Alumna Spotlight: Yvette Buckner '91

Growing up, Yvette Buckner '91 heard all the stories about Mercy. 

At sleepovers, and different get-togethers, she would listen to her friends' sisters talk about the school, and their friends, and she knew she had to be part of it.  

"We would have sleepovers and they would tell us stories about being at Mercy and the sisterhood and the friendships, and I would sit and listen to these older sisters of friends and be like I’m going," Buckner said. "You romanticze high school at that age, but it just sounded amazing, and I knew I was going." 

More than 37 years since she first walked into Mercy as an eager ninth grader, Yvette has created her own Mercy story, and its an inspiring one. 

After graduating from Mercy and later moving to New York City, Buckner has gone on to become a highly successful lobbyist and government relations specialist, where she not only follows the Mercy core values -- she lives them. 

A few weeks ago, she returned to Mercy for our Alumnae Speaker Series, where she talked with current students about her journey and the way she continues to empower women today through her own company, the Buckner Group.

"I would always say I don’t know what my skill is, but I started thinking about how I could help people who look like me have their voices heard, and I realized my skill was uplifting and amplifying voices of marginalized people – being the voice for the voiceless," Buckner said. 

At Mercy, Buckner believes she found this skill. 

Although, she jokes that it took some time finding it. 

"I tried out for the drama club, and I couldn’t act," Buckner said. "I tried out for the chorus, and I couldn’t sing. I tried for student council, and I didn’t become the president that year. I tried out for basketball and volleyball, and no skills. And I remember thinking – what is my skill? I don’t have a very defined skill." 

However, she didn't stop looking, and soon enough, she realized it was right there in front of her. 

"There were foundational seeds planted and I was like 'there is a way to be the voice of the voiceless,'" Buckner said. "At Mercy, it was one of the first times they were forming the black student leadership club because those voices were not heard, but there were enough students that were able to put that together and I was like that is something I could do."

Not only did Buckner join the school's first Black Student Leadership group when she arrived, she also realized she liked giving back to other younger women. 

Today, she tells a story about her Big Sister and Little Sister relationship that also made an impact on her and still has connections to what she does now. 

"I remember my first day when I came to Mercy, my Big Sister gave me a little [stuffed animal] lion," Buckner said. "She bought a little lion for me and I will never forget it. She was like ‘welcome to the community.’ I was like ‘this is amazing’ and I always wanted someone else to feel that way, and so my Little Sister I also gave a Lion to, as well, on her first day or Orientation." 

That desire to lift other women up, and give back, never left her. 

"My Big Sister did something for me and I did it for my little sister, and now I’m helping women on the New York City council and people who have been on the state assembly," Buckner said.  "Leaving Mercy, sisterhood was really important to me, and I really wanted to make sure women voices were heard and uplifted. It is really full circle for me to be helping women get elected to office.”

For the last 25 years, Buckner has helped several marginalized communities and leaders find their own voices. 

With her company the Buckner group, she has worked alongside influential elected officials and played a role in crucial fundraising efforts for communities. 

On her website, she is highlighted for spearheading historic legislation, including the first artificial intelligence bill in the country, aimed at combating hiring discrimination for women and people of color. Not to mention, she was worked with a long list of well-known New York City politicians, and a 45-minute converstation, includes passing references to former New York City Mayor David Dinkins and New York State Attorney General Letitia James. 

It is a remarkable career, filled with big names, and so much important change in transportation, technology, education, and environmental protection.

But how did she get here? 

At the start, it took some initiative and a subway card. 

"I would go from the south Bronx to southeast Gueens to central Brooklyn," Buckner said. "I would go all over and take every single subway line imaginable, and this is how I got to meet people. I just threw myself in the mix and I would go in and find out who the community leaders were and we would put together all these forums. It was fantastic. To this day, I still don’t know how I did that because I can’t imagine walking into every community now and being like ‘hey.’"

However, she did, and she now has a career that she not only loves, but one that allows her to act on all those Mercy principles she talked about on Randolph Road. 

"It is all about building relationships and learning from them and understanding the dynamics," Buckner said. "At the end of the day, all communities want some basic things - housing, education, healthcare, clean streets, the garbage picked up - some need it more than others, but it is all about understanding at a deep level who needs what, and why." 

Since taking on this career, Buckner has always understood the why, and more than anything, she has been determined to help activate change for women and the marginalized. 

"I want to make sure it is intergenerational and that women who have gone through something are connecting with women who are going through it now," Buckner said. "As you're lobbying you realize not alot of people sometimes look like you and sometimes the people who are making the decisions have never stepped into one of those communities in their life. There are people legislating who have never talked to anybody on the ground." 

Buckner wants to bridge those gaps, but also inspire the next group of leaders to take on these challenges. 

During her presentation at Mercy, Buckner discussed her desire to "build the bench." 

"Every generation has a little more understanding of how we should live together a little more cohesively in society," Buckner said. "I think it is important to build the bench, and the next generation of leaders."

Whether it is the issues facing black maternal health or the disparities between different communities, Buckner remains so focused on tackling everything she can because she has been given this opportunity by others. 

"I truly understand from a deep fundamental level that I am not who I am without standing on the shoulders of 100 other women who have come before me and poured into me to make me who I am and now I'm just pouring into someone's else cup to help them understand who they are," Buckner said. "I understand that when you get empowered you share it and you pass it along. You don't hold it for yourself. That's the beauty of it."