Biographical Sketch

I was born in Asheville, North Carolina. The younger of two siblings. My parents stressed the importance of hard work and education. My early influence came from my paternal grandfather, Felix Shade. A quiet and reserved man, that when he spoke, you listen. After WWII, my grandfather and his eight brothers purchased the land where he built our family home. My grandfather was self-taught in everything and made a living as a handyman. His philosophy was, "if they could do it, so can you." My father adopted this philosophy and passed it on to me. My parents divorced when I was nine, and we moved to Jacksonville, Florida.

My high school experiences shaped and defined my future path. Upon graduating high school, I enrolled at the local community college. The first to attend college in my family, I was determined to make an impact. I struggled during this transition in my life from a tragedy that occurred a month before graduation. And trying to navigate the grief, I indulged myself in school. The balance I was looking for eventually came, and after community college, I transferred to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. After my first semester, I changed my major to African American Studies. The impact of that first semester chained the trajectory of my career path.

My beautiful daughter was born in the last year of my undergraduate studies. We learned soon after she was Autistic, so school took a pause. I spent the next few years learning about Autism Spectrum Disorder and advocating for her. I never lost sight of finishing my degree, and eventually, in 2017, I graduated. Four years later, I earned my Master in Applied Social Sciences in African American History. I want to use the coursework I've learned during my educational studies to collectively expand how history can be taught in various educational settings.