Staci Franklin
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Breast Cancer Survivor Staci Franklin S.O. What! Success Story

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was looking up to this (from my perspective) super experienced woman who had just been hired to work in Community Investments at the Memphis Grizzlies. I was 21, and she (Staci Franklin) was only in…
expensive lesson no parking
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Expensive Lessons- My $1,200 Economy Rental Car

If you know me, then you know I appreciate free. But I think you'll appreciate these expensive lessons I learned on a recent trip with a brand new experience. My first in-person speaking engagement (since COVID) March 8, 2020, I flew home…
Alton Cryer
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Why You Should Never Give Up on Our Young Men, Alton Cryer S.O. What! Success Story

When I started my speaking journey, I was invited to share my “Against All Odds” story. That was 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…
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…
Ashley Daniel
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Being a Mom is a Full-Time Job, Ashley Daniel S.O. What! Success Story

One thing I know for sure is that you never know what the future holds. When I met Ashley Daniel, Bradshaw at the time. We were college freshmen excited about serving on the Student Activities Council. By our sophomore year, we were both…
Darci (Richcreek) Caesar
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One of the Most Emotional Interviews I’ve Done – Darci (Richcreek) Caesar

I attended the University of Memphis on the Emerging Leaders Scholarship and one of my special Emerging Leaders friends was Darci (Richcreek) Caesar. It was a small group of us, and we learned a lot about leadership and grew together as…
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Graduating Against the Odds: How I Made it to My 20 Year College Graduation Anniversary

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…
Jeremy Calhoun
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Meet Jeremy Calhoun, a First-Gen S.O. What! Success Story

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…
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Do you know the FIRST black graduate of the University of Memphis? – Luther McClellan

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…