Austin James Simms, a sophomore at Duquesne University, suffered from crippling shyness as a child. His grandfather was a pastor and Simms was often forced into upfront situations at church that were totally nerve-racking to him.
“I was just extremely shy, but as I got older, I became conflicted because I began to realize I wanted to be in the world of business, and if I were going to be successful, I’d have to break out of that shyness,” Simms admits.
The 20-year-old political science major shares that if there is anything outstanding about him, it would be his willingness and strong desire to do more than “just be.”
“I want to make a significant difference in whatever I attempt to do,” Simms said. “Stepping up is what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary, and that is my goal.”
Already quite self-possessed, his leadership qualities have already begun to develop.
“I have my eyes on being a leader in business right away—in order to accomplish this, I need the ability to make presentations, run seminars and workshops and I can’t be nervous about any of this,” Simms said.
His maturity far belies his years. Simms is very clear on where he wants his future to take him.
“I’m working toward a degree in political science because I intend on entering business at the corporate level,” he said. “A degree in political science will better cultivate the skills I need to put me further ahead.”
Simms’ grandfather, Rev. James Simms, a former Allegheny County Councilman in the era of former County Executive Jim Roddey, has been a major influence in his grandson’s life. They are very close, and Simms travels and assists on preaching engagements with the retired pastor, who served at St. Paul Baptist Church in Point Breeze for 40 years.
“When Austin’s mom was still in school, he lived with us,” his Rev. Simms said. “In collaboration with his mom, my late wife and I committed early on to give him the best start he could get as far as his education was concerned, agreeing that we’d place all our efforts into the highest caliber education possible for him.
“By the time he was 8 years old, I began taking him with me golfing,” Rev. Simms said. “He fell in love with it and has become quite an accomplished golfer, but, more than this, he has embraced all the other elements of golf—courtesy, integrity and genuine kindness. He will go way out on a limb to help anyone, anytime.”
Ebony Simms Talley, Austin’s mother, says her son has been a great role model to his sister and brother.
“I love the support he gives to my father,” Talley said. “We had an intentional mission to raise a responsible, respectable and respectful Black man who understands the value of education and his responsibility to his community. Austin has been this and more, and has made us proud.”
One demonstration of his “outside-the-box” thinking is that Simms pledged and has become a part of a fraternity with Italian-American roots, Alpha Phi Delta.
“I saw that, as a freshman, I still wasn’t quite free of my shy nature,” Simms says. “I decided to get myself fully immersed into an organization. I was invited by my girlfriend’s father to join an Italian American fraternity. At first, I was sure I would not fit in. But I tried it anyway and it confirmed my core belief that people have more in common than we think we do.”
Simms says he soon learned that he had nothing to fear.
“There was so much love in this organization,” Simms said. “I was amazed and motivated. I felt my presence was for a reason and that I could make a difference, so much so that when I met its national president, I told him that I planned to become the first-ever Black president of this fraternity.”
Simms connected to the sincere work of the fraternity and he determined quickly that race did not matter when it came to executing goals and objectives, and standing up for right.
“I love the spiritual element of this young man,” said Jacqueline McDonald, who nominated him for a Generation NEXT feature. “I see the powerful influence of his grandfather and it seems that relationship has kept him well grounded. He is also so focused, analytical and thoughtful. All this is amazing for such a young age.”
“I feel you should invest in people,” Simms said. “I believe there is so much negativity in the world. I feel like it is my personal mission to be involved in breaking through those negative barriers, the ones that make it so shocking that I would join an Italian American fraternity.”
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