finalists in each edition of the Press Times.