My Alma Mater.
After leaving St. Louis, the next step of my journey began at the University of Missouri in Columbia to pursue a bachelor's degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Strategic Communication and Pubic Relations. Little did I know at the time, but I would also pursue a graduate degree at the same institution. Six years of my life were spent at Mizzou, and it was truly one of the most transformative experiences for myself. Like many people who attend college, I discovered more about who I am, forged lifelong friendships, and built the foundation to my future.
Make yourself stand out.
In my first two years, it was important for me to hit the ground running. I became involved with the Mizzou Black Men's Initiative, which would become a full-circle experience for me at the university (more on that below). I was also a member of the United Ambassador Minority Recruitment Team, helping prospective students of color navigate their college visits to the university.
In the spring of 2012, my initiation into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Zeta Alpha Chapter was complete. As a proud member of the fraternity, I served terms as the chapter's Vice President, Secretary, and the Dean of Membership Development over the course of two and a half years. Outside of my coursework, I assumed another role as an event programmer at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center. Additionally, my professional relationship with Ameren Corporation began by interning at their Diversity Department, which would occur seasonally at the company for four years.
Taking the next step.
In 2014, I completed my undergraduate career and graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA in Strategic Communication, the very degree I pursued when I initially enrolled. There wasn’t much time to rest, though, as I would start graduate school the following semester. As a student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program, my time in grad school would serve as the building blocks for the subsequent years of my career. Though I was pursuing an advanced degree in higher education, I never wanted to lose focus of expanding my skills and knowledge in marketing and communications. More specifically, digital marketing, social media, and videography really piqued my interests.
Outside of the classroom, I was fortunate enough to remain at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, but in an increased capacity as a graduate assistant. In my role, I was responsible for coordinating all of the communication and multimedia efforts for the Center such as our social media and website content, and a weekly newsletter of events and updates that was sent to more than 2,500 students. Additionally, I participated in several other roles at the university such as a summer internship with the Division of Marketing and Communications, and videography roles with the Division of Student Affairs and University Film Crew, respectively. In these supplemental positions, I worked under the direct supervision of the university’s Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, produced dozens of video assets for various university partners, and completed an audit of all of the publications that existed in each school, college and unit.
Leaving a legacy.
One of the things I’m most proud of is my involvement with the Mizzou Black Men’s Initiative (MBMI). Initially conceived as a student organization, MBMI was dedicated to assisting Black male first year students with the transition from high school to college. I participated with MBMI during my first two years of undergrad and found great enjoyment. However, as our leadership at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center was changing, so too was the organization. As a graduate assistant for the center, I was brought on to a team to restructure the organization into a formally instructed class at the university that would also participate in extracurricular opportunities outside of the classroom. Rooted in research about Black males attending institutions of higher education, we cultivated the MBMI program to greater success by introducing an application process and cohort structure for a selected group of individuals.
Over the course of three years as a member of the MBMI Leadership Team, we won numerous awards such as the American College Personnel Association’s (ACPA) award for Outstanding Men’s Program, and the University of Missouri Division of Student Affairs’ award for Outstanding University Program. In 2018, MBMI was featured in the book Applying Student Development Theories Holistically: Exemplar Programming in Higher Education, where I was a contributing author along with the rest of our Leadership Team. Even with the awards and accolades, the best reminder of success with MBMI lies with the students who were in the program. Since the restructuring of the program in 2013, more than 70% of MBMI students successfully completed their undergraduate degrees, far exceeding the national completion rate for Black males in higher education.
Make it stand out.
As previously mentioned, I’ve been interested in video production for quite a while. While at Mizzou, I produced more than five dozen videos, ranging from event promotion, interviews, short films, and conceptual pieces. Below are just a few of my favorite pieces that I conceived, shot, and edited.
