Vanessa Peterson
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Big things come in small packages: Vanessa Peterson S.O. What! Success Story

It seems like it was yesterday when Vanessa Peterson (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…
LáDeia McNeal
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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? Well, that’s usually easier said than done, but my friend, LáDeia McNeal does it beautifully.  After…
Almetria Turner
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When Transforming Your Body Transforms Your Life, Almetria Turner 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…
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…
Destini Johnson
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One of My Awesome Former Student – Destini Johnson S.O. What! Success Story

One of the greatest honors of my life was when I was asked to create a course for the University of Memphis. After I received the Fogelman College of Business and Economics Outstanding Young Alumna Award. The Dean, Rajiv Grover, learned about…
Martin Truitt
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Meet Memphis Alum, Martin Truitt

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…
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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…
Reginald Clark
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Meet Reginald and Ebony Clark, S.O. What! Success Stories

As a college freshman, I made a decision to pledge an amazing sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. That decision opened my world up and introduced me to an entire Greek family with incredible brothers sisters who would go on to do incredible…