Ana Gonzalez, 2019 Nyah Fellow and Texas A&M alum, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss starting her own business, her vision for improving the education system to be more equitable and brain-based learning. Also find out how her Nyah Project experience in Bali, Indonesia, transformed her and how Access Online helped her for her master’s program, plus more!

"Everyone has a purpose in this world. Do not let anybody dim your light. Be confident, and just be you." - Ana Gonzalez

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D'Angelo Valdez, 2016 Nyah Fellow and Syracuse University alum, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss his journey from childhood poverty to becoming an educator in Atlanta, using tech for good, and his transformative Nyah Project fellowship experience to Ghana. Also find out what his hopes and dreams are for his young family, and more!

"It's not [about] creating another leader; it's more so giving another opportunity to show how they are a leader." - D’Angelo Valdez

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Naveen Siddiqui, 2021 Nyah Fellow and student at the University of Florida, sits down with Leigh-Ann (before flying to Brazil as a Critical Language Scholar!) to discuss first impressions, star gazing in rural Ghana, and why she decided to wear the hijab. Also find out how she transferred skills from Access Online to secure some pretty cool academic and professional development opportunities, both domestically and abroad, plus more!

"I learned that I need to trust myself in order to have the freedom that I want." - Naveen Siddiqui

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Louise Gong-McGovern, 2022 Nyah Fellow and University of Florida student, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss her unique upbringing between China and the United States, what activities this thrill-seeker loved most during her Nyah Project fellowship to Ghana, and how she builds and maintains relationships. Also find out this first gen student secured the bag to get paid to go to college and more!

"There are so many countries where women and girls are unable to go to school because of the prejudices and the misogyny that exists, and I hope that one day, that will no longer exist." - Louise Gong-McGovern

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Alvin Huezo, a 2017 Nyah Fellow currently working in the commercial real estate industry, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss affordable housing and community development, therapy and cultural barriers to mental health, and (re)building your life during (and after) college. Also find out how the Emory University and Florida International University alumnus became a Nyah Fellow and what his most memorable experiences are from his fellowship to Namibia, South Africa, and London!

"I really do love pursuing wisdom and just trying to find out that bigger answer to everything. When you travel, I think you get closer to figuring out that answer." - Alvin Huezo

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Isabel Armedilla, 2019 Nyah Fellow and recent University of Florida graduate, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss imposter syndrome, the birth of Access Online, and why she focuses on equity issues, especially as it relates to education and healthcare. Also find out more about her Nyah Project Fellowship experience to Bali, Indonesia, and more!

"There is so much collaboration that is needed to bring humanity to the forefront. It's really important to recognize that we can amplify voices without compromising our own and overtaking those who are being affected." - Isabel Armedilla

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Edward Leonard, 2015 Nyah Fellow and University of South Florida alumnus, sits down with Leigh-Ann to share his perspectives on love, independence and creativity, his experience attending a small college, and his love of literature in a state that’s banning book. Also find out more about the early (paper application!) years of Nyah Project and his fellowship experience in Costa Rica, plus more!

"I was in a school system where books weren't being banned and we could have conversations with our teachers. I can't imagine what people are missing out on, on top of not being exposed to certain literature already.... All those things helped me with understanding all the different people that I meet as I go out and venture into this world. " -Edward Leonard

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Nyla Seymour, 2019 Nyah Fellow and computer engineering major at the University of Central Florida, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss representation in STEM, emotional agility and becoming a “soft” leader, and what (and who) has helped unlock her own potential. Also learn why she values opportunities for cross-cultural connection, why she wants to open her own restaurant, and more!

"It was really important for me to show up for myself in that way within the world, because I know that that's what I would want someone else to do if I were looking up to them and it's still hard. But anything that has great reward has great sacrifice." - Nyla Seymour

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Miles Mariano-Ortilla, 2019 Nyah Fellow, youth activist, and head coordinator of the TAP Scholarship Fund, sits down with Leigh-Ann all the way from Ritsumeikan University in Japan. They discuss why he struggles with the label “Filipino-American,” his concept of home as a self-proclaimed wanderer, and why he’s passionate about education access for all. Also find out how his Nyah Project experience inspired him to create a scholarship program in the Philippines, and more!

"It's one of my principles that education is a human right, and that everyone deserves a fair and equal education, not only in the US or in the Philippines, but everywhere in the world." - Miles Mariano-Ortilla

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Jaida Houston, 2019 Nyah Fellow and soon-to-be graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss life from Overtown to “Black Hollywood”, how she got interested in urban planning and development, and the need for community and a sense of belonging. Also find out more about Jaida’s journey to success at an HBCU, her take on the affordable housing crisis, and more!

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hen your life is already set up how someone believes it to be, you have to be your own guardian angel and say, 'Okay, well, I'm not doing it. I'm gonna make my own path.'" - Jaida Houston