Year: Senior
Major: Women’s, Gender, Sexuality Studies & Dance and Movement Studies
Campus Involvement: Student Coordinator for New Student Orientation, Emory Dance Company, Persuasion Dance Crew, AHANA Dance, Emory Panhellenic Conference Sorority
Q: Why do you dance?
I have been dancing my entire life. Throughout high school, I danced 3-4 hours each night after school and stopping when I began college wasn’t an option for me. I planned on minoring in dance and movement studies to keep dance in my life; however, along the way, I realized that a minor wasn’t enough. I dance because movement feels so good in my body. When I’m in a bad headspace movement helps me out of it. It takes me out of the day and reality and lets me just be in my body. It also provides discipline, performance, conceptualization, exploration, artistry, and embodied thinking.
Q: What do you find empowering/unique about being in Persuasion, an all-female dance group?
Persuasion is an all-female identifying hip hop crew on campus which seeks to empower women through movement and sexuality. Our team is unique in that we provide a space to explore movement and sexuality through comfort, hype, and community. We hold auditions each fall to take on new members and build the team up together all year, empowering one another through movement and teamwork. Our executive board works collaboratively with the team to make sure each member feels secure in the sexuality portrayed through our movement. Having rehearsals for 3 hours each week, we are able to feel confident and powerful in our movement for each performance we do, including on and off-campus events such as COREtural, CultureSHOCK, Diwali, AHANA dance, Taste of Africa, Emory Pride Drag Show and Clash of Cultures. The executive board creates choreography for the group and our sets change performance to performance. Because of the incredible and unique work that Persuasion has done throughout campus over the years, our team has gained recognition for being explosive and powerful. Being a part of a team of confident, intelligent, and talented women is salient to my Emory experience and provides a space where I feel empowered among my peers.
Q: Favorite pump-up song?
“My Shot” from Hamilton the musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Leslie Odom Jr., and Okieriete Onaodowan.
Q: How important do you think Orientation is to the Emory experience, and what was your favorite part of being an Orientation Leader?
Emory’s Orientation student and staff team work incredibly hard to provide new students with a safe, invigorating, and expansive orientation experience. My experience as a first-year student moving through orientation was exciting, as every aspect of the academic and social community was new. Whether or not the orientation experience is prominent to the start of each new student’s experience, I believe being an Orientation Leader can be. I served as an orientation leader for two years. Being able to form connections with first-year students, oxford continuees, and transfer students among the orientation leader community allowed me to learn, grow, and be challenged by my peers. The value of being an orientation leader and acclimating new students socially, academically, and emotionally to Emory is unfathomable. Moving on to serving as a Student Coordinator as a fourth year, I quickly learned the importance of adaptability, transparency, self-care, and the power in each individual’s unique experience. My favorite part of the process was working so closely with the other Student Coordinators throughout the spring and summer of my third year. My peers supported my growth as I supported theirs. During orientation training itself, I worked with an incredibly talented, intelligent, and intuitive group of orientation leaders. I saw each of them grow in selflessness and strength throughout training, and was able to watch them support their own new students during orientation. Orientation has allowed me to both grow, and help others grow.
Q: If you could guest star on any tv show which would you pick?
New Girl!
Q: Who are the most empowering women in your life?
The most empowering women in my life are my sister, my mom and my best friend. My sister leads with strength, grace, and a focus on self-growth and development. Each day she pushes me to be the most accepting, supporting, and loving individual I can be. My mom, who has shown me unconditional love and giving, continues to protect and support me each day. My best friend is the most determined, passionate, and supportive individual who constantly wows me with all that she has accomplished all while going over and above the responsibilities of a friend.