VOICES OF BLACK LEADERSHIP

Detroit taught me two things early: how to survive, and how to dream even when your environment tells you not to.   High school was rocky for me. Not just because of classes or grades, but because life hit hard. In December 2017, I lost my brother, and everything shifted. That loss became the backdrop of my teenage years — grief, instability in relationships, and the constant battle of trying to figure out who I was while life pulled me in every direction.   But I wasn’t alon

Leadership. For a long time, I thought it was about accolades, titles, and who stood at the top. Growing up, that’s what I saw — leaders with power, advantage, and influence. I thought leadership was about being the loudest voice in the room.   Then I arrived at Bowling Green State University as part of the Sidney A. Ribeau President’s Leadership Academy (PLA), and everything I thought I knew flipped.   In the PLA, I learned that authentic leadership isn’t about power,  but  

When I was deep into my journey at Bowling Green, life felt like it was moving fast. Roles piled up, opportunities kept coming, and for a while, it felt like the dream was finally real. PLA had opened the door, leadership positions gave me a platform, and service kept me grounded. But even while I was thriving, Detroit never left my mind. What I had seen, what I had lost, what my family was still carrying back home — that weight didn’t disappear just because I was in Ohio. It