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-052- ithings and a lot of experiences she is the president of, a So- tthat gave me a story to tell on cial Justice Program Fellow, and tthe other side and that I’ve expe- Student Director of Mimi’s Pan- irienced a lot of grace and favor try. While fulfilling her duties in ;and mercy this year.” these positions, she manages to During the times when she do work in the surrounding com- ifelt as though she fell short, she’s munities. ;always had her friends, sisters, “I’m a Lowry Institute Change land family in her corner cheering Agent, and through this pro- I her on. gram I help with workshops and "Even when I didn’t see it, implementing informationals my friends, my sisters, my family about HIV and AIDS awareness, :supported me and let me know promotion of HBCU’s, and I also that it was going to happen re- teach at Brown Middle School on jgardless,” Janna said. "My com- a weekly basis in which I work munity kept me going when I was to implement nonviolence and so ready to be done with every- conflict resolution curriculum thing. They carried my burdens for those students,” King said, for me if I couldn’t hold them up "I’m also a Sight Leader for both ■ myself.” Brown Middle School and Tus- After working hard during kegee Global Airman Academy, her time at Spelman as Ms. Spel- and through this all the student man, being a Lead Chapel Assis- change agents or student teach- tant at Sister’s Chapel, and being ers that are at these two schools, involved in the Spelman College I’m the supervisor of them all Social Justice Program, Perry has so I not only help to create and been able to find out what her ca- implement the curriculum, but I reer aspirations are. also am the point leader for the “I want to go to law school, teachers in these schools.” I don’t necessarily want to prac- Through the work Melanie’s done tice law, but I do want to have a with the Blue Institute and Sta- judicial and legal background,” cey Abrams, she has served as Perry said. “I’m very interested in voice for the people and encour- policy that impacts children that aged others to be involved, have been impacted by poverty in “There’s a large paucity of peo- the Black community, definitely pie of color within political cam- family structures and program- paigns they’re usually white men ming for children." working for white men who are those elected officials, so we’re Coming from a predominantly trying to change the demographic white institution in NJ, Melanie of what people on political cam- King has viewed Spelman as “the paign staffs look like in order to perfect change” that she needed better implement these changes to make in her life that impacted within communities of color be- her in more ways than one. Since cause if you have white staff and attending the institution, King a white elected official working has found that she was opened to in Black or Brown communities a plethora of experiences. there’s nothings that’s going to "I experienced sisterhood, a lot of change there,” Melanie said, firsts, a lot of self-growth, and I After graduation, King plans to was able to use my talents and attend Brown University fully my skills to really make an im- funded to pursue at Master’s in pact on the community within Public Affairs and a PhD in Af- schools and the public education ricana Studies to work in public system,” Melanie said. “Spel- policy and also be a researcher man was the perfect place for me and professor, in terms of being a woman who "Storytelling in the Black corn- wanted to change the world in the munity is something special and future.” it helps us express our ideas, King has been working to make express our pains, and whatever change by being involved in or- we’re going through in a variety ganizations such as the Spelman of different mediums," Mela- College Honors Program which nie said. “I realized the power of words - more specifically the ing truth to that and providing power of teaching whether that in people with advice and a space the form of words, mathematics, to really be comfortable with their or linguistics or anything of that pursuit of business and their pur- nature - really, really can make suit of that as a career regardless an influential change in the pow- of what their major is. er dynamic between students I chose a major that I wasn’t go- who may come from lower income ing to hate, but that doesn’t mean communities or who may just not I couldn’t do what I wanted to do have that passion for learning, in my career. I always knew as a Children really are our future, and career and as an adult regardless I feel that the education system of what my degree was I was go- right now is kind of failing us, ing to be a business woman and I but I feel as though us as college was going to be an entrepreneur.” students do have the potential to After graduation, Myers will enter use what resources we have and to world of Wall Street. Studying the little bit of resources we have Chemistry has allowed her the op- as college students to go back portunity to "analyze data and re- to these communities and teach port it in a way that makes sense students what they need order to to other people.” She hopes that succeed.” by the time that she leaves that she is prepared to work for Wall Nina Myers is a Chemistry major Street and inspired others to be that took an unconventional route willing to go against the grain to reach her goal and receive the and take the road less traveled to job that she’s worked diligently reach their goals, for. "As a Black woman who trying to After working hard for three years go into finance and Wall Street at Spelman, she realized that her which is a very White-male-dom- last year would be the year where inated field, I spent a decent everything came into fruition and amount of time with people who accomplished all that she want- went to Morehouse because those ed to accomplish. She found out were the people who were in the in order to achieve her goals she same programs as me,” Nina would have to find balance, and said. “We were going to the same she decided there was one way to conferences or talking about the do it. same things that I wanted to talk “I decided to be really, really about, and I really wanted to be good at the things that I want to able to tap into that community be good at,” Myers said. “Since at Spelman and to see all the I was really little school was the opportunities that I was able to thing that I was good at instinc- get just from walking across the tively and coming here I did not street, I was able to start launch- stop doing that.” ing my career from freshman Although she chose to major in year. I ended being the guinea Chemistry, Nina didn’t lose sight pig for a lot of things and being of reaching her goal of entering able to share that knowledge and the world of finance despite re- having people contact me out of ceiving pushback. nowhere. “My career was really important I didn’t realize what I was doing to me because I’m a Chemistry in terms of trying to follow my major, but I’m going into finance own path was impacting people.” after graduation,” Nina said. “Those things are so separate, and I’ve had to battle with the institution about what it means to be a woman in business and a woman in finance and really try ing to get people to embrace that in themselves because we don’t really have a place on this cam pus for that. For me, that’s been really important - always speak- THE YEAR OF THE UNDERDOG WOMAN OF THE YEAR