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Jennifer Littlejohn’s S.O. What! Success Story

When you are a young college student active in campus organizations but with the enormous responsibility of being a mother, you typically don’t have many people who understand your challenges or share your journey.  Although our situations…
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Dr. Barbara Prescott’s S.O. What! Success Story

Have you ever been introduced to someone who you’ve admired from afar, and it was not what you expected? I watched Dr. Barbara Prescott and admired her work. She looked like a nice person, but I had no idea just how kind, considerate, and…
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Big things come in small packages: Vanessa Peterson’s S.O. What! Success Story

It seems like it was yesterday when Vanessa (Gray at the time) walked onto the University of Memphis campus with the new class of Emerging Leaders. I was a sophomore, but this girl of small stature had a huge presence. 20 plus years and that…
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Why You Should Never Give Up on Our Young Men, Alton Cryer’s S.O. What! Success Story

When I started my speaking journey, I was invited to share my “Against All Odds” story for the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis. One of the students in the audience was Alton Cryer whom I had met once…
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An Unexpected Journey in Higher Education, Tiffany Bellafant Steward’s S.O. What! Success Story

Last week I shared how as a high school junior, a few of my friends and I skipped school and hung out with AKA’s on the campus of the University of Memphis. One of those women was Tiffany Bellafant Steward who experienced what I felt was…
Summer Owens Juneteenth
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Why Honoring Juneteenth Matters

Yesterday, for the first time in history, Americans across the country honored Juneteenth as a national holiday. For years, many African Americans have celebrated the momentous occasion which commemorates the day in 1865 when former American…
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Turning a Positive HIV Diagnosis into a Positive Force for Change: LáDeia McNeal S.O. What! Success Story

When was the last time you had a challenging situation, but you were able to look at the bright side or make something good out of it? That’s usually easier said than done, but my friend, LáDeia McNeal does it beautifully.  After a positive…
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When Transforming Your Body Transforms Your Life, Almetria Turner’s S.O. What! Success Story

Can you imagine someone weighing nearly 300 pounds becoming one of your health and fitness role models? As a high school junior, a few of my friends and I skipped a couple of days of school (Shush, don’t tell anyone). We spent those days…
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Being a Mom is a Full-Time Job, Ashley Daniel’s S.O. What! Success Story

One thing I know for sure is that you never know what the future holds. When I met Ashley, Bradshaw at the time, we were college freshmen excited about serving on the Student Activities Council. By our sophomore year, we were both committee…