Aitina Fareed-Cooke was told at a young age that she would be a "failure to thrive" as a result of her biological mother's addiction to drugs. As a result, she and her two older siblings were placed into the foster care system and due to substance abuse, their mother passed away. Despite being labeled emotionally
In last month’s motivation, I mentioned during my prayer-time, God showed me a familiar face and that a sense of peace enveloped me. The face was of my youngest sister, Alexis. When I was in college, I often took her to campus with me to expose her to that world and to many other positive
Kendra Brim is an experienced practitioner specializing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and racial equity, with nearly 15 years of expertise across various sectors including project management, healthcare, non-profit organizations, education, and technology. As the Principal Consultant of K. Savannah Consulting, she leads a DEI firm dedicated to implementing strategies that optimize organizational
Hey Champions! Important situations have changed in my life over recent months. I assumed a new position as CEO of Leadership Buffalo, and I left my position at Girl Scouts of Western New York, where I have been employed for the past ten years. I got engaged to a wonderful guy whom God created just
There was a week in December 2023 when I wore a different coat each day. This insight had not dawned on me until Friday, when I was hanging them up. Side note, when I come into the house, I normally throw my coat over the chair in the dining room instead of hanging it up
Maya Reid was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She attended Sweet Home High School and graduated in 2016. Maya briefly worked for a local collection agency, but she also dreamed of starting her own business. In 2018 she decided to quit the collections job, and with limited funds, she launched a startup business at
The months since Spring have been interesting for me. I’ve had a few situations with people that left me feeling surprised, frustrated, and sad. God revealed that these people, whom I thought were in my corner, truly were not. At least, not in the way I had assumed. “Tooting my own horn” is not something I often do;
Sandi imayeguahi is a software engineer at a Fortune 500 company. She obtained her bachelors degree from SUNY Geneseo in Chemistry. She is a STEM advocate for women of color and underrepresented groups. She is passionate about making the tech industry more diverse through mentoring college and high school students interested in a tech career
As we often do, I was video chatting with my younger sister about life. I shared that I was feeling a little sad that day and explained why I was sad. She said, “Wow! I would not have known.” She went on to say it always looked as if I handle life so well.
Jayla Collins-Faison is born and raised in Niagara Falls NY. She received her B.S in Fashion Textile Technology with a minor in Africana Studies from SUNY Buffalo State University and is currently working on her M.S in Public Relations at SUNY Buffalo State. Jayla has been working in customer service and communication positions for over
