My foundation is made up of the communities and people who have supported me and been the ultimate reason for my success. I owe a huge thanks to these people: My family, who continuously guide me with faith and assurance of my purpose; My professors, who continue to show up for me and help me access spaces I have never imagined being part of; And, the people in the organizations I am a part of who push me to create change in my community. I want to especially thank my 3M Family for being the most wonderful change-makers I have ever met and for introducing me to the gravitational impact that can occur when innovation meets collaboration.

To the leaders of the African Studies Taskforce, thank you for being some of my most incredible mentors and inspirations. Specifically, to Naomie Bakana, thank you for including me in your vision of crafting initiatives that support the advancement of Black individuals in higher education. To my amazing friends on the team (special shoutouts to Lorraine, Tobi, Maeve, and Ru, thank you for always making me laugh and reminding me of the goodness in life. Finally, to my closest friends (you know who you are), words can’t express the integral roles you have played in the person that I am today. You are the shoulders I stand upon throughout every season of my life, and I am forever grateful for that. My community is my foundation, and I am thankful to be surrounded by them.

I envision a future where the world is imbued with hope, and equity is a principle that permeates through the hearts of people and is embedded into the design of our systems and institutions. To me, this future looks like a place where students in post-secondary education can experience education in its truest form, instead of being put into a system where a student’s financial status limits their potential, where an educational landscape is only bound by their imagination. In this system, students’ creativity is not dismembered but encouraged, and students can participate in the joy of being true learners. My vision for the future is one where everyone is acknowledged and visible, and, in the beautiful words of Jessica Ridell, they know that they “contribute something unique to the world that is better than the sum of its parts.” This is the world I imagine, and this is the future that I am relentlessly pursuing.