Pictures

ASU Spirit

R.A.M.P Advisers Mrs. Mann and Ms. Jackson

On my way to class
On my way to see Magic in Atlanta
Me and my mother
The creators and members of R.A.M.P (Raising Awarness Multipling Pvention)Est. 12/15/2006
Ervin "Magic" Johnson speaking about his life with HIV
Rachel, Me, Kita and Daren on our way to Atlanta
My girls Kita, Dee, Lala and me
My collection on the runway
My dad celebrating New Years Eve with all his girls and granadkids.
Student designers and models pose afer the all White Fashion Show at Alabama State
Alabama State Band

I'm Certified

Living in Montgomery where the number of people living with HIV/AIDS is rated first in the state I felt the need to make a difference not only on my campus but in the community. Red Cross took interest in my and my friends and how serious we are about letting people know how important it is to practice safe sex. I recently had a four day intense training with American Red Cross to become an HIV/AIDS Instructor.
My instructors made the training very fun and useful while also teaching my group R.A.M.P and I how to speak to an audience of all ages and races about the importance of safe sex. Our main focus is specifically African Americas.
There are three different modules that we went over that predict how we would approach an audience. Module 1 is Discussing the Facts about HIV/AIDS. Such as HIV is a virus of the body and does not mean that you will develop AIDS. What does the acronym HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) mean. Module 2 is about Facts and Focus. Simply sharing the facts and stats about HIV/AIDS. Having unprotected sex with an infected person can increase your chances of contracting HIV. Module 3 is HIV Prevention Skills for Individuals. Postponing sex until after college, not having unprotected sex and not sharing needles with an infected person can lower your chances of getting HIV.
We also did a few skits such as the Ayanna Story which is an urban story about a girl that wanted to be in a serious relationship before having sex. Though many of her peers she went to school with didn't practice safe sex, shared needles and did a lot of sleeping around with different people.
All this hard work lead to my group and I becoming certified HIV/AIDS Instructor's by the American Red Cross.

Ten Year Plan

I am due to graduate spring of 2009 with my BA degree. By that time I hope that my clothing line that is in the process of trademark will be established and doing good business. While still marketing for other business. I am undecided as to where I want to live, but I don't see myself going back home to the streets of Los Angeles other then to visit. I wouldn't mind going back to school to study fashion to get my BS or even graduate school for marketing. While that is in the air as to which I am going to do first I want to find that special person to spend the rest of my life with and start a family.

Fashion School

Shortly after graduating from Centennial I was still confused about schools I wanted to attend and what I wanted to study. Until I was being interviewed for Brooks College a private two year school. I realized at that moment that Brooks was the school for me. I was a potential student that wanted to study graphic design during the tour then I changed my mind in the interview to study fashion. From that moment on I never looked back. Since the school was only a fifteen minute away, I lived at home and drove to class everyday. Though fashion was my heart, I had no idea how a garment was constructed. Brooks taught me everything from how to sketch, make flat patterns using paper and draping using the dress form. Besides learning the fundamentals on how to construct a garment we learned simple things such as how patterns and pockets can either add an illusion of enlarging the bust, or buttocks, or elongating the torso.
The sewing machine was a challenge, but once I learned how to use it and watch my drawings come to life was exciting. Textiles class taught us about different weaves and breading of fabrics. My instructors told us that a good designer knows fabric on contact. So every time I went shopping I would test myself, I would call out the fabric blends then check the tag to see if I was correct. Some fabrics were tricky, but lots of practice help me to become familiar with different blends.
Before graduation we had to chose a company to intern with so that we can utilize our skills in the industry. I interned with Angela Dean of Deanzign. I had read about her in the Essence magazine when I was high school, then when I actually had the opportunity to work with her in her studio was a blessing I never saw coming. Her daughter was working on a line of hand bags at the time while we worked on a dress for Tanya Jackson Samuel Jackson's wife and the wardrobe for Fifty Cents video Candy Shop. With in the three months of my internship we hosted two fashion shows. Angela Dean was a wonderful mentor and is a great friend that, I contact to guide me with decision in preparing my own line. Before receiving my degree Brooks hosted a fashion show for all the designers to show off their creativity.
Each student had to create six garments for the show that would be judged by designers in the industry. Everyone from Angela Dean of Deanzign, to Playboy even Baby Phat representatives came out to see what we had to offer.

High School

I attended Centennial High School which was a Shephard family school. My dad and his eleven siblings attended Centennial when it first opened back in the late 50's and early 60's. Many of my cousins that my grandmother raised also attended Centennial. It's amazing that the same teachers that taught some of my aunts, uncels,and cousins were still around to teach me. I exercised my student government roles at Centennial and held many different postion since my freshman year such as Public Relations, Year Book Committie, Secretary, Treasurer and Student Body Vice-President of Student Council my senior year. I was in Upper Bound because I knew I wanted to further my education after leaving Centennial. The program helped me to understand what it takes to get in college and what it took to stay in. The weekends in the dorms were really fun and exciting, but regardless of how late we stayed up the night before we had to be able to get up on your own for the morning tours. The program also helped us prepare for SAT's and the ACT. I was ranked in te top 20 of a class of 300 when I graduated in 2003. I received awards for attendence, leadership, and a special award for serving the most hours in community service. Despit my acceptance to Chico, Dilard and Sacramento State I chose not to leave home and rethink where I wanted to study and what I wanted to major in.

The Move

Mothers Day weekend of 2005 was a life changing experience. It was the fist time I had every been to Montgomery, Alabama to an Histrically Black College. My cousins were graduating and I wanted to show my support. They were brothers Lemel graduated from Tuskegee with his BS and Darnel was also a Tuskegee alumni, but was graduating from Alabama State with his MS, both were psychology majors. After graduating on Saturday Darnel tied the knot with his college love Tiffany whom he dated since his sophomore year at Tuskegee. He was leaving for the military two weeks afterwards and asked me to keep his wife company while he was gone. I was so amazed of the southern hospitality, history, and beauty of Alabama that I decided to move to Montgomery temporarily while my cousin was away in the service. I wanted to go back to school particularly an HBCU to study business management, but after I had paid most of my loans back from fashion school. Alabama State was most talked about for their business program so I decided to take opportunity while I had the chance and applied to Alabama State and was accepted.
I was 20 years old and a freshman living in the dorms with community bathrooms and a hall full of irresponsible teenagers. Luckily I had family to run to when I needed a break. I became best friends with Kita from Atlanta, Dee from Monroe county and Lala from Miami. We did everything together from studying, lunch in the cafe, club hopping and shopping. That summer I became closer to the twins from New Orleans Darren and Racheal, which came with a package of Darren's boyfriend Cameron and his best friend Josh.
I am currently a sophomore at Alabama State University majoring in Business Marketing and creating my own history and foot steps for someone else to follow. My friends Kita, Racheal, Darren, Josh, Cameron and I are members and also the creators of (R.A.M.P) Raising Awareness Multiplying Prevention under Mrs. Mann and Ms. Jackson of the health center at Alabama State. We are a peer educator group that focus on HIV and AIDS. We host forms with local members from (MAO) Montgomery AIDS Outreach, (AIM) AIDS in Minorities, Randy a ASU graduate that works for Alabama State Health Department and many other business and individuals that help us keep our peers aware of the importance of safe sex. We have monthly meeting with Red Cross so that we are up dated with statics across the nation.