When the Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program first started, I was in a transitional period in my professional life. At the time, I was trying to figure out where I fit within the audio world and the direction that I wanted my career to take. Before starting the program, I was an aspiring White House correspondent and that had been my dream since high school. However, I knew that God was leading me in a different direction that didn’t involve covering politics. I found myself faced with a dilemma: Will I continue to follow the dream that I have for my life or will I follow God’s dream for me? This was a hard thing to come to terms with and luckily I didn’t have to go through this journey alone thanks to my cohort and my mentor, Tonya Mosley.

I have been a fan of Tonya’s work since coming across her Black in Seattle series almost two years ago. Around that time, I was trying to find more Black women in the audio world who I could learn from and I came across Tonya’s website. When I heard her Black in Seattle series, I was inspired to continue centering Black people, especially Black women and girls, in my work as a journalist. So when the opportunity came to ask for a mentor in the Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program, I knew that I wanted to be able to learn from Tonya. Since our first meeting, she’s been such a blessing to my life personally and professionally. I am so grateful that Tonya said yes to mentoring me.

I am also grateful for my amazing cohort. It’s been a blessing to learn, laugh, and even cry with you all. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement this past year. Although we had to be virtual, I am so happy that the pandemic didn’t stop us from connecting. I am looking forward to meeting you all in person one day.

So thank you IWMF, the leadership team, my cohort, and Tonya for all that you have done for me. You all have changed my life for the beHer. I am forever grateful.