My time at the 15th Street Church of Christ has formed not only my approach to community service, but also who I am today. My connection to the church began with Pastor Brian Campbell who is also the founder of ADIMU Men of Excellence, and he has been a mentor of mine since I was in 7th grade. At that young age I didn’t fully grasp the impact that mentorship, faith and service would have on my life. Over the years however Pastor Campbell played a role in my personal and professional growth also in my relationship with God. Through ADIMU Men of Excellence I learned that to be a successful young man is about more than academic achievement. It is about character, integrity, leadership and using what you have been given to help someone else. As I grew within the organization I went from a mentee to eventually the President and I served in that capacity for 2 years after being elected to serve as Mr.Adimu, making me the official student representative for the organization. That transition was huge for me as I was able to pay forward some of what I had received. Whether through mentoring, community service, or leadership roles I began to see service as a responsibility instead of a requirement. My faith plays a large role in that. A key value I live by is, “To whom much is given much is expected.” I have been fortune enough of having mentors, great educational and leadership opportunities thanks to people that believed in me before I proved to myself what I was truly capable of. Out of that comes a responsibility to create opportunities for others and to advocate for the communities around me, and those values which was built in high school followed me to Morehouse College. Today service is at the core of what I do in most of the roles I play out, from speaking for the student body, to helping prospective students and their families, to supporting professional development of students, to encouraging civic action, to advocacy for issues that affect under served communities. Pastor Campbell’s mentorship and my tie into the 15th Street Church of Christ taught me that faith is to be lived out in how we treat and serve others. My village also showed me how one person can transform another’s life through investment of time and energy. That I experienced first hand from the age of 12 and it has shaped the man I am today. As I go through my educational journey and into my career I hope to pass that on and use my education, leadership experience and my faith to serve others as I was served.

Attending Morehouse College I’ve learned that what it means to be a part of an HBCU is far beyond just getting a degree. It is about becoming a part of a legacy. Each day I am surrounded by the story of Black leaders which used their education to break barriers, create chances, and serve over looked communities. That environment has pushed me to think more seriously about the type of man and leader I want to be. Morehouse has reinforced my view that leadership isn’t just about what position you hold, it’s in how you use that position to create opportunities for others. The greatest impact my HBCU experience has been through service and student leadership. In my freshman year I took on the role of a Freshman Class Senator in the Student Government Association. That role gave me a stage to work on legislation policies which addressed issues like safety, facilities and student connection. In addition I serve as an official Morehouse College Admissions Student Ambassador and Career Services Ambassador. Through those roles I have come to see that leadership plays out differently based on the situation. At times it is about speaking out for hundreds of students, at other times it might be advocating for opportunities that support their professional growth and development. Beyond that my Morehouse legacy grows beyond the campus gates. This summer I was fortunate enough to land an internship at the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. Working with students from HBCUs all over the country I was exposed to communities that are dealing with environmental injustice first hand. I looked at issues of air pollution, industrial growth, public health, and the siting of facilities in under served communities. Our team did in depth study of the development of AI data centers in residential areas and what policies may protect residents from those environmental impacts. That experience showed me the power of research, policy, and community advocacy to bring about change. Those experiences have molded my interest in sociology, urban policy, environmental justice, law and public service. I want a career in what determines the look of our communities, which resources go where, which voices are heard and who is protected. Whether I am in policy, law, government or community development I want to push for affordable housing, environmental justice, economic opportunity and equitable access to resources. I wish to carry on the HBCU tradition of creating opportunities. Beyond myself I’ve had the support of mentors, teachers, and youth development organizations. All people and spaces who believed in me and what I didn’t see within myself and thus gave me chance to grow. I think it’s my duty to pass that on to the next. At Morehouse we are learn what it means to achieve for yourself and also open doors for others. In my career I aim to leave each community I am a part of with more chances, better representation, and a greater access for the next generation.