What’s one thing you wish more people knew about HBCUs?
That we exist. As someone who has been “the first African American” in a lot of areas of life, I can say that HBCUs are not acknowledged or they’re not known about. I’ll always tell people, “I go to an HBCU,” and they’ll say, “What’s that?” Sometimes I get frustrated because we really are a hidden gem and we have people that attend these universities, graduate from these universities, that go on to be legends, and there are so many people here who are deserving of acknowledgement. Even our professors are worthy of getting their flowers while they’re here. They form us and mold us and shape us into the people that we are.
Has there been a teacher or professor at Clark Atlanta who has had a particular impact on you?
Too many to count. From the staff to the administration, I have truly been blessed with not only people who will remain in my life forever, but family. These are relationships that will carry me even outside of this campus. They don’t just care about my GPA, but they care about my well-being and mental health. They’re pouring into me and making sure that Kennedy is a better person when she leaves here. Yes, the degree is the main goal, but they want to make sure that, in my matriculation from Clark Atlanta University, Kennedy is the best version of herself when she walks across the stage.
You’re interested in creating both practical and flattering clothing for breast cancer survivors. What inspired you to do that?
Before I graduated high school, my mother was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. I’m an only child, and my mom is a single parent; she adopted me at two days old. I saw her go through things physically, mentally, and spiritually. I saw the effect that it had on her and also witnessed the effect that it had on me, without even knowing it. Looking back, I realized that when my mom was hurting, I was hurting. When she was in pain, I was in pain.
After the double mastectomy, we were struggling to find clothing that makes her feel good again, that gives her confidence and makes her feel feminine. I think that we take for granted the womanly shape, and when those things were taken away, my mom had a harder time regaining her confidence in her femininity. I want to create clothing so that people with all disabilities can be able to look at themselves in the mirror and love what they see.
When do you feel the most beautiful?
Probably when I’m competing in a pageant. It’s not so much the makeup, the hair, and the dresses, but it’s me being authentically myself and putting my heart on the stage and allowing people to see me for me. When I’m advocating for things that I want to see a change in, when I’m consistently inspiring people and sharing my experiences and my stories so proudly, that’s what makes me feel beautiful. Being able to know that I can help someone else out, or I can make someone else’s day brighter. Just being able to be that light for someone.
