Detroit-Raised. Liberia-Rooted.
Author.
Artist.
Academic.
Advocate.
Every connection begins with a story, here is mine.
Extroverted-Introvert
As a middle child, I learned the power of living out loud from within, and my inability to fit in a box. Growing older, I realize that my unboxability and external confidence is grounded by faith and deep introspection. Fully embracing my personality as an extroverted-introvert, I know I cannot show up as my authentic self if I do not sit down and meaningfully reflect within first/often. I believe everyone carries a light within us that the world needs to see, and our connection with self fosters circuits for our light to shine collectively.
Educator
Education has been a space of freedom and constraint. I answered the call of my community to become an educator because I recognize how the production and consumption of knowledge is often politicized to the detriment of many for the advancement of few. Not on my watch! My educator journey began as a dance teacher in Detroit at the age of 16. Since then, I’ve used those artistic approaches to co-create learning spaces within undergraduate and graduate education at two universities and in the United Kingdom.
Entrepreneur
Business ownership is in my bloodline, literally. I come from a family of entrepreneurs both in the United States and Liberia. In 2016, I launched my first business, Masterminds & Mimosas, LLC, a women empowerment company. In 2017, I published my first book, Lifting the Lampshade: A Faith-Led Journey to Being the Light God Called You to Be (available on Amazon). I am now venturing into technology to develop digital platforms and products that will revolutionize the way we think about and connect with the African Diaspora.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
I earned three degrees from this institution: Bachelor of Arts in sociology; Master of Social Work, primarily studying community organizing with a specialization in children, youth, and families; and Master of Arts in higher education, with an emphasis on organizational theory. I also launched my professional career here as an administrator and nonprofit consultant.
University of Texas at Austin
I earned my Ph.D. from this institution in educational leadership and policy, with an emphasis on higher education leadership. Honoring my inability to fit in a box, I sought interdisciplinary training in Black studies, management, and data science. Transcending disciplinary bounds is necessary to creating the type of liberation and emancipation required in our global society and the organizations that shape them.
University of Southern California
Currently, I work as postdoctoral researcher for the Pullias Center of Higher Education in the Rossier School of Education at this institution. I enjoy this research opportunity to study the organizational behavior of a university system undergoing institutional culture change. It also brings me joy to foster meaningful relationships within my growing academic network of students and colleagues across the world.