2021-2022 HBCU C.A.R.E.S. Ambassadors

Fun facts:

1. I was born in East St. Louis, IL.
2. My favorite sports team is the Carolina Panthers.

3. I am the second eldest of my mother’s four boys.

Why Behavioral Health?

I have always been inspired to be a service advocate in behavioral health. Social Work is a versatile field, one in which practitioners can work in a variety of professions. Social workers also possess the ability to help people in all forms of life. I am committed to enhancing the lives of individuals and families and I view myself as a man of service due to my willingness to help others. It often feels like the right thing to do.

Fun facts:

1. I studied abroad in London for an entire summer.
2. I have a YouTube channel.
3. I think brown sugar makes everything better.

Why Behavioral Health?

I chose a career in behavioral health because minority populations and communities are often not afforded options or equal access to resources, which affects their health outcomes. I want to be a part of the change that helps create equitable solutions, provide psychoeducation to individuals and communities, and access resources. I am also interested in the mind, body, soul connection and its effects on health outcomes. It is important to me to help destigmatize the mental health field for minorities and become an active agent of change. Lastly, the behavioral health field has many careers that one can choose from, regardless of their degree, allowing me flexibility and spontaneity; which is important to me.

Fun facts:

1. I was an All-American Track and Field Sprinter at the age of 13.
2. I attempt to meditate once a day.
3. I took classes at Howard University during my senior year of high school.

Why Behavioral Health?

As a counseling-scientific practitioner, I am devoted to serving as a behavioral health professional to institute counseling interventions that are tailored to providing marginalized black populations with psychological racial equity. My current research interest is centered on equipping Black mothers who lost a child to gun violence with no-cost virtual therapy sessions, trauma-informed resources, and access to speak with council members.

Fun facts:

1. My interests and hobbies include fine arts, primarily oil paintings and sculptures, various physical pursuits, such as fitness training and rock-climbing, as well as international travel.
2. Through these various endeavors, I have had several life-fulfilling opportunities to work with many youths to contribute to the field of public and mental health.
3. Specifically, my international travels have deepened my understanding of multicultural diversity through various lifestyles, beliefs, and backgrounds.

Why Behavioral Health?

I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, in an impoverished community where access to quality health care is limited. There is a limited value placed on public and mental health care; there are also high crime rates, and financial resources are scarce. At an early age, I began observing the conditions of my community while noticing the racial and ethnic disparities of health care and common trends of inadequate health care among the African American population. These conditions only heightened my interest and desire to work to ensure people, particularly individuals in minority populations, would receive access to adequate health care and mental health treatment. I hope to be a part of helping decrease the comorbidity and frequency of cardiovascular diseases. These conditions that have stricken Mississippi continue to be the leading causes of death in the state. My childhood, community outreach experiences, and graduate matriculation have led me to conclude that mental health, like other broader fields of public health, is rooted in a population-based socio-ecological model. When society understands that mental disorders are not the result of moral failings or limited willpower but are legitimate illnesses that are responsive to specific treatments, much of the negative stereotyping may dissipate. I aim to be a catalyst in advocating for mental health treatment in communities of color while normalizing the impairments attributed to mental illness.

Fun facts:

1. I love watching documentaries surrounding Black culture.
2. I am a seafood lover.
3. DIY projects are my favorite.

Why Behavioral Health?

Choosing behavioral health as my career path was necessary for my future work in the Black community. I plan to tackle Black maternal health in the criminal justice system, a population often overlooked. As a social worker, I have continued my career beyond being a clinician and expanded my career scope to policy. Policy drives my work as a clinician, and I would like to bridge the gap. I hope to push for policy reform related to behavioral health, specifically for Black maternal health. Black mothers are important, and they set the foundation for healthy Black children in our communities.