Today as I celebrate my 42nd birthday, I also reflect on my 15th birthday when an incident that happened so fast changed everything about my life. And made me question if I would be successful. What I learned in my journey, 26 years after becoming a mother, is that to be successful in life you […]
Ten years ago, I shared my story and life lessons in my first book, Life After Birth: A Memoir of Survival and Success as a Teenage Mother. I had no idea then what would happen when I told it. A new chapter in my life started back then. And as I celebrate an anniversary like […]
When I moved to Memphis for college in 1997, I came with two of my best friends and Bilicia Hill was one of them. Friends since 8th grade, we had a lot in common. But what I loved the most about Bilicia Hill was how positive she was during very challenging times in her life […]
Single mothers out there, keep your dreams alive because God fulfills them. By the time I went to graduate school to study for my MBA, I had already achieved a lot in my career and life. Now, I wanted a relationship for myself and a father figure for my son. I had dated in high […]
Although it was a small gesture to him, it was a huge deal to me. Ten years ago when I published my first book, Martin Truitt was the first person to buy one. And I’ll never forget it. He’s a supporter so it came naturally to him to support me. Throughout his life and career, […]
It’s graduation season, and many students are graduating against the odds. Financial challenges, lack of support, illnesses, competing priorities, too many responsibilities and so many other obstacles keep many people from completing college. But so many did it in spite of the odds. Many overcame tremendous obstacles, self-doubt, and doubt from others…but you did it! […]
When I worked in marketing at FedEx, my VP, Len Hostetter invited me to speak on Creativity as part of the University of Memphis’s 4 C’s program to the class he taught as an adjunct professor. As I walked back to my car that evening after speaking, I heard, “Ms. Owens, do you have a […]
Luther McClellan is a blessing to our younger generation! Luther McClellan was one of the Memphis State Eight, who were the first African-American students admitted to Memphis State University in 1959. He became the first African-American to graduate from The University of Memphis in 1962, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. The Alumni […]
Before finding out that I was pregnant, I had dreams. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to be successful. I wanted a career. Then at 15 I got pregnant by a guy I didn’t know and was soon a single, teenage mother. If you have found yourself in the same situation, you may […]
