Panellist: Carlton Mays

“We all have the need to feel special, this need can bring out the best in us yet the worst in us. This need created The Velvet Rope”.  This quote is one that I live by every day. It symbolizes being self-aware but conscious and empathetic to the struggles we all face as humans. As a native Washingtonian but raised in Prince George’s County, I take pride in who I am and the experiences that have shaped me. After graduating from The University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2015, I soon got into HIV prevention and education. My passion behind this work simply stemmed from the desire to be a voice and face for those in the community who felt they didn’t have one of their own. As a Health Impact Specialist for DC Health, I was able to connect with many community-based organizations in the area to provide holistic sexual health services and education, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community.  In 2020, I moved to Atlanta, GA to further my career in Public Health. There I worked with a faith-based organization providing HIV prevention and educational services to an even more specific demographic of people, homeless and underpaid. Currently back in my hometown, I work as an EIS Patient Navigator for Washington Health Institute. In my spare time, I enjoy music, attending concerts, car karaoke, binge watching Law and Order SVU and traveling. As a long time member of the DMV based organization, Models INC, I enjoy modeling, dancing and coaching a new generation of fearless and fierce young men and women.