Centralight

CMU programs helped graduate find her 'next step' Looking out into the large audience, Donnesha Blake turned to her left and glanced at a poster of Martin Luther King, Jr. She took a deep breath. And she began speaking. She captivated the audience at the campus-wide MLK Celebration Day oratorical speech contest. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, 'that whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.' He goes on to say, 'I can never be what I ought to be until you are who you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.'" During her speech, Blake spoke about the realities of oppression and recognizing ableism, racism, sexism and classism. "That speech allowed me the chance to combine two things I am passionate about – writing and social justice advocacy," Blake says. "It was a great opportunity to express my ideas." Blake says that speech was her most proud and memorable CMU moment – until now. Surrounded by her family on graduation day, Blake thanked her mother for always pushing her to get involved and stay busy. "I listened," Blake said to her mother, Josephine Blake, as students in caps and Central stage On gowns walked past them. Showing her medals, Blake smiles and says, "See?" Blake gave her time to CMU's Center for Inclusion and Diversity, the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, and she was a McNair student. But the communication major's involvement with CMU began long before that – it started when she was a pre-teen. The summer after sixth grad Blake visited CMU through her participation in the GEAR UP program – a national initiative to prepare middle and high school students for college – at her middle school in Flint. The week-long visit included a writing class, a chance to live in residence halls and a little independence. "It was the first time I had ever visited a college campus and stayed overnight. In a way, I felt what it was like be a successful college student," Blake said. "I was sold on becoming a CMU Chippewa." And once at CMU, Blake's involvement in the program didn't stop. Serving as a GEAR UP peer mentor, Blake helped students from her hometown get ready to become CMU students, too. Blake says her involvement helped her know what she wanted to do after BY KATHY BACKUS graduation – help people overcome obstacles to educational opportunities. As a mentor, Blake worked with high school students during summers and throughout the school year, sharing her personal experiences and helping them learn what to expect from the first year of college. "I realized it wasn't that long ago that I was in their shoes writing my first college paper," Blake says. "I was grateful they were able to benefit from the same support I had received as a student. "When they told me they saw me as their big sister, that really warmed my heart. To hear that these young women connected with me on that level proved to me that mentoring goes beyond supporting someone academically. It's a personal investment in someone's overall success and a family tie you will have forever. And that's what's important." Following graduation, Blake is headed to the University of Maryland on a McNair Fellowship scholarship to pursue a doctoral degree in women's studies. She wants to teach and do research at the university level. "I am ready to take the education and the experiences I've received on this campus and go forward," she says. "I'm ready for the next challenges that lie ahead." 8 centralight summer '12

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