Author Wes: Early Life and Career

Wesley Watende Omari Moore was born in 1978. He is an American author, social entrepreneur, producer, political analyst, and decorated US Army officer. He wrote The Other Wes Moore and The Work, both of which are New York Times Bestsellers. He was also the host for Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network and the Executive Producer/Writer for Coming Back with Wes Moore on PBS. Currently, Wes is the founder and CEO of Bridge EdU, which is a social enterprise dedicated to reinventing the Freshman Year and creating a softer on-ramp to higher education for students entering their freshman year in college. Wes Moore was born in Maryland to Westley and Joy. Westly was a journalist and a newscaster. Joy was from Lowe River, Jamaica. When Moore was three, he witnessed his father's death. After his father died, Joy took her children to live in the Bronx with their grandparents. While in the Bronx, Wes attended Riverdale County School. At school, Wes encountered academic and disciplinary troubles. When Wes's grades declined and he became involved in petty crime, his mother enrolled him in Valley Forge Military Academy.  After high school, Wes graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Valley Forge Military College, a Junior College in Pennsylvania. He went on to attend Johns Hopkins University and graduated in 2001. Immediately after, he attended Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar where he earned a Masters Degree in international relations. While living in London, Wes started a career in finance at Deutsche Bank in the international trade and finance division, but in 2005 he left to utilize his training as a paratrooper and joined the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Wes led a team of paratroopers and special operators who were trained in civil affairs, psychological operations, information operations and various other special operations command disciplines. Among the many awards he received was the Combat Action Badge. Upon his return to the United States, Wes was accepted as a White House Fellow. He placed within the State Department's Office of U.S Foreign Assistance Resources where he tracked foreign aid to ensure it was being properly used. He served at the White House for one year, then returned to New York to work in finance at Citigroup.